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Introduction: Crohn’s disease constitutes one of the most serious diagnostic-therapeutic problems of contemporary gastroenterology and appropriate lifestyle may prevent symptoms of this disease. Aim of the research: To assess the level of patient knowledge of Crohn’s disease. Material and methods: The study enrolled 100 patients from three Warsaw hospitals (53 women). Mean age of the study population was 34.6 years (min. 18, max. 60; SD = 5.690). The voluntary and anonymous questionnaire study used a questionnaire developed by the authors (32 questions). Statistical analysis of the study results was carried out in the StatSoft Statistica 10.0 program, using the Mann-Whitney U test. The significance level was established at p < 0.05. Results : The study group of patients had basic knowledge of Crohn’s disease. A majority of the study participants (over 60%) knew the key factors responsible for the development of non-specific inflammatory bowel disease, 64% of them knew the effects of immunosuppressive therapy, and 77% of the patients correctly indicated the group of drugs used in the therapy; however, detailed knowledge of the disease significant for further treatment and its influence on the quality of life was insufficient and required supplementation. Differences among women and men were statistically insignificant (p = NS). Conclusions : Studies on patient knowledge of Crohn’s disease are rarely published in Polish and world scientific literature and therefore there is a need for continuation of studies. Detailed knowledge of patients about Crohn’s disease was insufficient. Therefore, information campaigns and actions as well as continuous education of patients performed by members of interdisciplinary therapeutic teams are justified. The level of knowledge of Crohn’s disease is not gender-related. The study results may be used in practice for development of educational programmes for patients with this disease.

Introduction. According to the National Qualification Framework (binding in Poland since the academic year 2012/2013), the analysis of self-assessment of students shall be one of mandatory components of evaluation of outcomes of education. Aim. The aim of the study was to analyse the self-assessment of nursing students of WMU regarding their vocational preparation as well as to compare the self-assessment of students who have taken on employment in their profession and those who have not. Material and methods. A group of 573 nursing students of the Faculty of Health Science, WMU (74.4% of students); 39% of the first year students and 55% of the second year students; women: 96%. Group 1 (446 persons, 78%) comprised those who were working as nurses; Group 2 (126 persons, 22%) included those who were not working as nurses. An anonymous, voluntary questionnaire developed by the authors, a personalized link to the questionnaire http://www.ankieter.pl/wypelnij/ankiete/id/5612/. A non-parametric statistical Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis (p

Introduction. The professional responsibility of nurses is regulated by the Act on Professional Self-Government of Nurses and Midwives of July 1st, 2011. Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of nurses about the scope of professional responsibility under the amended provisions of the law. Material and methods. The study involved 73 randomly selected people (71 women) practising as nurses in selected Warsaw hospitals. The mean length of time in professional work amounted to 13 years. Group 1 comprised 44 people with a higher education degree. Group 2 comprised 29 people with a secondary school certificate. Voluntary and anonymous questionnaire study using a questionnaire developed by the authors, 22 questions. Results. The level of knowledge of nurses about their professional responsibility was insufficient and required supplementation. The degree of education did not influence the level of knowledge. Statistically significant differences between the study groups were observed only in the case of civil and professional responsibility (p

Introduction. In Poland, graduation from a Bachelor’s degree course with a Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy makes it possible to take on employment as a physiotherapist. However, a majority of students continues their education on a Master’s degree course and simultaneously works either as a physiotherapist or in another profession. We differ in this from other European countries. Aim. The aim of the study was to analyse the issue of taking on professional activity by second-year Physiotherapy students of a Master’s degree course of university-level schools of different educational profiles, i.e.: medical universities (PM), universities of physical education (PWF), and other schools (IP). Material and methods. The study enrolled 1942 second-year students of a Master’s degree course of 17 university-level schools A mean questionnaire return rate was: 53%. Women constituted 77% of the study participants, the mean age was 21 years. As many as 736 (45%) of the study participants started a Master’s degree course at the same university-level school at which they had graduated from a Bachelor’s degree course. The approval of the Ethical Review Board of Warsaw Medical University was not necessary to conduct the voluntary and anonymous questionnaire study. Statistical analysis: STATISTICA 10.0 (licensed to Warsaw Medical University), non-parametric statistical tests: Chi-square, Kruskall-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U, p

