Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27895827›Full record

ArticleMalawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi2016

Malawian impressions of expatriate physicians: A qualitative study.

Natasha Parekh, Adam P Sawatsky, Ihunanya Mbata, Adamson S Muula, Thuy Bui

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Natasha ParekhDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Adam P SawatskyDivision of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Ihunanya MbataTeamHealth, Oak Ridge Methodist Medical Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA.
Adamson S MuulaSchool of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
Thuy BuiDivision of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center · USMayo Clinic · USOak Ridge National Laboratory · USUniversity of Malawi · MW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn many low-income countries, including Malawi, expatriate physicians serve diverse roles in clinical care, education, mentorship, and research. A significant proportion of physicians from high-income countries have global health experience. Despite the well-known benefits of global health experiences for expatriates, little is known about local physician and trainee impressions of their expatriate counterparts. The objective of this study was to explore University of Malawi College of Medicine (COM) physicians' and trainees' impressions of expatriate physicians.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with COM medical students, interns, registrars, and faculty. Through open coding, we developed a codebook that we applied to interview transcripts and used thematic analysis to identify major themes.

resultsWe interviewed 46 participants from across the continuum of medical education at two teaching hospitals in Malawi. Participants discussed themes within the following domains: perceived benefits of expatriate physicians in Malawi, perceived challenges, past contributions, and perceived roles that expatriate physicians should play going forward. Malawian faculty and trainees appreciated the approachability, perspectives, and contribution to education that expatriates have provided, though at times some have been perceived as aggressive, unable to relate to patients and trainees, deficient at adapting to the setting, and self-serving. Potential roles that Malawian physicians and trainees feel expatriates should serve include education, training, capacity building, and facilitating exchange opportunities for local physicians and trainees.

conclusionsThis study highlights the perceived benefits and challenges that physicians and trainees at the COM have experienced with their expatriate counterparts, and suggests roles that expatriates should play while abroad. These findings can be used to help inform existing global health guidelines, assist with the establishment of host institution expectations for global health programmes, and guide individual expatriate physicians who hope to optimise their roles abroad.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelCultural CompetencyInternational CooperationInterprofessional RelationsAdultCommunicationFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMalePhysiciansQualitative Research

Identifiers

PMID27895827
PMCPMC5117098
OpenAlexW2515439153

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.