Browsing by Author "Godamunne, P."

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Challenges in learning procedural skills: Student perspectives and lessons learned for curricular design
(Routledge, 2024) Kodikara, K.; Seneviratne, T.; Godamunne, P.; Premaratna, R.
PHENOMENON: Developing foundational clinical procedural skills is essential to becoming a competent physician. Prior work has shown that medical students and interns lack confidence and competence in these skills. Thus, understanding the student's perspective on why these skills are more difficult to acquire is vital for developing and reforming medical curricula. APPROACH: This study explored procedural skills learning experiences of medical students with qualitative methods. Through purposive sampling, 52 medical students from the third, fourth, and final years were selected for inclusion. Data were collected using six audio-recorded, semi-structured focus group discussions. Transcripts were manually coded and analyzed using inductive content analysis. FINDINGS: Students provided rich and insightful perspectives regarding their experiences in learning procedural skills that fell into three broad categories: 1) barriers to procedural learning, 2) reasons for learning, and 3) suggestions for better learning outcomes. Students described a range of barriers that stemmed from both patient and clinician interactions. Students were reluctant to make demands for their own benefit during clerkships. The most commonly expressed reason for wanting to learn procedural skills was the desire to be a competent and independent intern. The motivators suggested that students felt empathetic toward interns and visualized a successful internship as a learning goal. Participants suggested peer learning, improved teaching of procedural skills, assessments, and feedback to improve their learning. INSIGHTS: This study generated valuable information to promote critical reflection on the existing curriculum and pedagogical approaches to procedural skills development. Medical educators need to sensitize the clinical teachers to student perspectives and what students are really learning to make impactful changes to teaching and learning procedural skills. Students' self-advocacy skills and self-directed learning skills need to be developed for them to seek out learning opportunities and to promote life-long learning. Lessons from this study may also apply to curriculum design in general, especially in teaching clinical skills. Empowering the learner and embracing a learner-centered approach to teaching and learning procedural skills will benefit future clinicians and their patients.
Comparison of performance of Sri Lankan and US children on cognitive and motor scales of the Bayley scales of infant development
(Biomed Central, 2014) Godamunne, P.; Liyanage, C.; Wimaladharmasooriya, N.; Pathmeswaran, A.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.; Patterson, C.; Sathiakumar, N.
BACKGROUND: There is no validated scale to assess neurodevelopment of infants and children in Sri Lanka. The Bayley III scales have used widely globally but it has not been validated for Sri Lankan children. We administered the Cognitive and Motor Scales of the Bayley III to 150 full-term children aged 6, 12 and 24 months from the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. We compared the performance of Sri Lankan children 6, 12 and 24 months of age on the cognitive and motor scales of the Bayley III with that of US children. RESULTS: Compared to the US norms, at 12 months, Sri Lankan children had significantly higher cognitive scores and lower gross motor scores, and at 24 months significantly lower cognitive scores. The test had a high test-retest reliability among Sri Lankan children. CONCLUSIONS: There were small differences in the cognitive and motors scores between Sri Lankan and US children. It is feasible to use Bayley III scales to assess neurodevelopment of Sri Lankan children. However, we recommend that the tool be validated using a larger representative sample of all population groups.
Developing a tool to screen for disability among pre-school children: preliminary results
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2014) Perera, K.M.N.; Wijerathne, L.; Jayasinghe, C.; Kasturiratne, A.; Hettiarachchi, S.; Fonseka, R.; Jayasena, B.N.; Siriwardhena, D.; Godamunne, P.; Dahanayake, W.; Pathmeswaran, A.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a tool that can be used by pre-school teachers to identify disabilities in the pre-school age group. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team was formed and the initial tool was developed^ Consensual validity was achieved by using nominal group technique and the tool was pre-tested in the Ragama MOH area. To assure criterion validity, the tool was used to screen all the children in the pre-school age group (2-5 years) in an MOH area randomly selected from the Anuradhapura District. The screened positives .were referred to an expert panel for confirmation of diagnosis and follow-up if required. RESULTS: Thousand nine hundred children were invited for screening and 1536 participated (478 2-3 years, 495 3-years, 560 > 4 years of age) and 267 (17.4%) were referred to the expert panel. Out of the referrals, majority (38.9%) had multiple disabilities. Hearing and speech difficulties were seen in (29.6%). Psycho social problems (11.6%), disabilities and other diseases (19.8%) accounted for the rest. The response rate for confirmation by experts was 64%. The predictive value of a positive test was 79.5%. The prevalence of disabilities among the screened pre-school age group was 88 per 1000 (95% Cl= 74 to 103). CONCLUSIONS: This tool can be used to screen children in the pre-school age for disabilities.
