Dejanova B, Dewhurst D, Mancevska S, Petrovska S, Antevska V. Replacement of animal use in medical physiology [abstract]. ALTEX. 2011;28(Special Issue):223. Abstract 465.


Abstract

The replacement of animal use in medical education with non-animal methods and techniques often yields both ethical and technical advantages. Particular emphasis is related to ensure the efficiency and validity of computer simulations regarding animal use replacement. The aim of the study was to clarify the medical student attitude toward computer simulation during the laboratory practice in medical physiology.

89 medical students (31 male and 58 female; 20 ±2 years old) at Skopje's Faculty were given questionnaires regarding the computer program: Renal function in humans by Sheffield Bioscience Programs, UK. The students usually used PCs as follows: regularly 57%; fairly often 17.9%; sometimes 17.9%; and 1.1% rarely with learning purpose of 51%. At the end of the laboratory classes the students had to answer with: strongly disagree (SD); disagree (D); neutral (N); agree (A); and strongly agree (SA).

To study physiology using animal experiments the students answered with: A 40.4%; SA 20.2%; D 8.9%; and SD 14.6%. The majority of the students preferred working with computer simulations in small groups: 47.1% A and 38.2% SA, and with its good data presentation 70.7% A and 10.1% SA. For replacement in animal use 16.8% A and 20.2% SA, but D 24.7% and SD 19.1%.

From the obtained results we may conclude that the medical students accept the computer simulation in medical physiology due to good data presentation, studying together in small groups but still don't completely accept to leave the conventional experiments within animal use.



Author's contacts: betidejanova@yahoo.com



Link to journal: ALTEX - Alternatives to Animal Experimentation