University of Cape Town

Module no: 87

Contact: Dr Adele Marais

Email: [e-mail]

Tel: [phone] 404 2151

Title: Undergraduate and postgraduate medical students’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about Transgender issues

No of students: 4

Type: Survey questionnaires

Summary: Medical schools are increasingly focusing on developing interpersonal skills and ‘cultural competence’ of medical students. We know that deep-seated biases often negatively affect doctor-patient relationships, as well as patients’ access to quality healthcare. This is especially relevant in working with marginalised communities – which includes the transgender population. Certainly, many transgender persons face significant prejudice and ignorance when coming into contact with medical professionals. The Dept of Psychiatry and Mental Health at GSH runs one of only two public sector transgender clinics in South Africa. The clinic consists of a multi-disciplinary team that offers a comprehensive service to transgender persons. It uses the services of a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, sexologist, social worker, endocrinologist, plastic surgeon, family physician and has links with the main referral NGO’s, i.e. Triangle Project and Gender DynamiX.

The GSH clinic is invested in identifying the Transgender knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of undergraduate and postgraduate medical students in order to develop appropriate multi-disciplinary curricula which can address these concerns.

The tasks for this SSM will include the following:

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  Review of existing literature on students’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs/ medical school curricula, etc.
  
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  2 students will construct and administer a survey questionnaire to a group of undergraduate medical students
  
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  2 students will construct and administer a survey questionnaire to a group of postgraduate students
  
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  Analysis and write up of results
  
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  Recommendations for issues to be addressed in medical curricula at undergraduate and postgraduate level
  

Module no: 88
Contact: Dr Adele Marais

Email: [e-mail]

Tel: [phone] 404 2151

Title: Patient satisfaction with transgender health services

No of students: 2

Type: Survey questionnaire

Summary: Measuring how patients subjectively evaluate the healthcare services they receive (i.e. patient satisfaction) is recognised as integral to the assessment of health care outcomes. Today there is an increased emphasis on good quality relationships between doctors and their patients, however, transgender patients often experience ignorance, insensitivity and prejudice when engaging with a range of medical practitioners. Given their desire to change their biological sex (by using hormones or surgery), transgender persons have specific healthcare needs which need to be addressed appropriately. The Dept of Psychiatry and Mental Health at GSH runs one of only two public sector transgender clinics in South Africa. The clinic consists of a multi-disciplinary team that offers a comprehensive service to transgender persons. It uses the services of a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, sexologist, social worker, endocrinologist, plastic surgeon, family physician and has links with the main referral NGO’s, i.e. Triangle Project and Gender DynamiX. The clinic is invested in identifying how Transgender patients experience the healthcare provided by the various clinics they come into contact with at GSH. This information will help identify areas in need of improvement, and will ensure quality assurance (e.g. friendliness and courtesy of staff; being addressed by preferred name and pronouns, respectful physical examinations, etc.).

The tasks for this SSM will include the following:

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  Review of existing literature on TG patient expectations/satisfaction regarding trans-specific medical care
  
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  Construction of a patient satisfaction survey questionnaire to be used across the multi-disciplinary clinics at GSH
  
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  Writing up a research report, with recommendations for issues to be addressed in TG medical care
  

Module no:89

Contact: Dr Don Wilson

Tel. [phone] or 2164

Title: Alcohol

No. of students: 2

Type: Review

Summary: Substance use is a major cause of disability. Alcohol is the commonest substances used world-wide and in South Africa. This substance impacts on the whole of the South African community. Alcohol dependence leads to some major psychiatric disorders, significant loss of working hours and has a major impact on quality of life for affected individuals and their families.

During this module, students can:

1. 
   Select one aspect of Alcohol Dependence [genes that influence dependence, ideal withdrawal regimes, acute psychiatric conditions, chronic psychiatric sequelae] and conduct a literature review on an aspect of the disorder.
   
2. 
   Or do a general review of the current literature and produce an overview suitable for medical students.
   

You will also have an opportunity to meet patients with substance use problems at an Addictions clinic at GSH or at the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre during the module.

Please meet with Dr Wilson before the start of the module to make specific plans on what is to be reviewed.

Module no: 90

Contact: Dr Don Wilson

Tel. [phone] or 2164

Title: Cannabis

No. of students: 2

Type: Review

Summary: Substance use is a major cause of disability. One of the commonest substances used world-wide is cannabis (dagga), the chronic use of which leads to significant loss of working hours and has a major impact on quality of life for affected individuals and their families.

During this module you can:

1. 
   Select one aspect of cannabis [affect on genes, independent risk factor for schizophrenia, acute psychiatric conditions, chronic psychiatric sequelae] and conduct a literature review on that aspect of the disorder.
   
2. 
   Or do a general review of the current literature to produce an overview suitable for medical students.
   

You will have an opportunity to meet patients with substance use problems at an Addictions clinic at GSH or at the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre during the module.

Please meet with Dr Wilson before the start of the module to make specific plans on what is to be reviewed.

Module no: 91

Contact: Dr Don Wilson

Tel. [phone] or 2164

Title: Methamphetamine (Tik)

No. of students: 2

Type: Review

Summary: Substance use is a major cause of disability. Second commonest illicit substances used world-wide are the amphetamines and in South Africa the substances used is Methamphetamine (Tik), the chronic use of which leads to some major psychiatric disorders, significant loss of working hours and has a major impact on quality of life for affected individuals and their families.

During this module, students can:

1. 
   Select one aspect of Methamphetamine [possible affect on genes, independent risk factor for schizophrenia, acute psychiatric conditions, chronic psychiatric sequelae] and conduct a literature review on an aspect of the disorder.
   
