Sample records for community practice setting

  1. The conduct of practice-based research in community clinics compared to private practices: similarities, differences, and challenges

    PubMed Central

    Gillette, Jane; Cunha-Cruz, Joana; Gilbert, Ann; Speed-McIntyre, Pollene; Zhou, Lingmei; DeRouen, Timothy

    2013-01-01

    Practice-based research should be performed in all practice settings if the results are to be applied to all settings. However, some practice settings, such as community clinics, have unique features that may make the conduct of such research more challenging. The purpose of this article is to describe and compare the similarities and unique challenges related to conducting research in community clinics compared to private practices within the Northwest Practice-Based REsearch Collaborative in Evidence-Based DENTistry (PRECEDENT) network. Information was obtained from meetings with general dentists, a survey of general dentists (N = 253), and a clinical examination and record review of a systemic random sample of patients visiting community clinics and private practices. (N = 1903)—all part of a dental practice-based research network. The processes of conducting research, the dentist and patient sociodemographic characteristics, the prevalence of oral diseases, and the dental treatments received in community clinics and private practices were compared. Both community clinics and private practices have the clinical treatment of the patients as their priority and have time constraints on research. The processes of research training, obtaining informed consent, and collecting, transmitting, and securely maintaining research data are also similar. The patient populations and treatment needs differ substantially between community clinics and private practices, with a higher prevalence of dental caries and higher restorative treatment needs in the community clinic patients. The process of study participant selection and follow-up for research and the dentist and staff work arrangements also vary between the two practice settings. Although community clinic patients and their dental healthcare providers have different research needs and challenges than their counterparts in private practice, practice-based research can be successfully PMID:25429251

  2. Goal setting practice in services delivering community-based stroke rehabilitation: a United Kingdom (UK) wide survey.

    PubMed

    Scobbie, Lesley; Duncan, Edward A; Brady, Marian C; Wyke, Sally

    2015-01-01

    We investigated the nature of services providing community-based stroke rehabilitation across the UK, and goal setting practice used within them, to inform evaluation of a goal setting and action planning (G-AP) framework. We designed, piloted and electronically distributed a survey to health professionals working in community-based stroke rehabilitation settings across the UK. We optimised recruitment using a multi-faceted strategy. Responses were analysed from 437 services. Services size, composition and input was highly variable; however, most were multi-disciplinary (82%; n = 335/407) and provided input to a mixed diagnostic group of patients (71%; n = 312/437). Ninety one percent of services (n = 358/395) reported setting goals with "all" or "most" stroke survivors. Seventeen percent (n = 65/380) reported that no methods were used to guide goal setting practice; 47% (n = 148/315) reported use of informal methods only. Goal setting practice varied, e.g. 98% of services (n = 362/369) reported routinely asking patients about goal priorities; 39% (n = 141/360) reported routinely providing patients with a copy of their goals. Goal setting is embedded within community-based stroke rehabilitation; however, practice varies and is potentially sub-optimal. Further evaluation of the G-AP framework is warranted to inform optimal practice. Evaluation design will take account of the diverse service models that exist. Implications for Rehabilitation Community-based stroke rehabilitation services across the UK are diverse and tend to see a mixed diagnostic group of patients. Goal setting is implemented routinely within community-based stroke rehabilitation services; however, practice is variable and potentially sub-optimal. Further evaluation of the G-AP framework is warranted to assess its effectiveness in practice.

  3. Preparing new nurse graduates for practice in multiple settings: a community-based academic-practice partnership model.

