Abstract
Global health education has increasingly impacted students and professionals in the medical field in recent years. This review aims to map the literature on global health education and analyze its contribution to equity in a worldwide medical context. This was a scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute approach. The PCC (population, concept, and context) mnemonic guided the study's questions. The PubMed, ScienceDirect, Virtual Health Library (VHL), and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases were used, identifying 278 articles: 86 from PubMed; 48 from ScienceDirect; 71 from VHL; 69 from SciELO, and 4 from other sources. Articles from four continents and more than 20 countries were analyzed. As a result, global health education took place through virtual meetings, face-to-face meetings, electives, and fieldwork, such as exchanges. The development of communication skills, adaptation to limited resources, empathy, ethics, and the strengthening of multidisciplinary relationships were noted. It therefore highlighted the significant growth of global health education in international medical training. It identified the need for further research and future initiatives to evaluate its long-term effect and improve global health equity.
Keywords:
Education, medical; Global health; Health equity
Resumo
A educação em saúde global tem influenciado estudantes e profissionais na área médica de forma crescente nos últimos anos. Esta revisão tem como objetivo mapear a literatura sobre educação em saúde global e analisar sua contribuição para a equidade em um contexto médico global. Trata-se de uma revisão de escopo por meio da abordagem de Joanna Briggs Institute. Utilizou-se o mnemônico PCC (população, conceito e contexto), que direciona as questões que fundamentaram o estudo. Foram utilizadas as bases de dados PubMed, ScienceDirect, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) e Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), identificando 278 artigos: 86 da PubMed; 48 da ScienceDirect; 71 da BVS; 69 da SciELO e 4 de outras fontes. Foram analisados artigos de quatro continentes e mais de 20 países. Como resultados, a educação em saúde global ocorreu por encontros virtuais, presenciais, eletivas e atuação em campo, como intercâmbios. Notou-se o desenvolvimento de habilidades de comunicação, adaptação a recursos limitados, empatia, ética e fortalecimento da relação multidisciplinar. Destaca-se, pois, o crescimento significativo da educação em saúde global na formação médica internacional. Identificou-se a necessidade de mais pesquisas e de futuras iniciativas para avaliar seu efeito no longo prazo e aprimorar a equidade em saúde global.
Palavras-chave:
Educação médica; Saúde global; Equidade em saúde
Introduction
The concept of global health in medical education has emerged in recent years. It is defined as the study and practice of improving health and health equity for all people worldwide through international and interdisciplinary collaborations (Patel et al., 2022). Expanding on this definition, global health encompasses international relations, health policies, and global trade, as well as the analysis of social and environmental determinants that influence vulnerabilities and epidemiological conditions in each region. In this context, global health education plays a critical role in reducing inequalities at an international level (Malgarin et al., 2024).
In an era of intense global relations, global health education in medical training has become more relevant than ever. Over the past 40 years, there has been a growing interest among medical students in studying global health, along with the expansion of this subject in medical school curricula, highlighting its influence on the academic training of medical professionals (Bentley et al., 2021).
At the beginning of this century, most medical schools were neither adapted nor prepared to offer training in global health, despite demands from students, professionals, and society itself. The lack of preparedness and adaptation in universities is mainly due to the absence of consensus among institutions regarding which knowledge and skills should be taught during medical education (Civitelli et al., 2021).
Nevertheless, global health education has expanded in medical schools worldwide, particularly when elective programs or exchange experiences are involved (Civitelli et al., 2021). Furthermore, the practice of borderless medicine for students has demonstrated concrete benefits, going beyond a symbolic act and promoting the deterritorialization of the field. Traditionally limited to a borderless approach in epidemiological and anthropological fields, borderless medicine should, by definition, integrate outcomes across different nations (Premkumar et al., 2016).
Additionally, beyond physical borders, the evolution of remote connectivity, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, has broadened the study of global health to include intercultural experiences that transcend national boundaries, contributing to the advancement of health equity (Patel et al., 2023). However, the challenges encountered during the pandemic, especially those related to distance, communication, and barriers to exchange programs, highlighted the need for medical training designed to address these global challenges (Umphrey et al., 2022).
In this regard, it is essential to understand how global health medical education can help mitigate the aforementioned issues and how it is currently being implemented. Understanding this landscape is crucial for the continuous improvement of medical school curricula and their international impact.
This review aimed to map the literature on global health medical education, identifying the social and structural processes that shape global health and its key pillars, as well as its influence on medical education and its equity contribution. To this end, the relationship between the curriculum and medical practice at all levels of undergraduate education was considered
Methodology
This study is a scoping review, a method aimed at mapping the literature within a specific field of interest. This methodology is used to assess the scope of research on a particular topic and identify knowledge gaps. The review is thus structured based on the breadth of studies conducted (Coelho et al., 2021; Guedes & Valente, 2023). The approach followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology (Aromataris et al., 2024).1
Research Question Identification
By addressing the proposed objective, this study contributes to understanding the evolution of medical education and the dynamics of research within health institutions regarding global health. Two key questions guided the analysis in this review:
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a) What is the scope of the literature published between 2019 and 2024 focusing on global health medical education?
