| Author: | Ma, Victor |
| Title: | Knowledge, attitude and perception of undergraduate students toward medical laboratory accreditation : a prospective cohort study |
| Degree: | DHSc |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Subject: | Medical laboratories -- Accreditation College students -- Attitudes Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Faculty of Health and Social Sciences |
| Pages: | xxi, 161 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Background: Undergraduate medical laboratory science (MLS) students are expected to achieve competency with laboratory accreditation (LA) before entering practice. A prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the LA competency of undergraduate students, in terms of their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (KAP) toward the LA, and how it is related to the curriculum of a MLS programme. Methods: This study involved five phases. In phase one, the curriculum of the existing MLS programme of a local university was reviewed to identify LA-related subjects and their mode of delivery. The information collected was then used for the analysis to determine the associations of the student KAP levels towards LA with demographics. In phase two, the content validity of the self-developed questionnaire was determined to evaluate the relevancy of each item. As all KAP items of the questionnaire were relevant, so the cross-sectional study was devised in phase three, and aimed to explore students’ LA competency by measuring their KAP levels toward LA at various stages of the study, and evaluate their associations with demographic characteristics such as age, gender and academic performance. The findings were further suggested to follow a group of year 2 students for the longitudinal study because LA-related content was delivered during the second to third study years of the MLS programme. Then, to observe the changes in their KAP levels throughout their study course period in phase four. Finally, a pre-and-post analysis was performed by using the data obtained from a longitudinal study, to measure and compare the changes in the students’ KAP levels before and after they participate in clinical practicum (CP). Results: Firstly, the curriculum review demonstrated CP in the four core specialties is the major component for students who spent their time and effort learning the LA knowledge. Whereas lectures and practicals are distributed throughout the curriculum to deliver LA-related theories and principles, especially in the foundation and consolidation subjects in the first and last study years, correspondingly. These findings illustrated current MLS programme curriculum places a significant emphasis on the importance of LA-related attributes and competence. Second, a significant improvement in KAP, K, A and P scores (p<0.001) was found when students attended a combined mode of LA learning in core specialty subjects. In the correlation analysis, the KAP scale, K and P subscales were not correlated (0.000 ≤ r<0.199) with gender or academic performance of the studied population, except the A subscale was weakly correlated (0.299> r >0.199, p<0.01) with academic performance. Whilst, the KAP scale and subscales have strong (r>0.699, p<0.01) to weak correlation (0.299> r >0.199, p<0.01) with cumulated LA learning. Moreover, the KAP, K, A and P levels of the students toward LA were strongly positive inter-correlated (0.562> r >0.634, p<0.01). Third, the significant improvement in the student’s KAP levels towards LA can be predicted (p<0.001) by the cumulated LA learning of core specialty subjects, delivered through a combination of lectures, practicals and CP. Fourth, the pre-and post-analysis further supported the findings in a longitudinal study. The significant increment (p<0.001) of KAP levels was observed only in the student groups with the combined mode of LA learning, instead of sole attendance of lecture and practical or CP. Conclusions: The current curriculum of the MLS programme places significant emphasis on the importance of LA learning. The newly developed questionnaire was shown to be a reliable instrument, so it is suggested for usage in future research studies. Among students in different study years, senior students generally exhibited higher levels of KAP towards LA. It can be explained by the attendance of more LA learnings in the core specialty subjects. It was postulated that the students first gained LA knowledge of core specialty subjects in lectures and practicals, then through applying and solidifying this LA knowledge during the experiential learning from CP, to further enhance their attitudes and perception towards LA, before they become competent MLS practitioners. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
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| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7294.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.17 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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