Development and Validation of a Tool to Measure Collaborative Practice Between Community Pharmacists and Physicians From the Perspective of Community Pharmacists: The Professional Collaborative Practice Tool

Background Collaborative practice between community pharmacists and physicians is becoming increasingly common. Although tools and models to explore collaborative practice between both health care professionals have been developed, very few have been validated for their use in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a tool for measuring collaborative practice between community pharmacists and physicians from the perspective of community pharmacists. Methods The DeVellis method was used to develop and validate the Professional Collaborative Practice Tool. A pool of 40 items with Likert frequency scales was generated based on previous literature and expert opinion. A sample of community pharmacists providing medication reviews with follow-up and a random sample of pharmacists providing usual care were invited to participate. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the tool’s reliability and content validity. Results 336 pharmacists were invited with an overall response rate of 84.8%. The initial 40 items selected were reduced to 14 items. Exploratory Factor Analysis provided a 3-factor solution explaining 62% of the variance. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the three factors “Activation for collaborative professional practice,” the “Integration in collaborative professional practice,” and the “Professional acceptance in collaborative professional practice.” The tool demonstrated an adequate fit (X2/df = 1.657, GFI = 0.889 and RMSEA = 0.069) and good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.924). Conclusions The Professional Collaborative Practice Tool has shown good internal reliability and criterion validity. The tool could be used to measure the level of collaborative practice between community pharmacists and physicians and monitor changes over time.

PECULIARITIES OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND HARDINESS OF EMPLOYEES OF TRADE UNION ORGANIZATIONS

The article presents the results of research aimed at determining the characteristics of the relationships of personal and professional characteristics and professional hardiness of trade union workers. It is emphasized that due to the significant increase in stress on a person, the problem of ensuring its hardiness and, in particular, professional hardiness can be considered one of the leading for modern psychology. The study with the participation of 32 trade union workers in Kyiv found that to the greatest extent the indicators of their professional hardiness are interrelated with the level of satisfaction with their profession and work. This level is most closely correlated with professional acceptance of the challenge, emotional and professional components, as well as with the general level of professional hardiness. Quite noticeably, the level of professional self-efficacy of trade union workers is interrelated with indicators of professional hardiness. The connections with the indicators of professional motivation are expressed much weaker and ambiguous, which may serve as evidence of the expressed specificity, and maybe even - certain distortions in the professional-motivational sphere of trade union workers. Among the indicators of occupational burnout and deformity, with which the professional hardiness of trade union workers is mostly negative connections, there is a particularly negative correlation with emotional exhaustion, which can be considered as the most pronounced factor unfavorable to the professional hardiness of trade union workers. Prospects for further research are to develop on the basis of this results the practical technological approaches aimed at strengthening the professional hardiness of trade union workers. Keywords: hardiness, professional hardiness, trade union workers, job satisfaction, self-efficacy, professional motivation, professional "burnout".

Reflections on Best Practices for a Successful Online Doctoral Program

The popularity, convenience, and professional acceptance of attaining online degrees account for an increase in enrollment in online courses from undergraduate through doctoral levels. This chapter includes discussion of how the option of choosing a digital doctoral degree experience may enhance or diminish the progress of completing a terminal degree. Additionally, this chapter contains a brief description of the structure and organization of the Educational Technology Leadership doctoral program at New Jersey City University (NJCU), focusing on the challenges and best practices related to the classes and the coursework and how the professors interact with the students. The main thrust of the chapter will be a discussion of the best practices within this program as well as suggestions for improvement. Finally, the authors, members of this program's first cohort, provide recommendations for a successful online doctoral program that meets the needs of all students.

