Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41506773›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Impact of international observerships on Ukrainian healthcare professionals during the war: a cross-sectional survey study.

Nataliya Kovalchuk, Andrey Zinchuk, Andriy Beznosenko, Rostyslav Semikov, Vitaliy Poylin, Alla Vash-Margita, Mark Mims, Douglas Davis, Nataliya Uboha, Natalka Suchowerska and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

17 authors.

Nataliya KovalchukRadiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA natkoval@stanford.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2619-7262
Andrey ZinchukYale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Andriy BeznosenkoNational Cancer Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2293-3488
Rostyslav SemikovAudubon Bioscience Co, Houston, Texas, USA.
Vitaliy PoylinNorthwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Alla Vash-MargitaYale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3510-3945
Mark MimsUniversity of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.
Douglas DavisDepartment of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Nataliya UbohaUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Natalka SuchowerskaUniversity of Sydney, Sydney, Victoria, Australia.
Viktor IakovenkoUT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Jacqeline HartMassachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Mark PoznanskyMassachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Arman KacharianMinistry of Health of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine.
Darya KizubDepartment of Breast Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Serguei MelnitchoukMassachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Nelya MelnitchoukBrigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis cross-sectional survey study evaluates the influence of international observerships organised by the coalition of healthcare professionals from academic institutions-the Ukrainian Alliance for Medical Exchange and Development (UA-MED)-on the professional development, knowledge transfer and clinical practice improvement of Ukrainian healthcare professionals during the war.

methodsA total of 263 international observerships were facilitated for 204 Ukrainian medical professionals across the institutions in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia during 2022-2024. To assess the impact of these observerships, a survey was administered focusing on overall satisfaction, procedural knowledge gained and challenges faced when implementing new techniques on return. The primary outcome was the success score, defined as a composite score of implementing new procedures, initiating quality improvement projects and knowledge dissemination efforts.

resultsA total of 128 medical professionals from 45 Ukrainian institutions who completed 138 observerships in 27 institutions abroad participated in the survey (response rate of 62.7%). Observers varied by profession: surgeons (32.8%), radiation oncologists (14.8%), medical oncologists (11.7%), anaesthesiologists (11.7%) and others. Observerships lasted a median of 4 weeks; 74.1% included conference attendance. The average success and satisfaction scores were 6.5/10 and 9.3/10, respectively.The majority (92.7%) reported a shift in perception of how to practise medicine and 75.5% implemented new procedures on returning to Ukraine. Encouraged to disseminate knowledge, participants provided informal training to colleagues (67.3%), prepared presentations for their institutions (65.5%) and national conferences (32.7%), incorporated learnt materials into educational lectures (39.1%) and engaged in all the activities above (15.5%).

conclusionsThe international observerships played an important role in enhancing the reported skills and knowledge of Ukrainian healthcare professionals during the war. Improvements were reported in clinical practice, medical education and the implementation of new procedures. The success of these observerships underscores the potential for similar programmes in other low-income and middle-income countries/upper-middle-income countries.

Indexed as

Health PersonnelWarfareAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesEuropeHumansQuality ImprovementSurveys and QuestionnairesUkraineCapacity BuildingEducation, MedicalHealth Equity

Identifiers

PMID41506773
PMCPMC12820848

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.