    PubMed

    West, Nikki; Berman, Audrey; Karshmer, Judith; Prion, Susan; Van, Paulina; Wallace, Jonalyn

    2014-06-01

    Responding to local and national concerns about the nursing workforce, the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care worked with private and public funders and community health care partners to establish community-based transition-to-practice programs for new RN graduates unable to secure nursing positions in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goals were to retain new RN graduates in nursing and further develop their skills and competencies to increase their employability. Leaders from academic and inpatient, ambulatory, and community-based practice settings, as well as additional community partners, collaboratively provided four 12- to 16-week pilot transition programs in 2010-2011. A total of 345 unemployed new nurse graduates enrolled. Eighty-four percent of 188 respondents to a post-program survey were employed in inpatient and community settings 3 months after completion. Participants and clinical preceptors also reported increases in confidence and competence. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  4. Implementation of evidence-based practice by nurses working in community settings and their strategies to mentor student nurses to develop evidence-based practice: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Brooke, Joanne Mary; Mallion, Jaimee

    2016-08-01

    The aim of the study was to explore how community nurses apply the best available evidence to their practice, and how they mentor student nurses to conceptualize and implement evidence-based practice in community settings. In the UK, the expansion of health-care provision in the community has supported the development of highly skilled community nurses. However, there is limited literature regarding the strategies used by community nurses to implement evidence-based practice and mentor student nurses to conceptualize evidence-based practice in community placements. An exploratory qualitative approach applying inductive reasoning to focus group data was used. As a result, nurses working for a community NHS Foundation Trust in South England with a mentor qualification were invited to participate in one of the seven focus groups, 33 nurses participated. Data were analyzed with thematic analysis. The themes discussed in this paper are: 'our practice is evidence-based' as guidelines and policies provided structure, but occasionally stifled autonomous clinical decision-making, and 'time' as a barrier and facilitator to mentoring student nurses in community settings. In conclusion, nurses need to develop the ability to incorporate patients' needs and wishes within evidence-based care. Time was a facilitator for some community mentors, but protected time is required to complete the necessary practice documentation of student nurses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  5. Creativity and power: a qualitative, exploratory study of student learning acquired in a community nursing setting that is applied in future settings.

    PubMed

    Merritt, Alan; Boogaerts, Marina

    2014-01-01

    Nursing students undertake clinical placements in a wide range of clinical areas as part of their preparation for professional practice, offering students the opportunity to learn about the clinical context and the work that nurses do. This descriptive study explores the implicit learnings that occur for students in a community nursing placement and whether they transfer the knowledge they gain in the community setting into practice in other settings. Participants in this research study described implicit learning from a community nursing context which they were able to utilise in their current practice. Three major themes emerged. Firstly, participants recognised that power relationships manifest differently in a community based setting. This manifest in a recognition of patient autonomy and a creative approach to enhancing the patient's power. The second, related theme involved the enabling of self-determination through collaborative decision making between nurse and the person receiving care. The third theme was the development of an understanding of self-management which manifest in appropriate referrals and what the participants considered high quality discharge planning. This recognition of practice beyond technical, rationalist manifestations suggests that students grasped the unarticulated, implicit dimensions of the community nurse role through their experiences in a community nursing placement.

  6. Community psychology practice: expanding the impact of psychology's work.

    PubMed

    Wolff, Tom

    2014-11-01

    This article introduces the reader to community psychology practice by defining the field and its key principles and then illustrating through brief case stories what community psychology practice looks like in various employment settings. An exploration of the development of the field includes a review of the competencies of community psychology practice. Finally, the emerging opportunities for community psychology practice for psychologists are outlined. Well-publicized issues such as health disparities give psychologists an opportunity to bring social problems such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and income inequality to the forefront and to create community-wide efforts to improve the ways in which people live. Community psychology practice offers psychologists a format and a set of competencies for moving forward on this work by focusing on approaches that are ecological, community centered, population based, preventive, focused on systems change and empowerment, and multidisciplinary and that bring those most affected by the issues to the heart of the decision making. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  7. The NCI Community Oncology Research Program: what every clinician needs to know.

