Management of common minor ailments in Qatar: Community pharmacists’ self-perceived competency and its predictors

Studies focused on comprehensive assessment of self-perceived competency of community pharmacists to manage minor ailments are scanty despite that self-perceived competency is a valid determinant of task performance. The objectives of the study were to assess community pharmacists’ self-perceived competency to manage fourteen common minor ailments in Qatar, and identify its significant predictors. A cross-sectional assessment of 307 community pharmacists was conducted with a pre-tested 20-item questionnaire. Self-perceived competency was assessed with nine elements on a scale of 1–10 (Maximum obtainable score: Each minor ailment = 90; each element = 140). Mann-Whitney U and bivariate logistic regression were used for data analyses. The response rate was 91.9% (282/307). The majority of the respondents were males (68.1%; 192/282), within the age range of 31–40 years (55.3%; 156/282). The minor ailments with the highest median competency score were constipation (76), and cold/catarrh (75) while travel sickness (69), and ringworm (69) had the lowest. The two condition-specific competency elements with the highest median score were recommendation of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines (115), and provision of instructions to guide its use (115). Ability to differentiate minor ailments from other medical conditions had the lowest median competency score (109). The significant predictors self-perceived competency were female gender (OR = 2.39, 95%CI: 1.34–4.25, p = 0.003), and working for chain pharmacies (OR = 2.54, 95%CI: 1.30–4.96, p = 0.006). Overall, Community pharmacists’ self-perceived competency was adequate for majority of the common minor ailments, and it was highest for constipation and cold/catarrh, and specifically for the recommendation of OTC medicines and provision of instructions to guide its use. However, diagnostic ability to differentiate minor ailments from other medical conditions with similar features had the lowest median competency score. Female gender and working in chain pharmacies were the significant predictors of self-perceived competency to manage minor ailments.

Am I Ready? Competencies and Skill Sets Needed for Virtual Conference Hosts

This new 3-page article is the third publication in the Don't Fake It, Make It! series. Implementing a virtual conference or meeting can be a challenging task. Whether hiring staff or recruiting colleagues to assemble a team, it is necessary to ensure your team is built based on the specific competency needs for hosting a virtual conference or meeting. Written by Lauri M. Baker and Matt Benge, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.

Adult Education Teachers’ Competencies for the Implementation of Sustainable Development

This paper presents the results of a study conducted on a sample of teachers working in adult education in Croatia with the aim of determining whether they possess the competencies needed for the implementation of sustainable development in the teaching process. The results show that the teachers who participated in the study mostly expressed positive attitudes but lower levels of both knowledge about sustainable development concepts and education for it. Even though teachers on average self-evaluated that they possessed almost every generic and specific competency needed for sustainable development, their self-evaluation also shows that they only partially possess the competencies directly connected with the implementation of sustainable development in the adult education teaching process.

P085 The development of a UK-wide rheumatology specialist physiotherapy capabilities framework

Background/Aims Rheumatology physiotherapy is a specialist area requiring specific skills and knowledge. At all levels of practice, physiotherapists play an essential role in patient management. There is not yet any profession-specific competency guidance in this area. The aim of this paper is to describe the processes undertaken in creating and reviewing a national rheumatology physiotherapy competency framework suitable for all levels of practice. Methods A national survey of rheumatology physiotherapy practice was completed in October 2019. At the end of the survey participants were invited to be involved in the development of a rheumatology physiotherapy competency and capabilities framework. Forty-seven physiotherapists expressed an interest and were invited to comment, critique and feedback on a draft rheumatology specialist competency framework document that had been developed in parallel to the survey. Results Twenty-five physiotherapists provided feedback on Version 1 of the draft framework. Responses were received from bands 6 - 8 post holders and from NHS and private provider work settings. Involvement was sought and received from the four nations of the UK: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For the 465 competencies within the draft framework, over 1,000 comments were received. These comments were reviewed and amalgamated into a Version 2 framework. Agreement level of the expert reviewers’ opinions on these competencies was generally high. In addition to competency statement specific feedback, general comments on content, aims, impacts and utility of the document were also received which informed the revisions undertaken. Version 2 reflects the expert input and constructive, excellent advice received. Themes within general comments included: defining expert speciality practice; focus on what is unique about Rheumatology for a physiotherapist; impacts and considerations from location of service delivery, e.g. primary versus secondary care, urban versus rural, large teaching hospital versus district general hospital; rotational versus non-rotational posts; enough authority of the final framework to support the need for funding in training and development, as well as leading to new roles; breadth and variability required within single post-holders; addressing blurred lines, unrecognised capabilities and supporting career progression; justification for working at a higher level than given credit. Conclusion There is a strong desire amongst the rheumatology physiotherapy profession to progress this project and to engage with and support the development of a national rheumatology physiotherapy competency framework. Many specialist physiotherapists have contributed their expertise in their own time to agree competency statements. The process has ratified the further development and future publication of this framework. Disclosure W.J. Gregory: Honoraria; W.G. has received honoraria from Abbvie, Pfizer and UCB. H. Chambers: None. C. McCrum: Honoraria; C.McC. has received honoraria from Novartis.

