Last update:
21-Sep-2006

The mental and physical health care issues of medical students are increasingly being recognized to be both prevalent and complex, and recording and treating their problems can be a difficult task. The importance of prevention for improving health status is widely recognised for both the general population and the therapists themselves. This paper presents an internet based health prevention program developed for medical students, in the context of the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the University of Athens Medical School. Specifically, the student health card program aims to assess the health attitudes, concerns and needs of students, as well as to train them in preventive strategies and health promotion. Medical students answer questions through an internet connection, using a codename and password that ascertain anonymity and confidentiality. Considerable emphasis is given to the assessment of various mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse, life style and family history of mental health illness. The aims of the program include the assessment of health needs of medical students, their sensitization to health issues, their acquisition of skills in use of IT (Ιnternet Technologies) for both themselves and their patients, and the development of a University Health Network to provide students with free medical care and services. Implications for academic medicine are discussed regarding initiatives in the area of policy.

Key words: Health prevention, Medical students, Student health card.