    PubMed

    McCaskill-Stevens, Worta; Lyss, Alan P; Good, Marge; Marsland, Thomas; Lilenbaum, Rogerio

    2013-01-01

    Research in the community setting is essential for the translation of advances in cancer research into practice and improving cancer care for all populations. The National Cancer Institute is proposing a new community-based program, NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), which is the alignment of two existing programs, the Community Clinical Oncology Program, Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program, and their Research Bases, and the National Cancer Institute's Community Cancer Centers Program. NCROP will support cancer control, prevention, treatment, and screening clinical trials and expand its research scope to include cancer care delivery research. Cancer disparities research will be integrated into studies across the continuum of NCORP research. Input from current NCI-funded community investigators provides critical insight into the challenges faced by oncology practices within various organizational structures. Furthermore, these investigators identify the resources, both administrative and clinical, that will be required in the community setting to support cancer care delivery research and to meet the requirements for a new generation of clinical research. The American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has initiated a forum to focus on the conduct of clinical research in the community setting. Resources are being developed to help practices in managing cancer care in community settings.

  8. "Shaping Communities" as a Christian Practice and Popular Religion: Their Implications for Latina/o Religious Education in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Michael G.

    2008-01-01

    This article sets Dorothy Bass' Christian practices movement in critical dialogue with U.S. Latina/o popular religion in order to explore ways that these distinctive sets of practices could enrich one another. Then, it focuses on "shaping communities" as a Christian practice and correlates it with the U.S. Latina/o popular religious…

  9. Selecting, Adapting, and Implementing Evidence-based Interventions in Rural Settings: An Analysis of 70 Community Examples.

    PubMed

    Smith, Tina Anderson; Adimu, Tanisa Foxworth; Martinez, Amanda Phillips; Minyard, Karen

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores how communities translate evidence-based and promising health practices to rural contexts. A descriptive, qualitative analysis was conducted using data from 70 grantees funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to implement evidence-based health practices in rural settings. Findings were organized using The Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation. Grantees broadly interpreted evidence-based and promising practices, resulting in the implementation of a patchwork of health-related interventions that fell along a spectrum of evidentiary rigor. The cohort faced common challenges translating recognized practices into rural community settings and reported making deliberate modifications to original models as a result. Opportunities for building a more robust rural health evidence base include investments to incentivize evidence-based programming in rural settings; rural-specific research and theory-building; translation of existing evidence using a rural lens; technical assistance to support rural innovation; and prioritization of evaluation locally.

  10. Recruitment and retention of rural physicians: outcomes from the rural physician associate program of Minnesota.

    PubMed

    Halaas, Gwen Wagstrom; Zink, Therese; Finstad, Deborah; Bolin, Keli; Center, Bruce

    2008-01-01

    Founded in 1971 with state funding to increase the number of primary care physicians in rural Minnesota, the Rural Physician Associate Program (RPAP) has graduated 1,175 students. Third-year medical students are assigned to primary care physicians in rural communities for 9 months where they experience the realities of rural practice with hands-on participation, mentoring, and one-to-one teaching. Students complete an online curriculum, participate in online discussion with fellow students, and meet face-to-face with RPAP faculty 6 times during the 9-month rotation. Projects designed to bring value to the community, including an evidence-based practice and community health assessment, are completed. To examine RPAP outcomes in recruiting and retaining rural primary care physicians. The RPAP database, including moves and current practice settings, was examined using descriptive statistics. On average, 82% of RPAP graduates have chosen primary care, and 68% family medicine. Of those currently in practice, 44% have practiced in a rural setting all of the time, 42% in a metropolitan setting and 14% have chosen both, with more than 50% of their time in rural practice. Rural origin has only a small association with choosing rural practice. RPAP data suggest that the 9-month longitudinal experience in a rural community increases the number of students choosing primary care practice, especially family medicine, in a rural setting.

  11. Understanding facilitators and barriers to reengineering the clinical research enterprise in community-based practice settings.