Background Decisions about patient care in clinical practice should be made based on proven scientific evidence of efficacy and safety (i.e., evidence-based practice [EBP]). Currently, there are no available tools in Poland for assessing the knowledge and attitudes of specialists in health sciences towards EBP. Therefore, by validating the Polish version of the original English Evidence-Based Practice Profile Questionnaire (EBP2Q), we may provide an appropriate instrument for assessing EBP. Methods The validation group consisted of 1,362 people, including nurses and midwives taking the specialization exam, second-degree students in nursing/midwifery, and staff of selected municipal and clinical hospitals in Warsaw, Pruszkow, and Chelm. The study was conducted from March to June 2014. The following psychometric properties of the EBP2Q were assessed: reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and test-retest), validity (exploratory factor analysis, Spearman’s r correlation coefficient, and assessment of inter-group differences), as well as unidimensionality of domains (principal component analysis). Results All domains of the EBP2Q were characterized by high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.800 to 0.972). The Polish version showed a strong similarity of factor structure with the original English EBP2Q, indicating that the condition for theoretical validity is fulfilled. Maintenance of the theoretical and discriminative validity and unidimensionality of five domains of the EBP2Q was confirmed. Conclusions The Polish version of the EBP2Q is comparable in terms of psychometry to the original English version. This questionnaire can be used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and skills concerning EBP among students and practicing professional nurses and midwives. The future validation of the EBP2Q in other groups of specialists in health sciences may increase the scope of applicability of this tool. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-017-0877-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In the interest of preservation of high degree of objectivity of information about students' educational outcomes, a system of assessment needs to meet criteria of appropriate reliability and validity.Analysis of reliability and validity of the system of assessment of students' educational outcomes for courses followed by an examination and covered by a curriculum in Medical Rescue at Medical University of Warsaw (MU W).A retrospective study enrolling a group of 421 students of eight subsequent full education cycles. Detailed data concerning grades for fourteen courses followed by an examination in the entire course of studies were collected. Reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and criteria validity (Spearman's rank correlation) were assessed. Internal consistency was estimated using a multiple regression model.The levels of assessment reliability for the general university, pre-clinical, and clinical scopes amounted to alpha: 0.42, 0.53, and 0.70, respectively. The strongest positive correlations between the results of pre-clinical and clinical trainings were found for the Anatomy course (r ≈ 0.30). Only in the case of the Pharmacology course it was found that students' achievements in this field were significantly correlated with all other courses of clinical training. The influence of educational outcomes in particular areas of clinical training on the final grade for the entire course of studies was diverse (β regression between 0.04 and 0.11). While the Pharmacology course had the strongest impact on final results, the Surgery course had the least influence on students' final grades (β = 0.04).1. Sufficient reliability of the system of assessment of educational outcomes in Medical Rescue showed good precision and repeatability of assessment. 2. A low level of validity was caused by a failure to keep the appropriateness of the assessment of educational outcomes in several clinical courses. 3. Prognostic and diagnostic validity of methods used for evaluation of competencies of Medical Rescue students at WMU needs to be assessed in the future.