The ties that bind – Learning groups in family medicine residency

Family medicine training encompasses the need to develop a diverse skillset and the ability to practice in different settings. During three years of training, family medicine residents from National University Health System (NUHS) rapidly transit through many hospital rotations with varying specialty-specific competency requirements. Throughout this period, each resident is rostered to run a half-day primary care clinic on the same day each week and is assigned a dedicated faculty member to supervise him during the session. Each faculty member is assigned up to four to six residents for the half-day sessions every week. There is a need to contextualise what is learnt in hospital to primary care, and to effectively integrate knowledge across disciplines. We describe here a tool that the NUHS family medicine residency has used to bring together faculty and residents of varying seniorities and locations for discussion, reflection, and growth.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES IN THE CHILDREN’S PALACES AND CLUBS: EDUCATIONAL ALTERNATIVES FOR SPECIFIC COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT

The present study focuses on the role, importance and complementarity of science and technology extracurricular activities. The research is based on the analysis of the students’ views on how the science activities should be conducted in Children’s Palaces and Clubs, namely which topics should be explored and how the activities should be organised. An online questionnaire was designed for data collection (N=3945). The research design included opinions from specialized literature. Thus, the success of the extracurricular activities increases in direct proportion to the approached topics, didactic strategies and the community involvement – parents, schools – with relevant experiences in carrying out the activities (Albulescu & Catalano, 2019). And as far as the organization of this type of activity is concerned, the following should be considered: the pupils’ age level characteristics, their psychological needs, and the specific inclinations and interests (Cucoº, 2017). The science and technology activities include the curricular areas involved in a coherent learning paradigm, which is based on practical applications that are used in everyday life (Albulescu, 2014). The current legislation also supports an innovative way of carrying out extracurricular activities. The findings show us the important role of the technical and scientific extracurricular activities, which along formal education help to improve learners’ results, furthermore, they are complementary for the development of competences in science and technology. This study helps in the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the extracurricular activities, and the results tell us about the needs of the pupils and to what extent the use of the pupil-centered educational strategy will help to achieve better results in education and reduce school dropout. This is a confirmation that complex educational objectives require the combination of curricular with extra-curricular activities (Bocoş & Jucan, 2017).

Integrating Mini-MOOCs into Study Programs in Higher Education during COVID-19. Five Pilot Case Studies in Context of the Open Virtual Mobility Project

This paper describes five different pilot case studies which show how mini-MOOCs were integrated into study programs in higher education during COVID-19. The pilot case studies were conducted in five different countries (Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania and Slovenia) in the first quarter of 2020 as part of the Open Virtual Mobility project. Open Virtual Mobility project (OpenVM) is a three year (2017-2020) strategic partnership for innovation and the exchange of good practices founded by the European Erasmus+ program of the European Commission. One of the key outcomes of the Open Virtual Mobility project is the Open Virtual Mobility Learning Hub (OpenVM Learning Hub), an online learning environment for the development, assessment and recognition of virtual mobility skills in higher education. The OpenVM Learning Hub hosts a set of eight mini-MOOCs, each dedicated to a specific competency cluster. Based on small-scale pilots at the universities in the five countries, this paper describes the design of OpenVM mini-MOOC, spotlights different educational approaches for integrating MOOCs into study programs during COVID-19 and highlights diverse objectives, attitudes and expectations of educators who piloted the integration of the mini-MOOCs during the pandemic. The paper explores differences in integration of traditional MOOCs and mini-MOOCs and concludes with recommendations for embedding mini-MOOCs into academic programs in view of rapid (digital) transformations in higher education such as the one caused by COVID-19.

The Application of a Managerial Competency Model in Employee Promotion—Combination of AHP and VIKOR Methodology

Managerial competency model is a main structure that lists competencies needed for manager’s position. This paper established a employee promotion application combined with managerial competency model and AHP-VIKOR methodology. Research was carried using qualitative and quantitative methods. The managerial competency model is explained through a literature review and internal interview is to confirm the specific competency items that suitable for case company. Research from expert panels is used to evaluate the managerial competency of the candidates in the case study. The quantitative tool was AHP and VIKOR model. AHP was applied to calculate the criteria weights of managerial competency items. VIKOR multi-criteria decision making model ranked the alternatives and the most suitable promotion candidate was selected. The results from the VIKOR model were used as the decision-making basis for the promotion of the best candidate. This research expected to use the quantitative method to support the executive management level to develop internal talent base on a objective evaluate results.

17. The Level of Musical Competency Training: A Comparative Study of Full-Time and Distance Students

Estimating the level of competency training at the end of a university programme aims, in the competency-based learning, at a certification of the training’s outcomes. This research wishes to evaluate the degree of specific competency training for a Bachelor programme in music organized by the Gheorghe Dima National Academy of Music from Cluj-Napoca in different forms of learning, namely full-time and distance learning. By means of a questionnaire which measures the appreciation of students on a scale from 1 to 5 we interviewed 60 students who measured their own professional training based on the competencies approved on a national level for music as major subject. We analyzed descriptors characteristic of certain development levels of the key competencies for three specific content areas: the theoretical, methodological, and artistic areas. The main findings of the research, following a comparative analysis of the implementation of programme-specific competencies, reveal superior outcomes in the case of distance students in the development of competencies belonging to the field of performance, the practical activity carried out during the learning process, at their place of work and through participation in artistic productions, thus motivating the students’ interest in acquiring and improving certain specific skills and abilities. The theoretical knowledge and consolidation of the musical language represent the priorities of the full-time students and, by means of a statistical comparison, we highlighted different answers for the results of the questionnaire meant for the assimilation of competencies for each of the descriptors analyzed in this study.