    PubMed

    Kukafka, Rita; Allegrante, John P; Khan, Sharib; Bigger, J Thomas; Johnson, Stephen B

    2013-09-01

    Solutions are employed to support clinical research trial tasks in community-based practice settings. Using the IT Implementation Framework (ITIF), an integrative framework intended to guide the synthesis of theoretical perspectives for planning multi-level interventions to enhance IT use, we sought to understand the barriers and facilitators to clinical research in community-based practice settings preliminary to implementing new informatics solutions for improving clinical research infrastructure. The studies were conducted in practices within the Columbia University Clinical Trials Network. A mixed-method approach, including surveys, interviews, time-motion studies, and observations was used. The data collected, which incorporates predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors in IT use, were analyzed according to each phase of ITIF. Themes identified in the first phase of ITIF were 1) processes and tools to support clinical trial research and 2) clinical research peripheral to patient care processes. Not all of the problems under these themes were found to be amenable to IT solutions. Using the multi-level orientation of the ITIF, we set forth strategies beyond IT solutions that can have an impact on reengineering clinical research tasks in practice-based settings. Developing strategies to target enabling and reinforcing factors, which focus on organizational factors, and the motivation of the practice at large to use IT solutions to integrate clinical research tasks with patient care processes, is most challenging. The ITIF should be used to consider both IT and non-IT solutions concurrently for reengineering of clinical research in community-based practice settings. © 2013.

  12. An evidence-based approach to the prevention and initial management of skin tears within the aged community setting: a best practice implementation project.

    PubMed

    Beechey, Rebekah; Priest, Laura; Peters, Micah; Moloney, Clint

    2015-06-12

    Maintaining skin integrity in a community setting is an ongoing issue, as research suggests that the prevalence of skin tears within the community is greater than that in an institutional setting. While skin tear prevention and management principles in these settings are similar to those in an acute care setting, consideration of the environmental and psychological factors of the client is pivotal to prevention in a community setting. Evidence suggests that home environment assessment, education for clients and care givers, and being proactive in improving activities of daily living in a community setting can significantly reduce the risk of sustaining skin tears. The aim of this implementation project was to assess and review current skin tear prevention and management practices within the community setting, and from this, to implement an evidence-based approach in the education of clients and staff on the prevention of skin tears. As well. the project aims to implement evidence-based principles to guide clinical practice in relation to the initial management of skin tears, and to determine strategies to overcome barriers and non-compliance. The project utilized the Joanna Brigg's Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System audit tool for promoting changes in the community health setting. The implementation of this particular project is based in a region within Anglicare Southern Queensland. A small team was established and a baseline audit carried out. From this, multiple strategies were implemented to address non-compliance which included education resources for clients and caregivers, staff education sessions, and creating skin integrity kits to enable staff members to tend to skin tears, and from this a follow-up audit undertaken. Baseline audit results were slightly varied, from good to low compliance. From this, the need for staff and client education was highlighted. There were many improvements in the audit criteria following client and staff education sessions and staff self-directed learning packages. Future strategies required to sustain improvements in practice and make further progress are to introduce a readily available Anglicare Skin Integrity Assessment Tool to the nursing staff for undertaking new client admissions over 65 years, and to provide ongoing education to staff members, clients and care givers in order to reduce the prevalence of skin tears in the community setting. This implementation project demonstrated the importance of education of personal care workers, clients and their caregivers for prevention of skin tears in the community setting. This in turn created autonomy and empowered clients to take control of their health. The Joanna Briggs Institute.

  13. Learning Community Assessment 101--Best Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huerta, Juan Carlos; Hansen, Michele J.

