scholarly journals Assessing the impact of a journal club elective on literature evaluation performance

2021 ◽  
pp. 356-361
Author(s):  
Dawn M. Battise ◽  
Susan Bates ◽  
Sarah A. Nisly
Keyword(s):  
Journal Club ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Evaluation Performance ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
First Semester ◽  
Lower Performance ◽  
Évaluation Performance ◽  
Evaluation Scores ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: The study assessed the impact of a journal club (JC) elective on literature evaluation performance during the first three advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). Methods: Students who took a JC elective were compared to students who did not take the JC elective in regards to scores on APPE JC and overall APPE literature evaluation. Results: Of 186 eligible participants, 22 participants completed the JC elective. APPE JC and APPE literature evaluation scores were similar between groups. First semester APPE JC scores were positively correlated with scores earned in the JC elective (r=0.452, p=0.045). Conclusions: Students in the elective did not have significantly different APPE JC scores compared to students who did not take the elective; however, there was a correlation and potential predictive association to APPE JC scores. The JC elective may identify students at risk of lower performance during APPEs so that they may receive additional support.

47. Evaluation of new implementation strategies, program effectiveness and dissemination of new pedagogical knowledge: Centre for faculty development's stepping stones teaching certificate program

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
D. Richardson ◽  
I. Silver ◽  
A. Dionne
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Faculty Development ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Journal Club ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Faculty Development Program ◽  
Stepping Stones ◽  
Certificate Program ◽  
The Impact

This evaluation of the integrated Stepping Stones (SS) Teaching Certificate program, including its instructional development (workshops) and theory review (journal club) components, will inform further program development. Results of this project will also add to the limited amount of scholarly work in the area of faculty development program evaluation. Faculty development literature in the area of organized program assessment reveals use of either quantitative OR qualitative methods. In this project, a novel method combining both techniques was used to explore program impact. Participants completed 2 questionnaires to identify skill-set knowledge gaps in teaching effectiveness. Pre- and post-program quantitative gaps were generated. Focus groups were used for qualitative exploration. Areas explored pre-program included: a) motives for enrollment, b) program expectations and c) prior teaching preparation. Post-program discussion explored: the impact of the program on a) participant’s perceived gaps, b) teaching behaviour change, and c) its influence on their career in education. We believed the program’s interprofessional environment would foster development of a learning community having impact on faculty knowledge, skills and attitudes related to teaching, and potentially elicit behavioural change in teaching practices. Results from a 2004-2005 cohort of participants have identified a variety of benefits for faculty and their teaching practice. Results from a second separate cohort, 2005-2006 participants, validated the initial findings. Remarkable harmonization in the results of the qualitative analysis between the two cohort samples was evident. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in each of the domains examined qualitatively. Both qualitative and quantitatively, program effectiveness was demonstrated immediately following completion of the program. Follow up to assess the sustainability of the effects is ongoing. The analysis of the quantitative discrepancy (gaps) data has lead to a possible technique to assist in identifying unperceived educational needs. McLeod PJ, Steinert Y, Nasmith L, Conochie L. Faculty Development in Canadian medical schools: a 10-year update. CMAJ 1997; 156(10):1419-23. Hewson MG, Copeland HL, Fishleder AJ. What’s the use of faculty development? Program evaluation using retrospective self-assessments and independent performance ratings. Teach Learn Med 2001; 13(3):153-60. Moore EM. A Framework for Outcomes Evaluation in the Continuing Development of Physicians, in: The Continuing Professional Development of Physicians. Eds. Davis D, Barnes BE, Fox R. AMA Press, 2003.

scholarly journals Pharmacy premises licensing policy formulation: experience from Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Augustina Koduah ◽  
Reginald Sekyi-Brown ◽  
Joseph Kodjo Nsiah Nyoagbe ◽  
Daniel Amaning Danquah ◽  
Irene Kretchy
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Pharmacy Practice ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Select Committee ◽  
Limited Participation ◽  
Pharmacy Council ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Licences to operate pharmacy premises are issued by statutory regulatory bodies. The Health Institutions and Facilities Act (Act 829) and Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act (Act 857) regulate pharmacy premises and the business of supplying restricted medicines by retail, respectively, and this could create a potential regulatory overlap for pharmacy practice in Ghana. We theorise that the potential overlap of regulation duties stems from how law-makers framed issues and narratives during the formulation of these Acts. Objective To describe the policy actors involved, framing of narratives and decision-making processes relating to pharmacy premises licensing policy formulation. Methods A qualitative study was conducted and data gathered through interviewing eight key informants and reviewing Hansards, reports, bills, memoranda and Acts 829 and 857. Data were analysed to map decision-making venues, processes, actors and narratives. Results The Ministry of Health drafted the bills in July 2010 with the consensus of internal stakeholders. These were interrogated by the Parliament Select Committee on Health (with legislative power) during separate periods, and decisions made in Parliament to alter propositions of pharmacy premises regulations. Parliamentarians framed pharmacies as health facilities and reassigned their regulation from the Pharmacy Council to a new agency. The Pharmacy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana could not participate in the decision-making processes in Parliament to oppose these alterations. The laws’ contents rested with parliamentarians as they made decisions in venues restricted to others. Legislative procedure limited participation, although non-legislative actors had some level of influence on the initial content. Conclusion Implementation of these laws would have implications for policy and practice and therefore understanding how the laws were framed and formulated is important for further reforms. We recommend additional research to investigate the impact of the implementation of these Acts on pharmacy practice and business in Ghana and the findings can serve as bargaining information for reforms.