Introduction. For the first time in the history of the Faculty of Health Science, Warsaw Medical University, the e-learning course in “Education in Health Care Law” was started in the academic year 2011/2012. Aim. The aim of the study was to analyse the opinions of students on the presentation of the learning course in the form of an e-learning course. Material and methods. A group of 156 Master’s degree students (39%) participated in the study: 84 second year full-time students and 72 first year part-time students, including 152 women. An anonymous questionnaire on Moodle e-learning platform was used as a research method: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGpoU0puUk5Qak9xaUpnOEN2NTZNX3c6MQ. Results. Ninety eight percent (98%) of the students participated in an e-learning course for the first time and would be interested in this form of learning in the future (78%). Seventy percent (70%) of the study participants reported that the course improved the quality of teaching. Ninety one percent (91%) of the students admitted that the learning content was interesting, and 70% of the study participants reported that this form of teaching made them interested in the course and motivated them to broaden their knowledge. Among the most interesting modules were those concerning: patients’ rights and nursing organizations. During the e-learning course, 61% of the study participants devoted more time to learning compared to traditional courses. As little as 20 persons experienced technical difficulties when using Moodle platform. Conclusions. Positive opinions on the e-learning course and its positive influence on the quality of teaching of this subject prevailed among the study group of students. Studies on opinions of students will be continued among a larger group of students, because the remarks of the students allow organizational improvement of the courses in compliance with their expectations, which may further improve the quality and attractiveness of online learning as well as its effectiveness.

Differences in the organisation of educational systems and regulations pertaining to the practice of a profession can influence the attitudes of students towards their chosen career and their perceptions of employment possibilities. The aim of this paper was to discuss the different educational systems and legal regulations pertaining to the practice of physiotherapy in selected countries of the European Union (EU), and to present some conclusions regarding the influence of these differences on the perceptions of first-year physiotherapy students on their chosen career.Quantitative questionnaire-based study.Twenty-one university-level schools in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Spain and the U.K.Six hundred and sixty-seven first-year physiotherapy students.The mean response rate was 74%. Most students (79%) reported that a personal interest was the main reason why they had decided to study physiotherapy (79%). Most students from Spain and the Czech Republic reported that, on completion of their studies, they would like to work as physiotherapists (61/120, 51% Czech Republic; 140/250, 56% Spain), compared with only 4% of Polish students (P0.001). Most students from Poland and Spain were not familiar with employment opportunities in their respective countries (202/250, 81% Spain; 212/250, 85% Poland), and claimed that it is difficult to find employment as a physiotherapist in their country. Most students from the Czech Republic, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Spain and the U.K. claimed that it is easy to find a job in other EU countries.Most physiotherapy students chose their course because of an interest in physiotherapy. They were not familiar with employment possibilities for graduates, and believed that it is easier to find work in other EU countries. Both factors may further aggravate the problem of unemployment among physiotherapists.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is 1 of the most challenging types of malignant cancer, both in Poland and in the world. Accordingly to the latest epidemiologic data, in Poland in 2015 BC was the most frequent cancer among women and was second leading cause of cancer deaths. World Health Organization highlights that BSE has significant role in empowering women to take responsibility for their own health and is recommended as an educational tool in raising women's awareness about BC risk. Appropriate knowledge level about BSE is especially crucial among nurses - in many cases nurses are the first and only source of knowledge about BSE and BC for women. Aim: To investigate level of knowledge about BSE among Polish nurses. Methods: To assess BSE correctness performed by nurses, authors used the scale based on 4 items. Each item referred to 1 following principle of appropriate BSE: regularity (once a month); BSE performed 2-3 days after menstruation among women in premenopausal age and within the set day among postmenopausal women; using both visual and palpation technique; examination in standing and lying position. For each principle respondent received 1 point. Total maximum number of points was 4. Among the variables characterizing the examined group of nurses potential qualitative and quantitative factors were identified, the impact of which on the correctness of BSE performance has been assessed. To evaluate the impact of specific factors on the probability of correct BSE performance the logistic regression method has been used. Results: In our study all nurses declared that they had performed BSE at least once in their life. However, less than half (41.1%) did this for the first time at the age of 20 or earlier. 56.7% of nurses regularly examined their breasts once a month. Among menstruating women (N = 1058) at the recommended time (2-3 days after the end of menstruation), BSE was performed by 67.3% of nurses, the others during different periods of the menstrual cycle. Among postmenopausal women (N = 184) 30.4% have been performing BSE on a specific day of the month. Almost all subjects (about 98%) used both - viewing and palpation method. 58.9% did it in 2 positions - standing and lying. The average number of points on the BSE correctness scale, including 4 items, was 2.8 points. BSE was fully correctly performed by 27.5% of women (4 p.) and almost fully correctly by 33.9% of nurses (3 p.). Less than 1% of nurses carried out BSE contrary to the 4 recommendations assessed during the study. Conclusion: Despite medical education only about 1/3 of nurses has performed BSE in a completely correct way. It shows the need of constant education in this matter which has significant meaning for same nurses but also for women educated by them. Moreover, in the face of alarming epidemiologic data on BC and unsatisfactory quality of performed BSE, devoting more attention in the nurses´ education process for BC issues should be considered.