Applying and Extending the FITT Framework to Identify the Challenges and Opportunities of Successful eHealth Services for Patient Self-Management: Qualitative Interview Study

Background The number of public eHealth services that support patient self-management is rapidly increasing. However, the implementation of these eHealth services for self-management has encountered challenges. Objective The purpose of this paper was to analyze the challenges and opportunities of implementing eHealth services for self-management by focusing on the fit between the technical solution and clinical use. Methods We performed in-depth interviews with 10 clinical project coordinators and managers who were responsible for developing and implementing various eHealth services for self-management interventions in five university hospitals in Finland. The results were analyzed using content analysis and open coding. The Fit between Individuals, Task, and Technology (FITT) framework was used to interpret the findings. Results The implementation of self-management services involved many challenges related to technical problems, health professional acceptance, patient motivation, and health organization and management. The implementers identified practices to manage the identified challenges, including improving the design of the technology, supporting health professionals in the adoption of the eHealth services, changing the work processes and tasks, involving patients, and collectively planning the implementation inside an organization. The findings could be mostly attributed to the dimensions of the FITT framework. Conclusions The FITT framework helped to analyze the challenges related to the implementation, and most of them were related to poor fit. The importance of patients as stakeholders in eHealth services for patient self-management needs to be highlighted. Thus, we propose that patients should be added as a different type of individual dimension to the FITT framework. In addition, the framework could be extended to include organization and management in a new context dimension.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Knowledge, Awareness and Acceptance among Dental Students and Post-Graduate Dental Residents

Introduction: The recent development of a vaccine that is highly effective against the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been met with widespread clinical and public health professional acceptance. However, social and societal barriers to vaccination may hamper public health efforts to prevent HPV-mediated diseases. Although a few studies have evaluated knowledge or awareness of HPV vaccination among dentists or dental educators, few studies have evaluated the acceptance, knowledge and awareness of HPV vaccination among dental students and post-graduate dental residents. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate survey responses regarding acceptance, knowledge and awareness of HPV vaccination among dental students and post-graduate dental residents. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of a previously administered and collected questionnaire. The original protocol was reviewed by the UNLV Biomedical Institutional Research Board (IRB) and was deemed excluded from IRB review (OPRS#0811-2911). Results: Two hundred and ninety-three (N = 293) dental student and forty-one (N = 41) post-graduate dental resident questionnaires were available for a total sample size of N = 334. In brief, although the majority of dental students and residents agreed that vaccines are safe and effective, less than half of dental students (37.5%) or dental residents (48.7%) had discussed the HPV vaccine with a physician or had received the vaccine themselves. In addition, a significant percentage of dental students and residents felt they did not have enough information regarding the HPV vaccine (25.6% and 26.8%, respectively) or had significant concerns about the side effects (17.1%). Conclusions: The data suggest more specific information in dental school microbiology and immunology courses might be needed to increase awareness and knowledge of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, including the HPV vaccine. This enhanced education might also serve as a curricular focal point to answer questions regarding vaccine-related side effects and provide a mechanism for answering important questions regarding this vaccine.

Applying and Extending the FITT Framework to Identify the Challenges and Opportunities of Successful eHealth Services for Patient Self-Management: Qualitative Interview Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The number of public eHealth services that support patient self-management is rapidly increasing. However, the implementation of these eHealth services for self-management has encountered challenges. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper was to analyze the challenges and opportunities of implementing eHealth services for self-management by focusing on the fit between the technical solution and clinical use. METHODS We performed in-depth interviews with 10 clinical project coordinators and managers who were responsible for developing and implementing various eHealth services for self-management interventions in five university hospitals in Finland. The results were analyzed using content analysis and open coding. The Fit between Individuals, Task, and Technology (FITT) framework was used to interpret the findings. RESULTS The implementation of self-management services involved many challenges related to technical problems, health professional acceptance, patient motivation, and health organization and management. The implementers identified practices to manage the identified challenges, including improving the design of the technology, supporting health professionals in the adoption of the eHealth services, changing the work processes and tasks, involving patients, and collectively planning the implementation inside an organization. The findings could be mostly attributed to the dimensions of the FITT framework. CONCLUSIONS The FITT framework helped to analyze the challenges related to the implementation, and most of them were related to poor fit. The importance of patients as stakeholders in eHealth services for patient self-management needs to be highlighted. Thus, we propose that patients should be added as a different type of individual dimension to the FITT framework. In addition, the framework could be extended to include organization and management in a new context dimension.