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b) How has the study of global health contributed to professional training in the medical field?
The research question was structured based on the PCC mnemonic (Population - Concept - Context), following the methodology that guided the search and refinement of the inclusion and exclusion criteria used in this review. These criteria are presented in Table 1 below:
Search Strategy
The search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, Virtual Health Library (BVS), and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). The descriptors used, according to the MeSH/DeCS platform, were global health education and medical education, and the boolean operator AND. The search was conducted between February and June 2024, with a time filter for the last five years, specifically from 2019 to 2024, considering gray literature and articles published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish in a global context, with maximum literature coverage. The temporal scope applied to this scoping review is justified by the large number of studies identified in the databases. A total of 278 studies were found across the databases, with: 86 from PubMed; 71 from BVS; 69 from SciELO; 48 from ScienceDirect; and 4 from other sources.
Article and Thesis Selection
To select the articles and theses, inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to better direct the focus of the topic under discussion, which are outlined in Table 2 below:
The search resulted in 278 studies, and using the Rayyan platform (Qatar Computing Research Institute), 68 duplicates were excluded. Using the Mendeley platform (Elsevier Ltd), 12 articles were excluded as ineligible by automated tools. From the remaining 198 articles, 93 were excluded based on title evaluation and 19 based on abstract evaluation, resulting in 86 articles. Of these, two were excluded due to the inability to extract data, and 54 were excluded for not being directly related to the scope of the research. All steps were conducted by consensus among blinded reviewers, who independently made the selection decisions, resulting in 30 included articles.
In April 2024, the research was registered and approved as an Open-Ended Registration on the Open Science Framework (OSF) platform, with the following access code: “https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/HD698.”
Additionally, this study applied the PRISMA checklist for scoping reviews (PRISMA ScR). This extension, published in 2018, includes 20 essential reporting items and two optional items to be included when completing a scoping review (Tricco et al., 2018).
Below is the flowchart of the method used, organized according to the PRISMA statement (Moher, 2009):
Summary of the Article Selection Process
Flowchart of the identification, selection, and inclusion of articles for this scoping review, according to PRISMA (2020).
Results
The results showed that participation in global health experiences provided participants with the development of essential skills for medical practice. The data from the articles highlighted the importance of building intercultural relationships, learning about the differences in knowledge and scientific development between countries, as well as the need for medical education with a globalized perspective.
Another important point observed in the results was the growing demand and interest from students and professionals in participating in programs, courses, and exchanges focused on global health. Despite this, some studies identified barriers that hinder participation in these activities. These results are detailed in Table 3 below:
The research identified 24 universities and more than 269 partner medical schools that developed studies on the theme of "medical education in global health".
Among the listed institutions, eight conducted international field experiences, such as exchanges in partner countries and practices in hospitals. Six of these were described by universities in the United States, including Northwestern University, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, Columbia University, University of New York, and Rutgers University. The remaining two institutions are the University of Lagos in Nigeria and the Regional Hospital De Occidente in Guatemala. The other universities and institutions relied on different forms of research, such as questionnaire analyses, online courses, elective courses, and literature reviews.
The continents included were America [South (n=01) (3.33%), Central (n=01) (3.33%), and North (n=14) (46.62%)]; Europe (n=09) (29.97%); Africa (n=06) (19.98%); and Asia (n=06) (19.98%). The countries included in the research were: United States, present in 46.62% (n=14), followed by the United Kingdom, including England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, with 13.32% (n=04), 9.99% from South Korea (n=03), China (6.66%) (n=02), Italy (6.66%) (n=02), and the remaining countries: Germany, Nigeria, Botswana, Israel, Guatemala, South Africa, Hungary, Malaysia, Netherlands, Ghana, Kenya, Colombia, and Tanzania (3.33%) with n=1 each, totaling 21 countries. The "n" values used in parentheses earlier refer to the corresponding number of articles in which each country is present, being greater than the final number of articles, since some articles involved multiple countries in the study composition. Therefore, the percentages added up to more than 100%, as the percentage values of the participating countries are relative to the number of 30 articles, with overlapping percentages, making this value relevant to indicate the participation percentage of countries about the total number of articles.
Among the methodologies analyzed, 33.34% (n=10) used quantitative research to evaluate the results, 26.64% used experience reports (n=08), followed by quali-quantitative research (16.65%) (n=05), literature review (13.32%) (n=04), qualitative research (13.32%) (n=04), and one documentary research (3.33%), noting that in two articles, more than one methodology was use.
