Understandability, actionability and suitability of educational videos on dietary management for hypertension

Background: Educational video is a productive means to advocate lifestyle modifications such as changes in the dietary routine. This study assesses the understandability, actionability and suitability of newly developed educational videos aimed at encouraging dietary adjustments among hypertension patients. Method: In all, 183 participants were recruited via convenience sampling and rated the understandability, actionability and suitability of the videos using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audio-Visual material (PEMAT-A/V) and the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) scale. Results: Eleven videos were developed from five main topics related to the dietary management of hypertension. Participants agreed that all videos were highly understandable, actionable and suitable for use as educational tools, with scores of more than 85%, 89% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion/Implications: Overall, the newly developed videos gained high scores for understandability, actionability and suitability. This finding reflects positive acceptance of the videos among various healthcare professionals and patients with hypertension.

Quality of pre-service midwifery education in public and private midwifery schools in Afghanistan: a cross sectional survey

Background Midwives are the key skilled birth attendants in Afghanistan. Rapid assessment of public and private midwifery education schools was conducted in 2017 to examine compliance with national educational standards. The aim was to assess midwifery education to inform Afghanistan Nurses and Midwives Council and other stakeholders on priorities for improving quality of midwifery education. Methods A cross-sectional assessment of midwifery schools was conducted from September 12–December 17, 2017. The Midwifery Education Rapid Assessment Tool was used to assess 29 midwifery programs related to infrastructure, management, teachers, preceptors, clinical practice sites, curriculum and students. A purposive sample of six Institute of Health Sciences schools, seven Community Midwifery Education schools and 16 private midwifery schools was used. Participants were midwifery school staff, students and clinical preceptors. Results Libraries were available in 28/29 (97%) schools, active skills labs in 20/29 (69%), childbirth simulators in 17/29 (59%) and newborn resuscitation models in 28/29 (97%). School managers were midwives in 21/29 (72%) schools. Median numbers of students per teacher and students per preceptor were 8 (range 2–50) and 6 (range 2–20). There were insufficient numbers of teachers practicing midwifery (132/163; 81%), trained in teaching skills (113/163; 69%) and trained in emergency obstetric and newborn care (88/163; 54%). There was an average of 13 students at clinical sites in each shift. Students managed an average of 15 births independently during their training, while 40 births are required. Twenty-four percent (7/29) of schools used the national 2015 curriculum alone or combined with an older one. Ninety-one percent (633/697) of students reported access to clinical sites and skills labs. Students mentioned, however, insufficient clinical practice due to low case-loads in clinical sites, lack of education materials, transport facilities and disrespect from school teachers, preceptors and clinical site providers as challenges. Conclusions Positive findings included availability of required infrastructure, amenities, approved curricula in 7 of the 29 midwifery schools, appropriate clinical sites and students’ commitment to work as midwives upon graduation. Gaps identified were use of different often outdated curricula, inadequate clinical practice, underqualified teachers and preceptors and failure to graduate all students with sufficient skills such as independently having supported 40 births.

Responses of Bacterial Taxonomical Diversity Indicators to Pollutant Loadings in Experimental Wetland Microcosms

Urbanization results in higher stormwater loadings of pollutants such as metals and nutrients into surface waters. This directly impacts organisms in aquatic ecosystems, including microbes. Sediment microbes are known for pollution reduction in the face of contamination, making bacterial communities an important area for bioindicator research. This study explores the pattern of bacterial responses to metal and nutrient pollution loading and seeks to evaluate whether bacterial indicators can be effective as a biomonitoring risk assessment tool for wetland ecosystems. Microcosms were built containing sediments collected from wetlands in the urbanizing Pike River watershed in southeastern Wisconsin, USA, with metals and nutrients added at 7 day intervals. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the microcosm sediments, and taxonomical profiles of bacterial communities were identified up to the genera level by sequencing 16S bacterial rRNA gene (V3–V4 region). Reduction of metals (example: 90% for Pb) and nutrients (example: 98% for NO3−) added in water were observed. The study found correlations between diversity indices of genera with metal and nutrient pollution as well as identified specific genera (including Fusibacter, Aeromonas, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Bdellovibrio, and Chlorobium) as predictive bioindicators for ecological risk assessment for metal pollution.

Triad of rubric assessment, constructive feedback and video recorded surgeries key assessment for competent ophthalmic surgeon

Ophthalmic surgery involves very precise surgical skill, which is difficult to teach and even more cumbersome in assessment of resident’s surgical skill. Hence it’s a need of time to adopt newer tool for transferring as well as assessing surgical skill. With this concept in mind International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) has developed various tools for assessing surgical skills. If we use this tool not only as learning tool but also to give constructive feedback on the surgical skills of resident doctors it will help in creating a competent ophthalmic surgeon and eventually help society in general. 1To develop more standardized surgical training; 2. To assess efficacy and feasibility of new tool in improving surgical skills of Post Graduate(PG) student; 3. To know the effect of constructive feedback on surgical performance. Small incision cataract surgery training is done by Rubric designed by ICO- OSCAR. The same tool was used to assess video recorded cataract surgery of residents by different faculties and assess their surgical skill. The assessor simply circled the observed performance description at each step of the procedure. The ICO-OSCAR score was completed. At the end of the case assessor immediately discussed operated case with student to provide timely, structured, specific performance feedback. Oscar score was recorded and analysed with inter rater agreement. OSCAR TOOL has very good inter rater agreement i.e.(0.96). Analysis of student & Observer feedback infers that OSCAR Tool is best tool for learning as well as assessment tool and is easy to use. Recorded surgeries & constructive feedback from assessor helped Post Graduate students to improve surgically. This resulted in best outcome for patient in terms of good visual acuity post operatively. The formative assessment of surgical skills becomes an integral part of our formal residency, training framework, it would be in the interest of our trainees and trainers that we should adopt the OSCAR tools to train and assess. These tools can add immense value to our residency as well fellowship surgical training and possibly help create a generation of competent trainee.Formative Assessment and constructive feedback in surgical training will improve the competency of new ophthalmic surgeons.Structured surgical training will be relatively easy to observe and perform, as trainee learns what is required to be competent.This will ultimately improve the overall quality of patient care.