Amount raised: 1 635 652,11 Polish Zloty (PLN; about 480,000 USD) Background and context: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) (IDC10: C00-C15, C30-C33, C69; C73) are significant clinical and social problem. While the overall number of new cases is stable and almost on the same level (∼6000 new cases each year) increase of HNCs incidence among young adults (

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a significant medical and social issue, the main cause of death in Europe and the United States. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of emergency medical procedures applied by emergency medical teams in prehospital care in the context of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The case–control study was based on the medical documentation of the Rescue Service in Katowice (responsible for monitoring 2.7 million inhabitants of the region) referring to 2016. The research involved exclusively adults (ie, individuals older than 18 years) with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). After considering the above inclusion criteria, there were 1603 dispatch order forms (0.64% of all dispatch orders) involved in further research. On the basis of the emergency medical procedure forms, the actions of emergency medical teams were verified as medical procedures (endotracheal intubation, the use of suction pumps, defibrillation, the use of alternatives providing airway patency and ROSC was determined. The analysis covered 1603 cases of OHCA. SCA turned out more frequent in men than in women (P = .000). Most often, SCA occurred in domestic conditions during the day and was witnessed by a third person. In 59.9% of the cases, actions were taken by witnesses, which increased the probability of ROSC. Patients were usually intubated (51.4%). Respirators were used less frequently (20.2%). Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was reported only in 22.0% of the cases. The ROSC rate was higher in the group of patients with diagnosed VF than in those with nonshockable rhythms (VF, 55.43% vs asystole, 24.05%; P = .000). Successful resuscitation depends on the quality of emergency medical procedures performed at the place of incident. The highest probability of ROSC is related with defibrillation (in the cases of VF or ventricular tachycardia with no pulse), intubation, the application of a respirator, and performing mechanical ventilation, as well as with a shorter time from dispatch to arrival.

Objectives In Poland, physiotherapy is offered at three types of school: medical universities, universities of physical education, and schools that do not specialise in either the medical sciences or physical education. This study explored the knowledge of students who were completing their physiotherapy studies about working in Poland and other countries of the European Union (EU), and about their vocational plans. Students were asked, through self-assessment, about aspects of the professional skills they had gained. Design Quantitative questionnaire-based study of students in three university settings. Setting Eleven university-level schools in Poland offering studies in physiotherapy and representing three orientations: medical sciences (MS), physical education (PE) and other universities (OU). Participants The study sample comprised of 954 third-year Bachelor programme students. Results The differences in university profiles did not influence the vocational plans of the students, with more than 70% (668/954) declaring that they would look for work outside Poland: 76% (725/954) in the UK and 69% (658/954) in Germany. Most students stated that finding work as a physiotherapist is difficult in Poland (686/954,72%) and easy in other EU countries (763/954, 80%). Differences in university profiles had an effect on the students’ assessments of their professional skills, as students from universities without a long-standing tradition of training in physiotherapy declared that they were less well prepared to work as physiotherapists; the difference was statistically significant for 12 of the 16 domains examined (P < 0.05). Conclusions In the light of these results, an increased influx of Polish physiotherapists, trained according to European standards, into EU countries, especially the UK and Germany, is to be expected in the near future. The physiotherapists will predominantly be graduates of medical and sports-oriented state universities. It appears advisable to launch, under the auspices of an EU programme, an integrated employment information system for physiotherapists that would offer updated information on current demand in individual EU countries.