Of the 30 articles, 40% (n=12) utilized questionnaires in their studies. The methodology of the articles that employed this tool varied, including quantitative and quali-quantitative research. The most prevalent theme in the questionnaires was related to the interest and participation of medical students and professionals in global health programs, as well as the challenges and barriers faced in this context. The institutions that conducted the questionnaire application were: Northwestern University; Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School AMSA; Columbia University; Italian Network for Global Health Education (INGHE); Peking University; University of North Carolina; Gachon University; Hanover Medical School; University of Cape Town; among other institutions associated with the study.
Discussion
Based on the comprehensive analysis of the results, the majority of participants in the selected articles evaluated global health learning positively, whether through elective courses, programs, online classes, or exchanges.
Participants, whether students, faculty, or physicians, reported the development of various skills during their involvement in field research. These included building intercultural relationships, learning about the differences in scientific knowledge between countries, improving basic surgical skills, motivation for international work, using limited resources more efficiently, exchanging experiences between less experienced and more experienced medical professionals, strengthening multidisciplinary teamwork, consensus on the need for global health education, understanding the importance of empathy and ethics in practice, and dealing with emergencies that challenge the theoretical rigor of studies (Doobay-Persaud et al., 2019; Lawrence et al., 2020; MacNairn, 2019; Morgan et al., 2020; Peck et al., 2021).
Regarding the questionnaires, which involved the perceptions and interests of students, the surveys included various questions, such as the opportunity to conduct field research in the surgical field, studying global health in the area where the faculty or professional lives, whether the student would be prepared or interested in joining a global experience program, and the barriers to participating in a global program. Questions on these topics were the most prevalent and aimed to assess the level of interest, participation, and availability of students and professionals to engage in global health activities, as well as identify the challenges they might face when participating in these programs (Bandyopadhyay et al., 2020; Blum et al., 2019; Fant et al., 2022; Jimenez-Gomez et al., 2019; Scott et al., 2019).
The surveys showed that interest in global health education has increased in recent years,and that more and more opportunities for global study and exchange exist, especially for students at institutions that establish partnerships with institutions in the United States or with low-income countries.
Additionally, an analysis of the countries involved in the studies revealed that, although many of the exchanges took place in low- and middle-income countries, the majority of them have English as their official language. Out of the 21 countries that make up the study, 11 (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the United States, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania) have English as the primary language. It was also noted that there was only one country from Central America (Guatemala) and one country from South America (Colombia). This landscape suggested a significant predominance of English-speaking countries in the exchanges, possibly indicating a preference for destinations where English facilitates communication and integration between countries.
The studies showed an uneven distribution in low-and middle-income countries, predominantly in the Global South. Research has primarily focused on African countries. However, South and Central American countries were almost not involved, and studies from Oceania and South Asia were absent.
Ultimately, regarding the courses offered, both in-person and online, students described satisfaction with the possibility of collaborations between educational institutions and the programs offering the course. Among the learnings, the opportunity for partnerships, the development of clinical situation simulations, enhancement of communication and confidence to exercise their medical skills, knowledge of ethical divergences, cultural differences, and disparities between healthcare systems in each country were reported (Civitelli et al., 2021; Fant et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2020; Ogbenna et al., 2022; Wu et al., 2020).
Conclusion
Global health medical education is of paramount importance today. The integration of this topic into medical curricula worldwide demonstrates a growing commitment to training professionals who are not only technically skilled but also culturally competent, to meet the demands of our interconnected and diverse world.
The teaching methods used in global health education varied across the countries in the analyzed articles. These methods, ranging from virtual meetings and in-person classes to fieldwork and exchanges, proved to be effective in consolidating concepts in global education. The development of skills such as communication, empathy, ethics, and professional adaptation to limited resources is essential in preparing medical students to overcome the challenges of medical practice in global and challenging contexts.
Furthermore, an important milestone that highlighted the relevance of international collaboration was the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the articles examined addressed the challenges faced during this period and emphasized the importance of medical training focused on a global approach to health, serving as a crucial tool to equip healthcare professionals to face these challenges ethically and collaboratively.
It is important to recognize that, despite the efforts made, some gaps and challenges were identified. One of the limitations observed, considering the most spoken languages in the world, was the absence of Portuguese-speaking, Hindi, French, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, and Japanese countries in the reviewed studies. This suggested a gap in linguistic and cultural representation, potentially influencing the diversity of perspectives and approaches considered in the analysis of global health medical education. Furthermore, the lack of institutional support, adequate funding, and language barriers emerged as significant obstacles to the effective implementation of global health programs in various countries.
The limitations identified in this study do not undermine the relevance of the global health medical education approach and highlight areas that need more attention and improvement. There is a need for more research to evaluate its long-term effects and improve equity in global health. Future studies can deepen these initiatives, contributing to more inclusive and effective medical education in a global context.
Acknowledgments
This work was conducted with the support of the Araucária Foundation / SETI / Paraná, through a Scientific Initiation scholarship
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