PTSD and Depression 8 Years After the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka.

Objectives: To evaluate prevalence and risk factors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among directly exposed (DE) and indirectly or nonexposed (INE) populations in Sri Lanka 8 y after the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.

Methods: Population-based structured survey study was conducted among Sri Lankan adults living in 5 coastal districts, Hamboantha, Matara, Galle, Kalutara, and Colombo in 2012-2013. A total of 430 individuals, 325 in DE, 105 in INE, participated in the survey.

An Innovative Telemedicine Initiative From Sri Lanka: The Value of Volunteerism in a Resource-Constrained Scenario During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka since July 2021 led to a situation where the health system was getting overwhelmed. The priority shifted toward triaging patients and identifying those who need immediate medical intervention and managing the rest in home settings. An integrated patient management system where patients could access a medical professional through a short messages service (SMS) and calling system was established.

Admission policies and methods at crossroads: a review of medical school admission policies and methods in seven Asian countries.

Selecting the right applicants is an important part of medical student admission. While one universally accepted selection criterion is academic capacity, there are other criteria such as communication skills and local criteria (e.g.

Guidelines for Complementary Feeding of Infants in the Asia Pacific Region: APACPH Public Health Nutrition Group.

Good nutrition in the first "1000 days," including breastfeeding and appropriate complementary foods, prepares for a healthy childhood and adult life, also contributes to the prevention of the double burden of malnutrition. Exclusive breastfeeding provides all required nutrients until an infant is around 6 months of age when complementary foods are needed. A literature review was undertaken of complementary foods in the Asia Pacific region.

Integrating the development agenda with noncommunicable disease prevention in developing countries: a quasi-experimental study on inter-sectoral action and its impact on self-reported salt consumption-the INPARD study.

Background: The determination of behaviours that lead to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as high dietary salt intake, are multifactorial. The prevention of NCDs, including the promotion of healthy dietary choice, including low salt intake, therefore requires multisectoral working. Although the need of a multisectoral approach to risk factor modification has been globally accepted, there is minimal evidence for its application in the real world.

Infant Feeding Guidelines for the Asia Pacific Region.

Good nutrition for infants, during the first 1000 days from conception, is one of the most important determinants of a healthy long life. Breastfeeding is the most important component of infant nutrition and reduces morbidity and mortality. With the changes to the climate currently occurring, issues of nutrition and food supply are only going to increase in importance.

Relationship between acne vulgaris and cosmetic usage in Sri Lankan urban adolescent females.

Background: Acne vulgaris is one of the commonest skin disorders affecting up to 80% of the world population at least during adolescence. Significant psychosocial effects such as depression and poor personality development have been linked with acne, especially in female adolescents. Various causative factors, including cosmetic exposure, have been attributed toward acne.

Accreditation of public health education in the Asia-Pacific region.

There has been dramatic advancement in health status in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) over the past 50 years. This ever-changing paradigm of public health calls for continuous review and quality improvement of public health education (PHE). Since its founding in 1984, the mission of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) has been to improve the quality and relevance of PHE to combat the diverse, dynamic, and unique challenges in the APR.

Nursing intensive care skills training: a nurse led, short, structured, and practical training program, developed and tested in a resource-limited setting.

Purpose: To assess the impact of a nurse-led, short, structured training program for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in a resource-limited setting.

Methods: A training program using a structured approach to patient assessment and management for ICU nurses was designed and delivered by local nurse tutors in partnership with overseas nurse trainers. The impact of the course was assessed using the following: pre-course and post-course self-assessment, a pre-course and post-course Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ), a post-course Objective Structured Clinical Assessment station, 2 post-course Short Oral Exam (SOE) stations, and post-course feedback questionnaires.

Development and implementation of a web-based continuing professional development (CPD) programme on medical genetics.

We developed, implemented and evaluated a web-based continuing professional development (CPD) programme on medical genetics. Development of the CPD programme followed the ADDIE model, i.e.

Migration of Sri Lankan medical specialists.

Background: The migration of health-care workers contributes to the shortage of health-care workers in many developing countries. This paper aims to describe the migration of medical specialists from Sri Lanka and to discuss the successes and failures of strategies to retain them.

Methods: This paper presents data on all trainees who have left Sri Lanka for postgraduate training through the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, from April 1980 to June 2009.

Computer literacy among first year medical students in a developing country: a cross sectional study.

Background: The use of computer assisted learning (CAL) has enhanced undergraduate medical education. CAL improves performance at examinations, develops problem solving skills and increases student satisfaction. The study evaluates computer literacy among first year medical students in Sri Lanka.

Health changes in Sri Lanka: benefits of primary health care and public health.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean that has achieved a unique status in the world with health indicators that are comparable with those of developed countries. This is illustrated, among others, by the reduction in both child and maternal mortality in the country. This achievement is the result of a range of long-term interventions, including providing education and health care free of charge, training of health care workers, developing public health infrastructure in rural areas, and adopting steps to improve sanitation, nutrition, and immunization coverage.

Tobacco smoking among school children in Colombo district, Sri Lanka.

Tobacco smoking is an important problem among schoolchildren. The authors studied the patterns of tobacco smoking among schoolchildren in Colombo, Sri Lanka, using a self-administered questionnaire. Multistaged stratified random sampling was used to select 6000 students.

The long case and its modifications: a literature review.

Context: This review provides a summary of the published literature on the suitability of the long case and its modifications for high-stakes assessment.

Methods: Databases related to medicine were searched for articles published from 2000 to 2008, using the keywords 'long case', 'clinical examinations' and 'clinical assessment'. Reference lists of review articles were hand-searched.

A study of risk factors for non-intentional domestic injuries among preschoolers in three suburban areas of Sri Lanka.

Unintentional injuries are common among children of Sri Lanka and globally. These can be prevented by identification and modification of risk factors. A pre-tested, structured-observation and an interview were carried out in 270 households with children less than five years in three districts.

Outcome-based approach in development of a disaster management course for healthcare workers.

Introduction: The Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka provided voluntary healthcare services during the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. At that time the faculty recognised the need to prepare the healthcare system for future disasters by enhancing the capability of healthcare workers. The development and implementation of a disaster management course for healthcare workers was identified as a priority.

Student academic committees: an approach to obtain students' feedback.

In 1995, the Colombo Medical Faculty changed its curriculum from a traditional model to an integrated one. The major challenge to the Faculty was obtaining students' feedback on their learning activities. To overcome this, a new method where staff and student groups from different years of study engage in an interactive discussion relating to their learning environment was developed.

AMEE Education Guide no. 28: the development and role of departments of medical education.

A department of medical education is becoming an essential requirement for a medical school. This publication is intended for those wishing to establish or develop a medical education department. It may also prove useful to teachers in medicine by providing information on how such a department can support their activities.

Educational environment in traditional and innovative medical schools: a study in four undergraduate medical schools.

Introduction: The undergraduate curricula of medical schools in King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia, Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia and Sana'a University, Republic of Yemen are traditional, like most of the medical schools in the Middle East region. The curriculum in Dundee University Medical School, UK, claims to follow the prescriptions of the UK General Medical Council to be outcome based with three interlocking phases and students encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. The aim of this study is to measure the educational environment, using the 50-item Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), in each medical school and to compare the educational environment as perceived by the responding students of the traditional medical schools in developing countries with that of the "modernised" medical school in Dundee University, UK.