Universities need to ensure that clinical undergraduates are educated in the use of computers in medical, nursing, dental and veterinary practice. We surveyed 875 students at Glasgow University to determine their computer literacy and attitudes to the use of computers. One in five students had not used a computer during the last year and 16% thought themselves to be a complete novice with computers. Medical students were more likely to have used a computer recently compared to dental and nursing students. For one in four students, the idea of working with a computer makes them anxious. Seventy per cent of students wanted more use of computers in the curriculum and 30% applied to attend an optional computing course in the summer. Although a third of students had not used a computer at school, the proportion had increased a little in recent years. At Glasgow University, changes need to be made to the undergraduate curriculum to teach students the use of computers in clinical practice. With a few exceptions, there is no reason to believe that this does not apply to other British universities.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a multilevel intervention, Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait (HBWW), in reducing preterm birth (PTB) and very preterm birth (VPTB) among black women in Newark, NJ. Methods HBWW is a program linking the local March of Dimes office, providers, community-based organizations, and public health institutions to increase uptake of evidence based preterm birth interventions. We used birth certificate data before (2009-2011) and after (2012-2015) the introduction of HBWW in Newark. We estimated differences in PTB and VPTB between these periods among black women in Newark and compared them to rate differences among black women in the rest of NJ (difference-in-differences). We used interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) to examine declines in PTB and VPTB following the introduction of HBWW controlling for secular trends. All models adjusted for maternal age, education and parity. Results PTB declined in Newark 1.1 case per 100 (95% confidence interval (CI) - 2.3, 0) and in the rest of NJ 0.5 case per 100 (- 1.4, 0.4) (difference-in-differences = 0.6 fewer cases per 100 in Newark, 95% CI - 1.6, 0.3). VPTB declined in both Newark (- 0.6 cases per 100, 95% CI - 1.0, 0) and the rest of NJ (- 0.2 cases per 100, 95% CI - 0, 0.3) (difference-in-differences = 0.4 fewer cases per 100 in Newark, 95% CI - 0.9, 0). However, using ITSA the downward VPTB trend in Newark was not different from the rest of NJ or pre-intervention trends. Conclusions for Practice Our study supports the importance of critically evaluating and advancing complex interventions to reduce PTB among black women.
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