Exploring Posttraumatic Growth in Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse in Sri Lanka
(19th Conference on Postgraduate Research, International Postgraduate Research Conference 2018, Faculty of Graduate Studies,University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Booso, K.; Godamunne, P.
Posttraumatic growth is a phenomenon that has been observed in survivors of traumatic events, following a period of conscious processing and coming to terms with of the experience of trauma. It is defined as a perceived significant positive change experienced within the self, in how the survivor of trauma relates to self, to others, and to life in general. Posttraumatic Growth can occur following a range of traumas, including child sexual abuse. Understanding of the precursory factors to experience of posttraumatic growth has positive implications for caring for victims of trauma, as it allows to replicate these factors in care pathways for positive recovery outcomes. Child sexual abuse is a trauma with a high prevalence in Sri Lanka, and studies suggest that the care pathways have considerable room for improvement in bringing about recovery in the victims. With this intention, a retrospective, qualitative study was conducted with a heterogeneous sample of five adult survivors of child sexual abuse, who reported a self-perception of growth following their traumatic experience. The sample was recruited through a partnership with LEADS, a local NGO that provides care for survivors of child sexual abuse through advocacy initiatives and a residential therapeutic center. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, to understand how the participants perceived their growth following trauma, and to understand the factors that contributed towards this growth, as well as the factors that hindered this growth. The interviews, which were conducted in Sinhalese, were transcribed and subsequently analyzed using the Thematic Analysis method. Five main themes were identified in the collected data set. First, the participants described “Making Sense of Posttraumatic Outcomes”, where participants actively constructed meaning on their trauma, life and growth. A second theme emerged of “Development of Self”, where participants’ sense of self was strengthened. Participants also relayed the theme of “Changing Relationships Post-Trauma”, whereby their relationships impacted their growth, and the participants’ way of relating to others changed post-trauma. The theme “Socio-Demographic Influences to Growth”, drew insight on how factors such as socioeconomic status and education could mediate growth experiences. The final theme that emerged strongly was the “Need for Improved Care for Survivors”, which highlighted the poor standard of current care pathways, and the need to better support survivors by delivering effective interventions through competent staff. The identified themes of the study provide direct implications for clinical practice. Implications and recommendations for stakeholders include offering counseling and psychosocial support to all survivors, addressing the competence of staff that engage with survivors through the NCPA care pathway, and calls for a shift in policy – whereby larger budgetary allocations are made to improve care of child survivors, and to enforcing and upholding the guidelines for care of survivors. A need for further research is recognized on understanding posttraumatic growth, as well as in identifying effective interventions and therapeutic programs which could be beneficial for survivors
Feasibility of a lifestyle intervention program for prevention of diabetes among women with prior gestational Diabetes Mellitus (LIVING Study) in South Asia: A formative research study
(Frontiers Media S.A, 2020) Tewari, A.; Praveen, D.; Madhira, P.; Josyula, L.K.; Joshi, R.; Kokku, S.B.; Garg, V.; Rawal, I.; Chopra, K.; Chakma, N.; Ahmed, S.; Pathmeswaran, A.; Godamunne, P.; Lata, A.S.; Sahay, R.; Patel, T.; Gupta, Y.; Tandon, N.; Naheed, A.; Patel, A.; Kapoor, D.
