“…While students may gain these psychosocial skills through other non‐anatomy disciplines or units of study, these courses may not have the same student investment or provide as early an exposure. This unique experience of engaging with their “first patient” (Hasselblatt et al, 2018) or “first teacher” (Winkelmann and Güldner, 2004; Bohl et al, 2011; Štrkalj and Pather, 2017) enables students to challenge their own perceptions of death and dying, and may aid students in managing the emotional anxiety of dealing with patients' in the healthcare setting (Arráez‐Aybar et al, 2008; Boeckers et al, 2010; Štrkalj and Pather, 2017; Goss et al, 2019). The value of this experience in the learning equation and the role in the development of the health professional persona may not be realized by measuring the knowledge outcomes of the anatomy education program alone (Pather et al, 2020; Grosser et al, 2021; McDaniel et al, 2021).…”
Studies of “cost and value” in anatomical sciences education examine not only what works, but at what cost, thus evaluating the inputs and outputs of education. This research provides insights into how to use available resources (e.g., academic time, budgets, infrastructure) as a mechanism to obtaining the maximum outcomes available. The purpose of this viewpoint article is to expand on the application of cost and value concepts to anatomical sciences education, contextualizing these concepts through a deeper dive into the more costly educational approaches of human donor dissection. In doing so, both questions and opportunities are raised for the discipline of anatomical sciences going forward. Educational decisions, inclusive of cost and value appraisals, consider the range of outcomes for which the activity is designed to achieve, and the activity's integration with the philosophy of the educational program it is contributing to; these decisions, thus, evaluate more than just cost alone. Healthcare students' engagement with human donor dissection pedagogy offers an array of reported non‐economic benefits, including non‐traditional discipline‐independent skill (NDIS) development (e.g., professionalism, teamwork skills). These skills are often harder to measure, but are no less important to the final pedagogical decision‐making process. The goal of cost and value research is to create an evidence‐base toward education that delivers maximum value for a given spend. Anatomy educators, researchers, and decision makers who embrace cost and value dialogue, and interpret and apply findings from studies of educational costs, are best positioned to improve the educational value for their learners and provide effective outputs for all stakeholders.
“…While students may gain these psychosocial skills through other non‐anatomy disciplines or units of study, these courses may not have the same student investment or provide as early an exposure. This unique experience of engaging with their “first patient” (Hasselblatt et al, 2018) or “first teacher” (Winkelmann and Güldner, 2004; Bohl et al, 2011; Štrkalj and Pather, 2017) enables students to challenge their own perceptions of death and dying, and may aid students in managing the emotional anxiety of dealing with patients' in the healthcare setting (Arráez‐Aybar et al, 2008; Boeckers et al, 2010; Štrkalj and Pather, 2017; Goss et al, 2019). The value of this experience in the learning equation and the role in the development of the health professional persona may not be realized by measuring the knowledge outcomes of the anatomy education program alone (Pather et al, 2020; Grosser et al, 2021; McDaniel et al, 2021).…”
Studies of “cost and value” in anatomical sciences education examine not only what works, but at what cost, thus evaluating the inputs and outputs of education. This research provides insights into how to use available resources (e.g., academic time, budgets, infrastructure) as a mechanism to obtaining the maximum outcomes available. The purpose of this viewpoint article is to expand on the application of cost and value concepts to anatomical sciences education, contextualizing these concepts through a deeper dive into the more costly educational approaches of human donor dissection. In doing so, both questions and opportunities are raised for the discipline of anatomical sciences going forward. Educational decisions, inclusive of cost and value appraisals, consider the range of outcomes for which the activity is designed to achieve, and the activity's integration with the philosophy of the educational program it is contributing to; these decisions, thus, evaluate more than just cost alone. Healthcare students' engagement with human donor dissection pedagogy offers an array of reported non‐economic benefits, including non‐traditional discipline‐independent skill (NDIS) development (e.g., professionalism, teamwork skills). These skills are often harder to measure, but are no less important to the final pedagogical decision‐making process. The goal of cost and value research is to create an evidence‐base toward education that delivers maximum value for a given spend. Anatomy educators, researchers, and decision makers who embrace cost and value dialogue, and interpret and apply findings from studies of educational costs, are best positioned to improve the educational value for their learners and provide effective outputs for all stakeholders.
Historically, legislature has been utilized to facilitate appropriate use of cadavers in the anatomical sciences. However, cadaver acquisition and use have also been guided by ethically appropriate and morally acceptable principles. Various global and regional frameworks of “ethical practice” guide body donation, including the use of unclaimed bodies by institutions. These frameworks are responsive to, and reciprocal with the various ethical, moral and legal factors that influence the development of body donation programs. This reciprocity supports the notion that anatomists and anatomical societies have a responsibility to advocate for legal reform when required. In this study, two body bequest programs from geopolitically and socially disparate countries are used as cases to contrast existing legal and governance frameworks for body donation and to examine whether anatomists can direct the acquisition of ethically donated cadavers. The study includes an Australian donor program that has exclusively accepted bequests since its inception, and a South African program that has recently transitioned to a bequest system. Elements such as consent by next‐of‐kin and Inspector of Anatomy, use of unclaimed bodies and ethics committee approval amongst others, are compared. It is acknowledged that legal frameworks for cadaver acquisition generally deliver broad guidance on acceptable utilization of bodies for the anatomical sciences. However, professional discretion is of importance in adapting to societal needs and values. Thus, while anatomists have been able to progress toward more ethical practice than that which is required by the law, they must continue to do so as societal values evolve.
The dependence of surgical training programmes on the supply of bodies by for-profit organisations places them at serious ethical risk. These risks, with their commodification of the bodies used in the programme, are outlined. It is concluded that this is not a satisfactory model for the trainees’ subsequent interaction with living patients and that a code of practice is required.
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