Gynaecological surgical training in the operating room: an exploratory study.

Objective: One of the challenging goals of gynaecological education is preparing trainees for independent practice of surgery. Research, however, on how to acquire surgical skills in the operating room safely, effectively and efficiently is scarce. We performed this study to explore trainers' and trainees' mutual expectations concerning operative training, to identify key aspects for improving learning and teaching in the operating theatre.

Long-term effectiveness and costs of a brief self-management intervention in women with pregnancy-related low back pain after delivery.

Background: Pregnancy-related low back pain is considered an important health problem and potentially leads to long-lasting pain and disability. Investigators draw particular attention to biomedical factors but there is growing evidence that psychosocial and social factors might be important. It prompted us to start a large cohort study (n = 7526) during pregnancy until one year after delivery and a nested randomized controlled intervention study in the Netherlands.

A Description of a Validated Effective Teacher-Training Workshop for Medical Residents.

Unlabelled: A teacher-training program for residents was designed and piloted in the St. Elisabeth Hospital in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. The program comprised of six modules namely: effective teaching, self-knowledge and teaching ability, feedback, assessing prior knowledge, trouble shooting and time management.

A two-day teacher-training programme for medical residents: investigating the impact on teaching ability.

Introduction: Many of the residents who supervise medical students in clinical practice are unfamiliar with the principles of effective supervision. Training in teaching skills is therefore seen as an effective strategy to improve the quality of clinical supervision.

Method: Twenty seven medical residents were matched and assigned to an experimental group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 13).

Effectiveness of a tailor-made intervention for pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain after delivery: short-term results of a randomized clinical trial [ISRCTN08477490].

Background: For the moment, scientific evaluation of programs on treatment of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain after delivery is hardly available with only one study with a positive result, suggesting uncertainty about the optimal approach. Investigators draw particular attention to biomedical factors but there is growing evidence that biopsychosocial factors appear to be even more important as a basis of an intervention program.

Methods: We studied the effectiveness of a tailor-made program with respect to biopsychosocial factors (intervention group) in women with pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/ or low back pain versus usual care based on a pain contingent basis (control group) shortly after delivery in a randomized controlled trial.

A historical perspective on pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic girdle pain.

The growing interest in pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic girdle pain has invoked research projects to this subject. Although it seems a modern syndrome, historical articles show that pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) was already known centuries ago. The purpose of the present article is to provide a summary review of performed studies on pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain.

Etiology and prognosis of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain; design of a longitudinal study.

Background: Absence of knowledge of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) has prompted the start of a large cohort study in the Netherlands. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and incidence of PPGP, to identify risk factors involved in the onset and to determine the prognosis of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain.

Methods/design: 7,526 pregnant women of the southeast of the Netherlands participated in a prospective cohort study.

Treatment of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain after delivery design of a randomized clinical trial within a comprehensive prognostic cohort study [ISRCTN08477490].

Background: Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle and/or low back pain is a controversial syndrome because insight in etiology and prognosis is lacking. The controversy relates to factors eliciting pain and some prognostic factors such as the interpretation of pain at the symphysis. Recent research about treatment strategies also reflects those various opinions, in fact suggesting there is professional uncertainty about the optimal approach.

The perceptions of attending doctors of the role of residents as teachers of undergraduate clinical students.

Introduction: Much of undergraduate clinical teaching is provided by residents. An earlier study showed the attitude of residents towards teaching to be generally positive. Little is known, however, about attending doctors' views on their own and residents' roles as teachers of medical students.

The effects of oral carbohydrate administration on fetal acid base balance.

Aims: Little evidence-based data are available on the effects of eating and drinking during labor. Intravenous glucose administration has been related to fetal metabolic acidosis. The question is, whether oral intake of carbohydrates effects the fetal acid-base balance.

How residents perceive their teaching role in the clinical setting: a qualitative study.

Residents play an important role in teaching and they consider teaching medical students as one of their primary responsibilities. Teaching is, however, limited due to lack of teaching skills and the time constraints involved in preparing and conducting teaching. Eighteen residents involved in teaching medical students and who took part in an initial study on teaching were interviewed on the perceived benefits of teaching and the role of residents in the teaching process.

The impacts of supervision, patient mix, and numbers of students on the effectiveness of clinical rotations.

Purpose: This study investigated whether supervision, patient mix, and numbers of students influence the effectiveness of clinical rotations.

Method: The authors administered a questionnaire to 1,208 medical students in 1999 to evaluate the rotations' quality. They computed four variables--overall effectiveness, supervision, patient mix, and number of students contemporaneously involved--and analyzed the data using analysis of variance.

A double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled study on the influence of carbohydrate solution intake during labour.

Objective: Although there has been much debate on whether women should be allowed to eat and drink during labour, little scientific data are available on the effects of caloric intake on the course of labour.

Design: Double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled.

Setting: Leyenburg Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands.