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Objective: At the Medical Faculty of the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, the elective course “climate change and health” was offered to students in the clinical phase of their medical studies for the first time in the winter semester 2021/22 (any unfilled places were made available to interested students studying other subjects). Despite attracting considerable attention, this topic has not yet been incorporated into the curriculum of medical studies. Our aim was therefore to teach students about climate change and discuss its effects on human health. The students evaluated the elective in terms of various factors relating to knowledge, attitudes and behavior.Project description: The elective focused on the concept of Planetary Health, with an emphasis on the health consequences of climate change, as well as possibilities for action and adaptation in clinical and practical settings. The course took place in three live, online sessions (with inputs, discussion, case studies and work in small groups), as well as online preparation and a final written assignment for which students were asked to reflect on the subject. The standardized teaching evaluation questionnaire (=didactic dimension) of Goethe University was used online to evaluate the elective, whereby the questionnaire was extended to include the measurement of changes in students’ agreement with items (dimensions) relating to knowledge, attitudes and behavior (personal behavior and behavior as physicians) before and after the course (pre/post comparison).Results: Students expressed high levels of satisfaction with the course content, the presentation of the course, and the organization of the elective. This was reflected in very good to good overall ratings. The pre/post comparisons further showed a significant, positive shift in agreement ratings in almost all dimensions. The majority of respondents also wanted the topic to be firmly embedded in the medical curriculum. Conclusion: The evaluation shows that with respect to the impact of climate change on human health, the elective course had a clear influence on the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the students. In view of the relevance of the topic, it is therefore important that this subject is included in medical curricula in the future.

A clinical decision support system based on different methods of artificial intelligence (AI) can support the diagnosis of patients with unclear diseases by providing tentative diagnoses as well as proposals for further steps. In a user-centred-design process, we aim to find out how general practitioners envision the user interface of an AI-based clinical decision support system for primary care. A first user-interface prototype was developed using the task model based on user requirements from preliminary work. Five general practitioners evaluated the prototype in two workshops. The discussion of the prototype resulted in categorized suggestions with key messages for further development of the AI-based clinical decision support system, such as the integration of intelligent parameter requests. The early inclusion of different user feedback facilitated the implementation of a user interface for a user-friendly decision support system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A clinical decision support system based on different methods of artificial intelligence (AI) can support the diagnosis of patients with unclear diseases by providing tentative diagnoses as well as proposals for further steps. In a user-centred-design process, we aim to find out how general practitioners envision the user interface of an AI-based clinical decision support system for primary care. A first user-interface prototype was developed using the task model based on user requirements from preliminary work. Five general practitioners evaluated the prototype in two workshops. The discussion of the prototype resulted in categorized suggestions with key messages for further development of the AI-based clinical decision support system, such as the integration of intelligent parameter requests. The early inclusion of different user feedback facilitated the implementation of a user interface for a user-friendly decision support system.

Background: In Germany, people with life-limiting conditions and complex symptoms are eligible for specialized outpatient palliative care (SOPC). Requirements, delivery and goals of SOPC have been laid down by the Federal Joint Committee in a nationwide guideline. The guideline emphasizes the need to consider the special needs of children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions. A specification of these needs has so far been missing. The focus group discussion presented here aimed at investigating similarities and differences between the specialized outpatient palliative care of adults (SOPC for adults) on the one hand, and children and adolescents (SOPPC) on the other hand, from the perspective of health care professionals in order to further define specifics of SOPPC., Method: In three focus group discussions a total of 11 nursing and 8 medical professionals from SOPC for adults and SOPPC engaged in face-to-face discussions on the similarities and differences of both care forms. Discussions were designed openly and stimulated with three guiding questions only. Focus group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by thematic analysis supported by the software MAXQDA., Results: Within the following six themes, similarities as well as key differences between SOPC and SOPPC were identified: the participants discussed diseases, coverage area and locations, therapy goals, the psychosocial care situation, the role of relatives and end-of-life care. From the participants' perspective different underlying diseases constitute a main difference that causes further differences in the expertise required. Furthermore, SOPC for adults and SOPPC differ in the dimension of areas covered by one team, the number of patients per team and the reasons for SOPC visits. Differences in terminal care and the mourning process within the team became evident. Some similarities existed regarding goal-setting, psychosocial care and the role of relatives, but concrete patterns and the importance of these aspects differed because a particularly complex and emotional communication is required when a child is dying., Conclusion: From the perspective of health care professionals, SOPC for adults and SOPPC differ with regard to underlying diseases as well as care patterns such as collaboration with relatives and their need for psychosocial support. Therefore, the care for children, adolescents and young adults with life-limiting conditions and pediatric diseases all over Germany should be delivered within the frame of an independent care structure by teams whose members possess specific pediatric expertise., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)