Aim. An analysis of consistence in evaluating students’ achievements in subjects completed with an exam and included in the curriculum at the department of midwifery of part-time studies at Medical University of Warsaw (MUW). Materials and methods. The authors used examination data of 231 subjects, part-time midwifery students of the second degree at MUW between the years 2007-2012. A retrospective analysis was used for analyzing students’ achievements and learning results in eight subjects completed with an exam. In order to determine the trends in evaluating students in consecutive years, a non-parametric ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis rank test was used. Assessing the subsequent compliance of evaluation of exam subjects was performed using Kendall coefficient. Evaluation of internal validity of educational measurement was established on the basis of inter-correlation analysis and multi-dimensional regression analysis. Results. An analysis of internal compliance in evaluating students in subsequent years showed that for the vast majority of the studied subjects there was no consistency in evaluating students (Kruskal-Wallis rank ANOVA test, p < 0.005). For subsequent ranges of education, an insufficient level of educational measurement was found (Kendall coefficient = 0.11). Evaluating accuracy in the analysis of inter-correlation shows that for the eight studied subjects there are positive dependencies between the results of teaching students in individual areas of education. Confirmation of the above dependencies was also obtained in the analysis of regression. Conclusions. Low level of compliance in evaluating students in subsequent years proves that there is insufficient cohesion within the system of measuring the learning outcomes. Prognosis analysis which would include the dependent variables connected with the future of graduates should be an important element of educational system evaluation in the future.

Introduction In medical education, Web-based learning is increasingly used as a complement to practical classes. The objective of the study was to perform a comparative analysis of three different forms of e-learning course on emergency medicine in terms of an indicator of knowledge growth and students' satisfaction. Material and methods For the purpose of the study, we developed and implemented a tool in the form of an online course: A - non-animated presentation, B - video, C - interactive video. The participants were undergraduate students of emergency medicine and nursing (n = 106). A pre-test and a post-test were carried out, and the resulting data were analyzed using parametric tests (t-test, ANOVA, post-hoc). Final questionnaires assessing six parameters of satisfaction were also evaluated. Results A significant increase in knowledge in the experimental group which used an interactive video was observed (p = 0.04). Moreover, the number of replays of learning material was the highest in group C (2.09 ±2.48). The level of post-course satisfaction turned out to be comparable in all three groups (p = 0.62). Conclusions The study allowed the interactive course to be identified as the most effective method of distance learning among selected ones. Due to the limitations of the study, we conclude that there is a need for further studies on the effectiveness of e-learning in emergency medicine.

Nowadays, there are over 300 mln. people aged 65 years or more living in the world. It is estimated that the number will grow to more than 1.5 billion by 2050. The maintenance of physical fitness of the elderly at a level that enables full functional independence for as long as possible should therefore be a priority. Loss of independence leads to long-term medical, social and economic consequences. The problem of falls has only recently been perceived as one of more significant aspects influencing the fitness and independence of individuals over 65. Identifying the scale of the incidence of falls is a prerequisite for initiating prevention activities. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of falls and their consequences (including fractures and the reduction of physical activity) among persons over 65 years of age living in a big urban area, medium-size and small towns, and rural areas.The study enrolled 235 inhabitants of a big city (over 1 mln. inhabitants-Warsaw), 85 inhabitants of medium-size and small towns (20-60 thousand inhabitants) and 112 inhabitants of villages (up to 3 thousand inhabitants). The subjects were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire composed of questions concerning the circumstances of a fall, fracture, fear of another fall and a subjective assessment of mobility before and after a fall. The statistical analysis of the data utilised basic statistical parameters and the following tests: the Mann-Whitney U test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the McNemara test.77% of the inhabitants of towns/cities had suffered a fall, compared to 89% of the inhabitants of villages. The falls most frequently occurred at home and its vicinity (village) and in the street (town/city). Falls had led to fractures in 35-56% of the subjects, depending on the group. Falls led to a significant reduction in mobility--from moderate to low. According to the subjects, this was due to the fear of another fall, an awareness that one was ill and feeling weak, with pain contributing to a smaller extent. Fear of falling occurred significantly more often in the group which had experienced a fall as compared with those with no history of falls. The fear was mainly connected with walking on flat surfaces, climbing stairs, as well as with bending forwards and being in a bathroom.1. The incidence of falls in the study group was an important problem concerning approx. 81% of the respondents. 2. Fractures, which occurred in about half of subjects, were a dangerous consequence of falls. 3. A fall significantly reduced mobility of the subjects--from moderate to low. 4. The fear of falling was most frequently indicated as the reason for the reduced mobility.