    2013-01-01

    Good assessment is part of all good learning communities, and this article provides a useful set of best practices for learning community assessment planning: (1) articulating agreed-upon learning community program goals; (2) identifying the purpose of assessment (e.g., summative or formative); (3) employing qualitative and quantitative assessment…

  14. Building capacity for cognitive behavioral therapy delivery for depression in disaster-impacted contexts.

    PubMed

    Ngo, Victoria K; Centanni, Angela; Wong, Eunice; Wennerstrom, Ashley; Miranda, Jeanne

    2011-01-01

    Numerous challenges exist in implementing evidence-based practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, in resource poor, ethnic minority, and/or disaster-affected communities with disparities in mental health. Community-academic participatory partnerships are a promising approach to addressing disparities by implementing community-appropriate, evidence-based depression care. A community-academic collaborative was formed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to expand resources for effective depression care, including cognitive behavioral therapy. In this article, we: 1) describe our model of building capacity to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy for depression in post-disaster community-based settings; 2) discuss the impact of this training program on therapist reported practice; and 3) share lessons learned regarding disseminating and sustaining evidence-based interventions in the context of a disaster impacted community. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that this model was feasible, acceptable, and disseminated knowledge about cognitive behavioral therapy in community settings. Over the course of two years, community providers demonstrated the feasibility of implementing evidence-based practice and potential for local community leadership. The lessons learned from this model of implementation may help address barriers to disseminating evidence-based interventions in other low-resource, disaster-impacted community settings.

  15. SciJourn Is Magic: Construction of a Science Journalism Community of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nicholas, Celeste R.

    2017-01-01

    This article is the first to describe the discoursal construction of an adolescent community of practice (CoP) in a non-school setting. CoPs can provide optimal learning environments. The adolescent community centered around science journalism and positioned itself dichotomously in relationship to school literacy practices. The analysis focuses on…

  16. Research-Practice Integration in Real Practice Settings: Issues and Suggestions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheung, Monit; Ma, Anny K.; Thyer, Bruce A.; Webb, Ann E.

    2015-01-01

    At the National Bridging the Research and Practice Gap Symposium to discuss evidence-based practice (EBP) in social work, 150 participants attended five breakout groups to address real practice setting applications. These participants from social work academia and practice communities addressed issues and looked for solutions to promote…

  17. Mixed method evaluation of a community-based physical activity program using the RE-AIM framework: practical application in a real-world setting.

    PubMed

    Koorts, Harriet; Gillison, Fiona

    2015-11-06

    Communities are a pivotal setting in which to promote increases in child and adolescent physical activity behaviours. Interventions implemented in these settings require effective evaluation to facilitate translation of findings to wider settings. The aims of this paper are to i) present findings from a RE-AIM evaluation of a community-based physical activity program, and ii) review the methodological challenges faced when applying RE-AIM in practice. A single mixed-methods case study was conducted based on a concurrent triangulation design. Five sources of data were collected via interviews, questionnaires, archival records, documentation and field notes. Evidence was triangulated within RE-AIM to assess individual and organisational-level program outcomes. Inconsistent availability of data and a lack of robust reporting challenged assessment of all five dimensions. Reach, Implementation and setting-level Adoption were less successful, Effectiveness and Maintenance at an individual and organisational level were moderately successful. Only community-level Adoption was highly successful, reflecting the key program goal to provide community-wide participation in sport and physical activity. This research highlighted important methodological constraints associated with the use of RE-AIM in practice settings. Future evaluators wishing to use RE-AIM may benefit from a mixed-method triangulation approach to offset challenges with data availability and reliability.

  18. Determinants and Outcomes of Employee Participation in a Strategic Community of Practice: A Mixed-Method Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Joohee; Jacobs, Ronald L.

    2012-01-01

    Despite increasing investment in building, supporting, and managing communities of practice that meet the strategic business needs of the organization, the literature indicates that little is known about strategic communities of practice in organizational work settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate determinants and outcomes of…

  19. Emergency ultrasound usage among recent emergency medicine residency graduates of a convenience sample of 14 residencies.