Motivational Interviewing in HIV Care

Motivational Interviewing in HIV Care reflects significant advances in clinical practice and research, as well as the growing momentum of professional acceptance of the motivational interviewing (MI) approach in HIV care. Original, comprehensive, and timely, with clinical illustrations and practical tips, along with discussion of innovative demonstrations projects in the United States and internationally, it features chapters on the latest MI concepts, evidence base, and its applications in the HIV continuum of care. Written with the spirit of MI, this clinically engaging, pragmatic, and empirically based book covers the applications of MI in addressing social determinants of HIV and the integration of MI with other treatment modalities. A whole section showcases training, dissemination, and the role of technology in HIV practice. Ethical dilemmas in the practice of MI in HIV care are explored. The coeditors are joined by expert contributors, researchers, and practitioners in a truly collaborative project, filling a unique niche in the HIV field. This volume identifies and debates future directions for research and clinical practice in HIV care.

Reflections on Best Practices for a Successful Online Doctoral Program

The popularity, convenience, and professional acceptance of attaining online degrees account for an increase in enrollment in online courses from undergraduate through doctoral levels. This chapter includes discussion of how the option of choosing a digital doctoral degree experience may enhance or diminish the progress of completing a terminal degree. Additionally, this chapter contains a brief description of the structure and organization of the Educational Technology Leadership doctoral program at New Jersey City University (NJCU), focusing on the challenges and best practices related to the classes and the coursework and how the professors interact with the students. The main thrust of the chapter will be a discussion of the best practices within this program as well as suggestions for improvement. Finally, the authors, members of this program's first cohort, provide recommendations for a successful online doctoral program that meets the needs of all students.

Ξένοι εργαζόμενοι, συλλογικές αναπαραστάσεις και ταυτότητες. Η περίπτωση των μεταναστών στη συνοικία της Αγίας Τριάδας του Ηρακλείου Κρήτης

<p>The presence of foreign workers in our country,<br />contests their stereotypes, ‘representations’,<br />beliefs as well as their ‘identity’. Their social<br />and professional acceptance in the country<br />of ‘reception’ requires a change in the social<br />beliefs and representations and the distinct<br />acceptance of new cultural values. This transformation<br />to a divergent society provokes a<br />break-through in the self- perception which<br />leads to a new assessment and meaning of identity.<br />The ‘self- preservation’ strategies adopted<br />by the immigrants jeopardize their collective<br />identity when pursuing their symbolic and social<br />recognition. Against this background, the<br />expansion of their “networks”, the education<br />of the next generation and the change in their<br />personal preferences pave the way for new social<br />and symbolic opportunities.</p>

Economic Valuation Methods for Non-market Goods or Services

Economic valuation methods for non-market goods and services comprise a range of empirical approaches to estimate a monetary value for the trade-off a person would be willing to make to increase the amount or the quality of a good or service for which there exists no market. After a period of more than fifty years of improvement, the approaches have reached a certain degree of maturity and professional acceptance; for example, they are routinely used in US court cases as a starting point for oil-spill damage assessments (which can run into several billions of US dollars). There are probably more than 10,000 papers published, covering a range of issues about economic valuation methods. While environmental and health studies dominate, an increasing number of applications appear in, inter alia, cultural economics. Since the number of things people care about is virtually without limits, the set of applications for measuring these types of trade-offs is very large; e.g., how much would students be willing to pay to reduce campus crime risk? What is the value of telecare programs that make it possible for elderly people to live independently? Is there an extra-market value of the Tour des Flandres (a cycling race)? How much would you pay to avoid the consequences of spam mail? We will divide our exposition into two parts, covering the most used stated-preference and revealed-preference methods. The stated-preference methods are based on what respondents state in interviews/questionnaires, generally targeting a person’s choices for a proposed change in a well-defined object of choice (such as one’s health status or some aspect of environmental quality). A revealed-preference method uses observed decisions for private goods related to the non-market good and theoretical assumptions to create the equivalent of surrogate markets, such as property markets, to measure values. There are two general lines of development; an increased focus on heterogeneity and an increased understanding of how to deal with the discrete/continuous type of consumer behavior that is common in the cases studied.