AIM: To refine and contextually adapt a postpartum lifestyle intervention for prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. Materials and Methods: In-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with women with current diagnosis of GDM, and health care professionals involved in their management, to understand relevant local contextual factors for intervention optimization and implementation. This paper describes facilitators and barriers as well as feedback from participants on how to improve the proposed intervention. These factors were grouped and interpreted along the axes of the three main determinants of behavior-capability, opportunity, and motivation. IDIs and FGDs were digitally recorded, transcribed, and translated. Data-driven inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify and analyze patterns and themes. Results: Two interrelated themes emerged from the IDIs and FGDs: (i) The lifestyle intervention was acceptable and considered to have the potential to improve the existing model of care for women with GDM; and (ii) Certain barriers such as reduced priority of self-care, and adverse societal influences postpartum need to be addressed for the improvement of GDM care. Based on the feedback, the intervention was optimized by including messages for family members in the content of the intervention, providing options for both text and voice messages as reminders, and finalizing the format of the intervention session delivery. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of contextual factors in influencing postpartum care and support for women diagnosed with GDM in three South Asian countries. It indicates that although provision of postpartum care is complex, a group lifestyle intervention program is highly acceptable to women with GDM, as well as to health care professionals, at urban hospitals.
Measuring mental well-being in Sri Lanka: validation of the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) in a Sinhala speaking community
(BioMed Central, London, 2022) Perera, B.P.R.; Caldera, A.; Godamunne, P.; Stewart-Brown, S.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.; Jayasuriya, R.
Background: Well-being is an important aspect of people's lives and can be considered as an index of social progress. The Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale (WEMWBS) was developed to capture subjective mental well-being. It is a widely tested measure of mental well-being at the population level and has 14 items and a short-form with 7 items. This study was carried out to culturally validate and adapt the WEMWBS among a Sinhala speaking population in Sri Lanka. Methods: A forward and backward translation of the scale into Sinhala was done followed by a cognitive interview. The translated and culturally adapted scale and other mental health scales were administered to a sample of 294 persons between the ages of 17-73 using a paper-based version (n = 210) and an online survey (n = 84). Internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability were tested. Construct validity, and convergent and discriminant validity were assessed using the total sample. Results: The translated questionnaire had good face and content validity. Internal consistency reliability was 0.91 and 0.84 for the 14-item and 7-item scales, respectively. Test-retest reliability over two weeks was satisfactory (Spearman r = 0.72 p < 0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a one factor model. Convergent validity was assessed using WHO-5 well-being index (Spearman r = 0.67, p < 0.001), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) (Spearman r = (-0.45), p < 0.001) and Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) (Spearman r = (-0.55), p < 0.001). Conclusions: The translated and culturally adapted Sinhala version of the WEMWBS has acceptable psychometric properties to assess mental well-being at the population level among the Sinhala speaking population in Sri Lanka.
Mentorship
(College of Medical Educations., 2020) Godamunne, P.
No abstract available
Prenatal and early childhood biomass smoke exposure and child neuro-developmental outcomes
(Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Godamunne, P.
For many families in developing countries such as Sri Lanka, burning wood is the cheapest and most available source of cooking and heating fuel. However the household air pollution (HAP) resulting from burning of bio mass fuel is hazardous to children’s health. The numerous chemicals contained in wood smoke have been shown to have adverse effects on various aspects of children’s health. While the impact of HAP on children’s lung function, allergic diseases and childhood cancer has been investigated fairly extensively, less attention has been paid to the impact of exposure to wood smoke on neurodevelopment. The developing nervous system is especially vulnerable to environmental toxins and elevated levels of incomplete combustion products of wood smoke such as carbon monoxide are known to have neurotoxin effects. An ongoing collaborative study between the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya and the University of Alabama at Birmingham aims to assess the impact of prenatal and postnatal exposure to HAP on children’s neurodevelopment. HAP exposure is determined through questionnaires and measurement of PM2.5, PM1.0, PM10, CO and NO2. Neurodevelopment of children is assessed at birth and then at regular intervals up to 36 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Preliminary results from this study add to the growing body of evidence on the impact of HAP on children’s neurodevelopment.
Process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial of a pharmacological strategy to improve hypertension control: protocol for a qualitative study
(BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2018) Salam, A.; Webster, R.; Patel, A.; Godamunne, P.; de Silva, H.A.; Rogers, A.; Jan, S.; Laba, T.L.