    PubMed

    Dean, Anthony J; Breyer, Michael J; Ku, Bon S; Mills, Angela M; Pines, Jesse M

    2010-02-01

    Emergency Medicine (EM) residency graduates are trained to perform Emergency Medicine bedside ultrasound (EMBU). However, the degree to which they use this skill in their practice after graduation is unknown. We sought to test the amount and type of usage of EMBU among recent residency graduates, and how usage and barriers vary among various types of EM practice settings. Graduates from 14 EM residency programs in 2003-2005 were surveyed on their current practice setting and use of EMBU. There were 252 (73%) graduates who completed the survey. Of the 73% of respondents reporting access to EMBU, 98% had used it within the past 3 months. Access to EMBU was higher in academic (97%) vs. community teaching (79%) vs. community non-teaching settings (62%) (p < 0.001), and in Emergency Departments (EDs) where yearly census exceeded 60,000 visits (87% vs. 65%, p < 0.001). Physicians in academic settings reported "high use" of EMBU more frequently than those in community settings for most modalities. FAST (focused assessment by sonography in trauma) was the most common high-use application and the most useful in practice. The greatest impediment to EMBU use was "not enough time" (61%). Ultrasound usage among recent EM residency graduates is significantly higher in teaching than in community settings and in high-volume EDs. Its use is more widespread than in previous reports in all types of practice. There is a wide range of utilization of ultrasound in the various applications in emergency practice, with the evaluation of trauma being the most common. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. The Faculties of Pharmacy Schools Should Make an Effort to Network with Community Pharmacies.

    PubMed

    Matsushita, Ryo

    2016-01-01

    By law, medical faculties are mandated to have a designated partner hospital for the purposes of student practical training. In contrast, pharmacy faculties do not have such a legal requirement for student training in a community pharmacy setting. Nevertheless, there are several public and private universities that do have community pharmacies. However, there is no national university that has established both an educational hospital and a community pharmacy. When Kanazawa University (KU) established a graduate school with a clinical pharmacy course, the faculty of KU deemed it necessary to set up an independent community pharmacy for the purpose of practical training. Thus, in 2003, the Acanthus Pharmacy was set up as the first educational community pharmacy in Japan, managed by a nonprofit organization, with the permission of the Ishikawa Pharmaceutical Association and local community pharmacists. Since that time, Acanthus has managed a clinical pharmacy practice for students from both the undergraduate and graduate schools of KU. From 2006, the undergraduate pharmacy program was changed to a 6-year program, and the Acanthus Pharmacy has continued its roles in educating undergraduate pharmaceutical students, medical students, and as a site of early exposure for KU freshmen. From our experience, it is important to have a real clinical environment available to university pharmacy faculty and students, especially in training for community pharmacy practices.

  1. Evidence-based Practices Addressed in Community-based Children’s Mental Health Clinical Supervision

    PubMed Central

    Accurso, Erin C.; Taylor, Robin M.; Garland, Ann F.

    2013-01-01

    Context Clinical supervision is the principal method of training for psychotherapeutic practice, however there is virtually no research on supervision practice in community settings. Of particular interest is the role supervision might play in facilitating implementation of evidence-based (EB) care in routine care settings. Objective This study examines the format and functions of clinical supervision sessions in routine care, as well as the extent to which supervision addresses psychotherapeutic practice elements common to EB care for children with disruptive behavior problems, who represent the majority of patients served in publicly-funded routine care settings. Methods Supervisors (n=7) and supervisees (n=12) from four publicly-funded community-based child mental health clinics reported on 130 supervision sessions. Results Supervision sessions were primarily individual in-person meetings lasting one hour. The most common functions included case conceptualization and therapy interventions. Coverage of practice elements common to EB treatments was brief. Discussion Despite the fact that most children presenting to public mental health services are referred for disruptive behavior problems, supervision sessions are infrequently focused on practice elements consistent with EB treatments for this population. Supervision is a promising avenue through which training in EB practices could be supported to improve the quality of care for children in community-based “usual care” clinics. PMID:24761163

  2. Training Community Mental Health Therapists to Deliver a Package of Evidence-Based Practice Strategies for School-Age Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brookman-Frazee, Lauren I.; Drahota, Amy; Stadnick, Nicole

    2012-01-01

    Research on moving evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention strategies to community service settings for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is urgently needed. The current pilot study addresses this need by examining the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of training therapists practicing in community mental health…

  3. An Advanced Professional Pharmacy Experience in a Community Setting Using an Experiential Manual

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Karen W.; Machado, Matthew R.; Wenzel, Marie M.; Gagnon, James M.; Calomo, Joseph M.