2. 
   Or do a general review of the current literature and produce an overview suitable for medical students.
   

You will also have an opportunity to meet patients with substance use problems at an Addictions clinic at GSH or at the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre during the module.

Please meet with Dr Wilson before the start of the module to make specific plans on what is to be reviewed.

MEDICINE – MDN2001S
Module no: 92
Contact: Dr N. van der Schyff

Contact: Dr N van der Schyff ([e-mail]),

Ms Nichola Daniels- 021 7991161 ([e-mail])

Title: Cardiac rehabilitation in a resource limited setting

No. of students: 4

Type: Programme Review and Patient follow-up study

Summary: This module will explore the experiences of patients that have completed the cardiac rehabilitation programme at Victoria hospital. Being one of the only programmes of its type available to patients with ischaemic heart disease in the state sector in the Western Cape, this cardiac rehabilitation programme has done excellent work in educating many patients from disadvantaged communities. As a consequence of the high incidence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholestralemia and smoking in patients attending Victoria hospital, many patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease are seen at the hospital. The purpose of the module is to gain a much greater understanding of the factors contributing to the high incidence of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease at Victoria hospital. The students will evaluate the impact that the cardiac rehabilitation programme has on a selected group of participants completing the course. They will follow up these patients in the community and assess the challenges they face in their attempt to change their often unhealthy lifestyles. Students will also assess the community facilities and resources available to these patients upon completion of the programme. Students will be expected to conduct a literature review, create a patient questionnaire which needs to be used when they meet the patients for the first time (in the last week of the cardiac rehab programme). Follow-up will include - one home visit 2 weeks upon completion of the programme and the evaluation and utilization of resources available within the community. Students will be linked to relevant NGOs and CBOs in the areas that patients live. Student reports will include a critical appraisal of the literature, the results of the questionnaire, a narrative report of their home visit and will be required to discuss the community resources available to patients
Module no: 93
Contact: Dr N. van der Schyff

[e-mail]

Ms Nichola Daniels- 021 7991161 ([e-mail])

Title: Complication(s) of diabetes mellitus.

No. of students: 2

Type: Clinical and review.

Summary: In this module, basic science and clinical medicine are closely linked.

Diabetes mellitus is a major and common metabolic disorder, with multiple clinical manifestations and complications.

The student undertaking this RM must be equipped with

• 
  an understanding of glucose metabolism and the abnormal physiology that characterizes diabetes and determines its classification and
  
• 
  an understanding of the pathogenesis and pathology of the complications. These complications affect all body systems, and develop as a direct consequence of disordered physiology.
  

In the module, students will examine patients admitted with complications of diabetes and write-up a portfolio of 5 such patients.

The aim of a survey of such a cohort of patients will be to develop and show an understanding of the pathophysiologic disturbance(s) leading to the patient’s complication(s) and/or decompensation and need for treatment in hospital.

All 3 students are too meet on the morning of the 19th June at 09:30 in the G8 Seminar Room to plan the SSM's
Module no: 94 – LAB2002S
Contact: Ryan Goosen, Janique Peyper and Jonathan Blackburn,

e-mail: [e-mail] or [e-mail]

Title: Colorectal Cancer epidemiological statistics at

Groote Schuur Hospital: A retrospective folder review

No. of students: 4

Type: Research hypothesis

Summary of project:

1. Rationale

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States

(U.S). In South Africa (ZA), the most recent available statistics estimate that CRC is one of the top five

cancers, thought to be a gross underestimation. The burden of this disease in the WC is complicated

by the prevelance of various risk factors, a resource-limited screening protocol compared to that in the

U.S, and the observation that most patients present with advanced disease.

There is a deficiency of current local epidemiological statistics regarding CRC in ZA. The National

Cancer Registry does not routinely publish such data, and literature is sparse. Since such information

is required in order to implement effective control and intervention measures, as well as to assess

performance of current and future management protocols, its collection is paramount. Specifically, we

require such data in the Western Cape (WC), which represents a multi-ethnic population with

presumable differences in distribution characteristics, and where communicable diseases represent

the majority of the disease burden, significantly reducing funds available for treatment of noncommunicable

disease. Better statistics will lead to more informed healthcare budget policy decisions.

A retrospective folder review design is well-suited to providing such statistics.

2. Research Hypothesis

Recent, representative local epidemiological CRC statistics may be obtained via a retrospective folder

review of all CRC patients treated at Groote Schuur Hospital between 2005 and 2011.

3. Aims & Objectives

a. Formulate epidemiological statistics of CRC patients at GSH and stratify distribution and

outcomes of CRC by whether or not radiotherapy was received prior to surgery, anatomical

site of disease, stage of disease at presentation, and surgeon.

b. Determine clinical and practical significance of the information obtained and generate

recommendations that will positively impact on CRC management, by critically analysing

information and linking inferences to existing literature/mechanistic hypotheses or applying

relevant models/classification hierarchies, followed by presentation of data and

recommendations to stakeholders.

4. Methodology

In a standardised manner, trained reviewers will extract pre-defined data from a randomised folder

selection at the GSH Radiation Oncology folder repository, representing CRC patients treated

between 2005 and 2011 (≥50 per year, yielding a final folder sample of ≥ 350). Generate simple

statistics, and perform simple comparative statistical tests between variables and outcomes of

interest. Students will be required to assist in data capture and to produce a literature review.

5. Projected Outcomes

Results and recommendations will be presented to stakeholders in order to improve policy-making

and management practice. This data will be used to augment an existing study, with the view to

publish the resultant epidemiological data in international scientific journals

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