INTRODUCTION: Globally, the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension is high, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. There is a critical need for strategies to improve hypertension control. The early use of a fixed low-dose combination of three antihypertensive drugs (triple pill) has the potential to significantly improve hypertension control. The TRI ple Pill vs. U sual care M anagement for P atients with mild-to- moderate H ypertension (TRIUMPH) randomised controlled trial (RCT) is designed to test the effects of this strategy compared with usual care in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. This paper reports the protocol of a process evaluation of the TRIUMPH RCT. The objectives are to understand factors related to implementation of the intervention, mechanisms of effect, contextual factors that underpin the effectiveness of the triple pill strategy and the potential barriers and facilitators to implementing the strategy in clinical practice. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Face-to-face semistructured in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of TRIUMPH RCT participants and healthcare professionals in Sri Lanka will be conducted. Healthcare professionals will include physicians and their staff who were involved in conducting the TRIUMPH RCT. Interviewees will be recruited sequentially until thematic saturation is achieved. Interviews will be audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed in NVivo using framework analysis methods. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The TRIUMPH RCT and process evaluation have received approval from the relevant Ethics Review Committee. All participants will be asked to provide written consent before participation. Findings from the study will be disseminated through publications and conference presentations.
Risk factors for low resilience among grade 10 adolescents in the Gampaha District
(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2023) Manori, D.M.S.; Jayawardana, P.L.; Godamunne, P.
INTRODUCTION: Resilience denotes the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors for low resilience among Grade 10 adolescents in the District of Gampaha. METHODS: A case-control study with a computed sample size of 128 in each among cases (low resilience) and controls (high resilience) was conducted. Cases and controls were selected by applying simple random sampling to a descriptive study where the magnitude of resilience was determined. For data analysis bivariate (using chi-square test) followed by multiple logistic regression were applied. Results were expressed as adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Risk factors for low resilience were: one or both parents dead (AOR=3.4; 95% CI [1.1, 10.1]; p=0.031), mother’s educational level ≤GCE A/L (AOR=2.3; 95% CI [1.4, 3.6]; p=0.001), losing temper frequently (AOR=2.5; 95% CI [1.9, 3.4]; p<0.001), having <6 friends (AOR=1.4; 95% CI [1.03;1.9]; p<0.048), having <6 close friends (AOR=1.6; 95% CI [1.06, 2.5]; p=0.024), having conflicts with friends (AOR=2.0; 95% CI [1.03, 3.74]; p=0.040), lack of support from home (AOR=1.5; 95% CI [1.04, 2.20]; p=0.031), not seeking help when facing difficult situations (AOR=1.7; 95% CI [1.2, 2.3]; p=0.001), sleeping for <8 hours/day (AOR=1.4; 95% CI [1.2, 1.8]; p=0.007), lack of religious affiliations (AOR=2.6; 95% CI [1.2, 5.7]; p < 0.015) and non-attending Sunday school (AOR=2.1; 95% CI [1.5, 3.2]; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Eleven risk factors were identified. Recommend conducting cognitive behavioural therapy-based interventions regularly at the school level targeting to minimize the impact of the above risk factors.
Translational research for diabetes self-management in Sri Lanka: A randomized controlled trial
(Elsevier, 2015) Jayasuriya, R.; Pinidiyapathirage, M.J.; Jayawardena, R.; Kasturiratne, A.; de Zoysa, P.; Godamunne, P.; Gamage, S.; Wickremasinghe, A.R.
AIMS: The study tested the hypothesis that a theory driven Diabetes Self-Management (DSM) intervention delivered by trained nurses would result in a clinically significant improvement in glycaemic control. METHODS: Patients with an HbA1c >7.5% (58mmol/mol) and free of diabetes complications were enrolled into a randomized controlled trial (n=85). Intervention consisted of four sessions and monthly follow up for 6 months. Biochemical tests, and diet and physical activity assessments were done in both groups. Analysis of covariance was used to test the effectiveness of the intervention. RESULTS: At 6 months, there was a significant difference (P=0.001) in HbA1c between the groups controlling for baseline values and other variables. Based on the primary outcome, 28% in the intervention group achieved the target value of 6.5% HbA1c, compared to 8% in the "usual care" group (P<0.001; η2=0.65). The reduction in total energy intake and increase in physical activity was significant in the intervention group between baseline and follow up. CONCLUSIONS: The DSM intervention has resulted in a clinically significant impact on glycaemia, change in diet and physical activity, and has demonstrated the feasibility of using it within existing care arrangements in a developing country setting. Copyright © 2015 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.