    2006-01-01

    Objectives To determine the usefulness of a teaching and learning tool used to create structure for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) in community pharmacy settings, and to identify differences between respondents' perspectives on the relevance and practicality of implementing specific community pharmacy-related topics during the experience. Design Community practice faculty members designed a manual that outlined a week-by-week schedule of student activities, consistent with the Center for the Advancement of Pharmaceutical Education (CAPE) outcome-based goals, and included associated teaching, documentation, and assessment tools. The manual was distributed to site preceptors and students. Assessment Eighty-six PharmD students responded to a questionnaire upon completion of their community APPE. Student feedback concerning the impact of the manual relative to interactions with site preceptors and their overall learning experience was relatively positive. Conclusion The manual was an effective teaching and learning tool for students completing a community APPE. PMID:17149421

  4. Exploring Communities of Music in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dabback, William M.

    2010-01-01

    Community music practices may offer paths to broaden the scope of the music education field by providing meaningful alternatives to traditional approaches found in many formal music education systems. As specific social settings shape and define community music, prominent researchers have called for further investigation into practices in the…

  5. Building research infrastructure in community health centers: a Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) report.

    PubMed

    Likumahuwa, Sonja; Song, Hui; Singal, Robbie; Weir, Rosy Chang; Crane, Heidi; Muench, John; Sim, Shao-Chee; DeVoe, Jennifer E

    2013-01-01

    This article introduces the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN), a practice-based research network of community health centers (CHCs). Established by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2010, CHARN is a network of 4 community research nodes, each with multiple affiliated CHCs and an academic center. The four nodes (18 individual CHCs and 4 academic partners in 9 states) are supported by a data coordinating center. Here we provide case studies detailing how CHARN is building research infrastructure and capacity in CHCs, with a particular focus on how community practice-academic partnerships were facilitated by the CHARN structure. The examples provided by the CHARN nodes include many of the building blocks of research capacity: communication capacity and "matchmaking" between providers and researchers; technology transfer; research methods tailored to community practice settings; and community institutional review board infrastructure to enable community oversight. We draw lessons learned from these case studies that we hope will serve as examples for other networks, with special relevance for community-based networks seeking to build research infrastructure in primary care settings.

  6. Building Research Infrastructure in Community Health Centers: A Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) Report

    PubMed Central

    Likumahuwa, Sonja; Song, Hui; Singal, Robbie; Weir, Rosy Chang; Crane, Heidi; Muench, John; Sim, Shao-Chee; DeVoe, Jennifer E.

    2015-01-01

    This article introduces the Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN), a practice-based research network of community health centers (CHCs). Established by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2010, CHARN is a network of 4 community research nodes, each with multiple affiliated CHCs and an academic center. The four nodes (18 individual CHCs and 4 academic partners in 9 states) are supported by a data coordinating center. Here we provide case studies detailing how CHARN is building research infrastructure and capacity in CHCs, with a particular focus on how community practice-academic partnerships were facilitated by the CHARN structure. The examples provided by the CHARN nodes include many of the building blocks of research capacity: communication capacity and “matchmaking” between providers and researchers; technology transfer; research methods tailored to community practice settings; and community institutional review board infrastructure to enable community oversight. We draw lessons learned from these case studies that we hope will serve as examples for other networks, with special relevance for community-based networks seeking to build research infrastructure in primary care settings. PMID:24004710