Background. Many factors, including legal regulations pertaining to the practice of physiotherapy and employment possibilities, can influence the vocational plans of physiotherapy graduates. The aim of the study was to analyse the vocational plans of students in selected European countries. Material and methods. 299 students: 20 from Bulgaria (BG), 100 from Spain (ES), 21 from Latvia (LV), 58 from Turkey (TUR), and 100 from Poland (PL), 225 females, with a mean age of 23.05 years (SD: 2.71; min/max: 21-39). An anonymous, voluntary questionnaire in national langua¬ges. Statistica 9.0, Kruskall-Wallis test, p

Background Social media allow users to quickly spread information and opinions. Unfortunately, it is often a place of anti-vaxxers activity, who create content that spreads easily. This situation leads to an increase in vaccine hesitancy and may result in outbreaks of infectious diseases. We wanted to find and characterize what negative arguments against the COVID-19 vaccines Facebook users create and how the popularity of the allegations against vaccines changes over time. Methods We followed the posts published on Facebook by the biggest Polish media. We have selected the highest commented events related to the registration and introduction of the COVID-19 vaccines. Then, we analyzed user comments related to those events and established the main themes of anti-vaccine comments. Using this list of topics, we categorized 3414 comments and checked the frequency of comments from given categories and their variability over time. Results The arguments of vaccine opponents about the COVID-19 vaccines can be divided into 12 categories. Seven of them also apply to other vaccines but five types are COVID-19' specific. Two new arguments say that vaccines were not properly tested or do not exist. The third topic mentions the history of the swine flu vaccine and the following narcolepsy cases. The fourth category suggests that vaccine against COVID-19 existed before the pandemic. The last argument says that no one takes responsibility for the side effects of the vaccine. The frequency of arguments from a given category varies over time. We also noticed that, while the comments were mostly negative, the reactions were positive. Conclusions Our codebook of anti-vaccine topics can help public health professionals better understand social media content. Real-time monitoring of social media is important because the popularity of certain arguments on Facebook changes rapidly over time but early recognition of social doubts allows for targeted interventions. Key messages Online anti-vaccine comments on the COVID-19 vaccines can be divided into 12 topic categories. The frequency of Facebook comments against COVID-19 vaccines from a given topic category varies over time.

Introduction: Leadership skills can be critical in emergency medicine. However, there are no works that analyze this issue in much more details. The aim: To analyze the level of leadership skills in emergency medicine students, and also checking if despondency perfectionism is a variable that reduce the correlation between self-efficacy and leadership skills. Materials and Methods: The analyzed group consisted of 75.76% of all emergency medicine students taking up education at the Medical University of Warsaw in 2018 (n = 150, W = 74, M = 71). The average age was 23 years (SD = 1.7). All students were divided into two groups: Group 0 - without maladaptive perfectionism (n = 64), and group 1- with maladaptive perfectionism (n = 79). In the cross-sectional study, three standardized research tools were used: Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). ANCOVA analysis was used. Results: The linear regression coefficients for both comparison groups were significantly different (interaction of variables: “maladaptive perfectionism * self-efficacy”: F = 4.841, p = .029). Comparing adjusted mean values for both groups (0 vs 1), it can be stated that students from group 0 had a significantly higher level of authentic leadership skills compared to group 1 (F = 4.432, p = .037). Conclusions: Studies to determine the mechanisms of a positive relationship between the self-efficacy and leadership skills in emergency medicine students with high maladaptive perfectionism are required. This will allow the development of effective programs to strengthen the leadership skills of these students.