scholarly journals Performance Evaluation of Dorsal Vein Network of Hand Imaging Using Relative Total Variation-Based Regularization for Smoothing Technique in a Miniaturized Vein Imaging System: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyuseok Kim ◽  
Hyun-Woo Jeong ◽  
Youngjin Lee
Keyword(s):  
Image Quality ◽  
Total Variation ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Histogram Equalization ◽  
Evaluation Performance ◽  
Visual Evaluation ◽  
Évaluation Performance ◽  
Nir Imaging ◽  
Relative Total Variation

Vein puncture is commonly used for blood sampling, and accurately locating the blood vessel is an important challenge in the field of diagnostic tests. Imaging systems based on near-infrared (NIR) light are widely used for accurate human vein puncture. In particular, segmentation of a region of interest using the obtained NIR image is an important field, and research for improving the image quality by removing noise and enhancing the image contrast is being widely conducted. In this paper, we propose an effective model in which the relative total variation (RTV) regularization algorithm and contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) are combined, whereby some major edge information can be better preserved. In our previous study, we developed a miniaturized NIR imaging system using light with a wavelength of 720–1100 nm. We evaluated the usefulness of the proposed algorithm by applying it to images acquired by the developed NIR imaging system. Compared with the conventional algorithm, when the proposed method was applied to the NIR image, the visual evaluation performance and quantitative evaluation performance were enhanced. In particular, when the proposed algorithm was applied, the coefficient of variation was improved by a factor of 15.77 compared with the basic image. The main advantages of our algorithm are the high noise reduction efficiency, which is beneficial for reducing the amount of undesirable information, and better contrast. In conclusion, the applicability and usefulness of the algorithm combining the RTV approach and CLAHE for NIR images were demonstrated, and the proposed model can achieve a high image quality.

scholarly journals Improving the management and care of refugees in Australian hospitals: a descriptive study

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Ross ◽  
Catherine Harding ◽  
Alexa Seal ◽  
Geraldine Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Barriers To Care ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Provider Perceptions ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
The Impact

Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate healthcare provider perceptions of the impact of refugee patients at two public hospitals, one rural and one urban, in designated refugee resettlement areas. Healthcare professionals’ views regarding improvements that could be made in this area were also sought. Methods Two-page anonymous questionnaires containing demographic, quantitative and open-ended questions were distributed to 150 healthcare providers at each research site. Results Response rates at the rural and urban sites were 50% and 49%, respectively. Refugees were seen at least monthly by 40% of respondents. Additional support was requested by 70% of respondents. Confidence was associated with being born overseas (P = 0.029) and increased time working with refugees (rs = 0.418, P < 0.001). Only 47% of respondents felt confident managing social and psychological needs of refugees. Midwives saw refugees more than nursing and allied healthcare staff combined, and this was significant at the rural hospital (P < 0.001). Rural respondents reported that working with refugees enhanced their practice (P = 0.025), although felt significantly less confident (P < 0.001) than urban respondents. Themes that arose regarding barriers to care included language and cultural barriers, paucity of knowledge and issues accessing available services, including appropriate interpreters, Medicare eligibility and patient factors, including lack of patient trust in government systems. Desire for support was more pronounced in the rural setting (P = 0.001). Conclusions Refugees were seen frequently in both settings and most respondents requested additional support, highlighting that caring for refugees in Australian hospitals is a significant challenge. Additional support and education should be targeted to those caring for refugees most frequently, particularly midwifery services, to reduce barriers to care. What is known about the topic? Refugees are a vulnerable group, often with complex health needs. These needs are often unmet because of issues including language and cultural barriers. What does this paper add? Refugees were seen frequently in the two public hospital settings involved in the present study and most often by midwifery services. Healthcare professionals require more support, more information about available services and better access to interpreter services. These issues were more pronounced in the rural setting where very limited research exists. What are the implications for practitioners? Implementing additional support and education regarding refugee health needs could increase knowledge and confidence when managing refugees, reducing barriers to care and improving quality of care.

“Mother’s Health and Well-Being Matters: Is a Mediated Social Cohesion Public Health Intervention Feasible?”

2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712110553
Author(s):  
Cheryl Jones ◽  
Marley Gibbons ◽  
Kate Magsamen-Conrad ◽  
Kathleen T. Ulanday ◽  
Jessica Watterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Washington Heights ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Risk Of Cancer ◽  
The Impact

Purpose To test the feasibility of introducing ‘Free Time for Wellness’ (FT4W) an intervention to increase healthy behaviours and reduce the risk of cancer. Design Feasibility study; Setting: Washington Heights, New York, USA is a low socioeconomic status area. Subjects Mothers aged 18 and above with children under 12 years of age and living in Washington Heights were recruited. Intervention FT4W, a community-based intervention delivered through a neighbourhood-based app, offering weekly dance and yoga classes, food pantry visits and group playdates. Childcare professionals cared for participants' children during wellness activities. Measures A bespoke before and after survey was designed and tested for its ability to collect relevant data to assess the impact of FT4W. Outcomes included recruitment rates, participation, attrition, acceptability, and success of the community champion. Analysis Comparisons of proportions and means Results Twenty-one mothers participated in the study of which 90% attended ≥ 1 FT4W activity; 65% ≥ 2; 52% ≥ 3. The survey was completed by a 100% of participants indicating it was easy to understand and not too burdensome. All measures detected change in constructs from baseline to follow-up. Availability of childcare was the most commonly (66%) reported reason participants were able to engage in the offered wellness activities. Conclusion Conducting a larger-scale trial to assess the impact of FT4W is feasible considering 4 major lessons. (1) Recruitment, retention, and acceptability rates were high; however, moms need additional support to increase participation in wellness activities and improve tech literacy. (2) Research measures were sensitive enough to detect change, but the timing of assessments needs to be considered. (3) Participants greatly valued access to professional childcare. (4) The Community Champion is a necessary, but difficult role to fill that requires careful consideration by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

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