Medication safety in diabetes care and addressing medication errors and drug interactions

Mouli Prabakaran Sundarrajan; Nivetha Mahesh; Aarthi Kalimuthu; Shankar Ganesh Muthusamy

Mouli Prabakaran Sundarrajan Department of Pharmacy Practice, JKKN College of Pharmacy, Kumarapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5934-361X
Nivetha Mahesh The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9479-048X
Aarthi Kalimuthu The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7925-7162
Shankar Ganesh Muthusamy Department of Pharmacy Practice, JKKN College of Pharmacy, Kumarapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India

Keywords: early clinical exposure, traditional teaching, medical education, physiology, knowledge retention, clinical problem-solving

Abstract

Didactic lectures are the major mode of traditional teaching (TT) in medical education, but they might not adequately equip students with skills for clinical practice. Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) combines hospital-based learning and clinical case discussion in the initial stages of medical education, perhaps enhancing knowledge retention, clinical problem-solving, and confidence. This study compares the relative effectiveness of ECE and TT for teaching physiology to first-year MBBS students. A prospective, cross-sectional study was done on 250 SRM University first-year MBBS students. Students first received TT in gastrointestinal physiology, then ECE. Pre-test, post-test, and retention test at one and three months evaluated learning and retention of knowledge. Case-based problem-solving exercises and student confidence surveys were employed to compare clinical application skills. Data analysis was performed using paired t-tests and ANOVA, with p-values<0.05 as statistically significant. ECE better enhanced learning achievements than TT, with mean scores rising from 42.3% (pre-test) to 78.4% (post-ECE). Retention of knowledge at three months was better in the ECE group (74–80%) than in the TT group (38–50%). Diagnostic ability and clinical use were significantly enhanced, with problem-solving times being shortened by 43% in ECE. Confidence in making a diagnosis was boosted from 48% (TT) to 89% (ECE) (p<0.001). ECE is more effective than TT in improving knowledge recall, clinical problem-solving, and student confidence. These conclusions recommend the incorporation of ECE into medical school curricula to enhance the transition between theory and practice.