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Discusses the learning experience from both traditional and computer-assisted instructional methods. Describes the environments in which these methods are effective. Focuses on learning experiences in medical education and describes educational strategies, particularly the 'SPICES' model. Discusses the importance of mentoring in the psychosocial development of medical students. Points out the increasing use of technology and its positive effect on curriculum. (Contains 35 references.) (YDS)

Objective: To assess implementation of in‐patient cardiac rehabilitation (Phase‐1‐cardiac rehabilitation), impact on people in rural and remote areas of Australia and potential methods for addressing identified weaknesses. Design: Exploratory case study methodology using qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative data collection via semi‐structured interviews, using thematic analysis, augmented by quantitative data collection via a medical record audit. Setting: Four regional hospitals (2 Queensland Health and 2 private) providing tertiary health care. Participants: (a) Hospital in‐patients with heart disease ≥18 years. (b) Staff responsible for their care. Outcome Measures: Implementation of Phase‐1‐cardiac rehabilitation in tertiary hosptials in North Queensland and the impact on in‐patients discharge planning and post discharge care. Recommentations and implications for practice are proposed to address deficits. Results: Phase‐1‐cardiac rehabilitation implementation rates, in‐patient understanding and multidisciplinary team involvement were low. The highest rates of Phase‐1‐cardiac rehabilitation were for in‐patients with a length of stay three days or more in cardiac units with cardiac educators. Rates were lower in cardiac units with no cardiac educators, and lowest for in‐patients in all areas of all hospitals with length of stay of two days or less days. Low Phase‐1‐cardiac rehabilitation implementation rates resulted in poor in‐patient understanding about their disease, treatment and post‐discharge care. Further, medical discharge summaries rarely mentioned cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention or risk factor management resulting in a lack of information for health care providers on cardiac rehabilitation and holistic health care. Conclusion: Implementation of Phase‐1‐cardiac rehabilitation in regional hospitals in this study fell short of recommended best practice, resulting in patients' poor preparation for discharge, and insufficient information on holistic care for health care providers in rural and remote areas. These factors potentially impact on holistic care for people returning home following treatment for heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe illnesses of returned travellers presenting at GeoSentinel sites in New Zealand. Methods: Record data for all patients presenting for travel-related illnesses seen at two GeoSentinel sites, operating as commercial travel clinics, in Auckland and Hamilton, NZ, were extracted for the period November 1997 to December 2001. Results: 205 patients were identified with 262 diagnoses. Just over half were females (54.21%) and nearly half were in the 25-35 years age group (47.3%). About two-fifths of patients reported a pre-travel health consultation (41.0%). The commonest diseases diagnosed were diarrhoeal illnesses (23%), dermatological diagnoses (16%, excluding animal bites), animal bites (10%), and non-specific viral illnesses (8%), many of which manifest as respiratory infections. Tropical diseases, such as schistosomiasis (4%) malaria (2%) and dengue fever (0.5%), were not common. Conclusions: Information on travel-related illnesses, when reported through a global reporting system, can be useful for the travel health adviser in identifying issues of current concern. Although the frequency of tropical disease is low, it remains important to prevent these potentially fatal diseases. Implications: GeoSentinel makes a global contribution to the surveillance of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases through a network of individual sites in various countries including New Zealand. This information can be used to help provide preventive advice for travellers as well as help in assessing illness in post-travel patients and potentially assist in preventing the secondary spread of some diseases acquired abroad following return.