The study has revealed several differences in resources, organisation and utilisation of the mental health services between the two compared areas. The very large variations indicate that underlying local patterns of service delivering must be further investigated and taken into account in the planning of the services development.
BackgroundA general education in psychiatry does not necessary lead to good diagnostic skills. Specific training programs in diagnostic coding are established to facilitate implementation of ICD-10 coding practices. However, studies comparing the impact of these two different educational approaches on diagnostic skills are lacking. The aim of the current study was to find out if a specific training program in diagnostic coding improves the diagnostic skills better than a general education program, and if a national bias in diagnostic patterns can be minimised by a specific training in diagnostic coding.MethodsA pre post design study with two groups was carried in the county of Archangels, Russia. The control group (39 psychiatrists) took the required course (general educational program), while the intervention group (45 psychiatrists) were given a specific training in diagnostic coding. Their diagnostic skills before and after education were assessed using 12 written case-vignettes selected from the entire spectrum of psychiatric disorders.ResultsThere was a significant improvement in diagnostic skills in both the intervention group and the control group. However, the intervention group improved significantly more than did the control group. The national bias was partly corrected in the intervention group but not to the same degree in the control group. When analyzing both groups together, among the background factors only the current working place impacted the outcome of the intervention.ConclusionEstablishing an internationally accepted diagnosis seems to be a special skill that requires specific training and needs to be an explicit part of the professional educational activities of psychiatrists. It does not appear that that skill is honed without specific training. The issue of national diagnostic biases should be taken into account in comparative cross-cultural studies of almost any character. The mechanisms of such biases are complex and need further consideration in future research. Future research should also address the question as to whether the observed improvement in diagnostic skills after specific training actually leads to changes in routine diagnostic practice.
The revised WAS version appeared applicable within this Russian psychiatric hospital context. Several of the items that were dropped appeared inapplicable because of differences between Russian and Western culture and psychiatry.
Getting medical education in Russia is becoming more and more popular among foreign students every year. The need to study foreign students’ social and psychological adaptation in medical universities is caused by the increased need to train high-qualified doctors not only in our country, but also in the world community.The goal was to identify the features of social and psychological adaptation of foreign first-year students of the medical University.Methods. The study involved 131 first-year students, including 56 Indian students studying at the international faculty of General medicine of the Northern state medical University (31 boys and 25 girls); and 75 Russian students of the pediatric and medical faculties (25 boys and 50 girls). The diagnostic approach in the interethnic and gender aspects based on the methodology of socio-psychological adaptation of K.Rogers-R. Diamond, modified by A. K. OsnitskyMain results. The parameters of social and psychological adaptation of foreign first-year students corresponded to the average normative indicators, Russian students were at high level of adaptation. Foreign students, in General, had a positive attitude to themselves and others, including opportunities to contact colleagues and patients, experience average emotional comfort in interpersonal relationships and were quite active in activities. The results of the assessment of Russian students indicated a high degree of acceptance of themselves and other people, as well as emotional comfort, responsibility and high activity.Conclusions the applied aspect of the problem can be implemented in the development of programs for psychological and pedagogical support of foreign students at the initial stage of study at the Medical University.
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