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We devised and assessed open recruitment of host families for medical student homestays in a rural area of Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, so that program organizers would not have to depend on professional and personal connections. The duration of the homestays was one night and two days, and they were conducted in August 2016, 2017, and 2018. The purpose of this community-based medical education program was to promote interactions between medical students and residents of Tamba area. The study asked one family member from each host family to complete a questionnaire after the homestay, and their experiences were evaluated in the study. The questionnaire results were analyzed using a visual analog scale (VAS; 0–100 mm). Thirty-three host families participated in the homestay program over three years. Results showed that VAS scores were high for enjoyment of homestays (VAS; 92.4 ± 13.0), continuation of the homestay program (91.7 ± 12.7), continuation of participation in the homestay program (89.2 ± 16.2), and desire for the homestay students to work in the area in the future (95.4 ± 6.3). The recruitment of host families through advertising was an efficient method for this community-based medical education homestay program. The results indicate that it is possible to attract more host families through open recruitment, which will contribute to the sustainability of the homestay program. Further research, including a follow-up of the students who participated and whether they chose a rural area or Tamba to practice is needed in the future. Since this is an ongoing program, further research in a similar format can be conducted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives are exploring the impacts of geologic hazards on the construction of homestays, improving the safety of homestay buildings, guaranteeing the safety of tourists, and enhancing the disaster-resistance of homestays in scenery spots. The computer simulation system and Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology are employed to construct a geologic hazard prediction model for homestays. The model utilizes a time history method to establish a complete early-warning and monitoring system by learning the geologic disaster data. The detection of various geologic hazards has verified the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results show that the model can reduce the losses in the case of water accumulation and landslides during storms, and the BIM technology-based homestay buildings will suffer fewer losses. In the case of earthquakes, BIM technology-based homestay buildings have no noticeable shaking and displacement. Compared to traditional construction methods, the displacement is reduced by 49.15%. In the case of a spontaneous fire, the burning area of the BIM technology-based homestay building is only 270m2. The most severe factors affecting the construction of homestay buildings are earthquakes and landslide risks. The BIM technology generates 3D building planning; therefore, planners can fully understand the problems in the building. In the meantime, the multi-source monitoring data of multiple geologic hazards can be monitored and fed back, thereby improving the timeliness of early-warning of geologic hazards. The results are of considerable significance to the prevention of losses caused by geologic hazards, which can significantly improve the understanding of geologic hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In community-based medical education, opportunities for medical students to interact with local residents are important. To facilitate such interaction, we aimed to evaluate acceptance of a homestay program and attitude toward community medicine among medical students. Methods: The participants (n = 39) were allowed to stay in the local homes of residents for one night in August 2016, 2017, and 2018. Before and after the homestays, the students responded to a self-reported questionnaire using the visual analog scale (VAS; 0–100 mm). The questionnaire included four questions on homestay/community medical training and community medicine and four questions about attitude toward community medicine in the local areas of medical students. Then, we compared the VAS scores before and after training. Results: The VAS scores for all questions about homestay/community medical training and community medicine significantly increased: "Is it worthwhile for you to have experience in the field of community medicine," "Did you find the homestay enjoyable," "Does the homestay add educational significance to the program," and "Is direct interaction with residents meaningful?" For the two questions about attitude toward community medicine, the VAS scores significantly increased: "Is there a challenge to practicing community medicine" and "In the future, do you want to work in Tamba area where you stayed?" Conclusions: The medical students were extremely enthusiastic about the educational program for community medicine involving residential homestays, which improved their attitudes toward practicing community medicine. Moreover, the students appreciated that their training sites could become their future workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]