  7. Creating Community: One Institution's Experience with Communities of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heath, Sally; McDonald, Jeanette

    2012-01-01

    This article examines the use and benefits of communities of practice (CoPs) in academic settings. In the 2010-2011 academic year Teaching Support Services at Wilfrid Laurier University introduced four theme-based CoPs for faculty and academic support staff after a successful pilot initiative. This article explores our motivation for focusing our…

  8. Exploring the Disjunctures between Theory and Practice in Community College Visual Arts Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holland, Arnold

    2012-01-01

    This study explored the perceptions of ten community college visual arts faculty in five different community college settings with regard to the theory and practice disjunctures they were experiencing in their roles as instructors teaching foundational level courses within visual arts programs. The study illuminated the responses of community…

  9. The role of community pharmacy-based vaccination in the USA: current practice and future directions

    PubMed Central

    Bach, Albert T; Goad, Jeffery A

    2015-01-01

    Community pharmacy-based provision of immunizations in the USA has become commonplace in the last few decades, with success in increasing rates of immunizations. Community pharmacy-based vaccination services are provided by pharmacists educated in the practice of immunization delivery and provide a convenient and accessible option for receiving immunizations. The pharmacist’s role in immunization practice has been described as serving in the roles of educator, facilitator, and immunizer. With a majority of pharmacist-provided vaccinations occurring in the community pharmacy setting, there are many examples of community pharmacists serving in these immunization roles with successful outcomes. Different community pharmacies employ a number of different models and workflow practices that usually consist of a year-round in-house service staffed by their own immunizing pharmacist. Challenges that currently exist in this setting are variability in scopes of immunization practice for pharmacists across states, inconsistent reimbursement mechanisms, and barriers in technology. Many of these challenges can be alleviated by continual education; working with legislators, state boards of pharmacy, stakeholders, and payers to standardize laws; and reimbursement design. Other challenges that may need to be addressed are improvements in communication and continuity of care between community pharmacists and the patient centered medical home. PMID:29354521

  10. Bridge to the future: nontraditional clinical settings, concepts and issues.

    PubMed

    Faller, H S; Dowell, M A; Jackson, M A

    1995-11-01

    Healthcare restructuring in the wake of healthcare reform places greater emphasis on primary healthcare. Clinical education in acute care settings and existing community health agencies are not compatible with teaching basic concepts, principles and skills fundamental to nursing. Problems of clients in acute care settings are too complex and clients in the community are often too dispersed for necessary faculty support and supervision of beginning nursing students. Nontraditional learning settings offer the baccalaureate student the opportunity to practice fundamental skills of care and address professional skills of negotiation, assertiveness, organization, collaboration and leadership. An overview of faculty designed clinical learning experiences in nontraditional sites such as McDonald's restaurants, inner city churches, YWCA's, the campus community and homes are presented. The legal, ethical and academic issues associated with nontraditional learning settings are discussed in relation to individual empowerment, decision making and evaluation. Implications for the future address the role of the students and faculty as they interact with the community in which they live and practice.

  11. Expanding your gay and lesbian patient base: what savvy medical practices know.

    PubMed

    Kahn, Ellen; Sullivan, Tom

    2008-01-01

    Many medical practices are looking at options to reach out to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community as a means of expanding business and improving quality of care. This article sets out steps that any practice can take to market to this community and improve its cultural competence.

  12. Learning & Knowledge Production in North Carolina Sea Turtle Conservation Communities of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Kathleen Carol

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation focused upon non-formal and informal learning practices and knowledge production amongst [adult] participants involved in local sea turtle conservation practices along the US Atlantic coast. In the United States, adult learning and adult education has historically occurred within non-formal settings (e.g., through community-based…

  13. The Utrecht Pharmacy Practice network for Education and Research: a network of community and hospital pharmacies in the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Koster, Ellen S; Blom, Lyda; Philbert, Daphne; Rump, Willem; Bouvy, Marcel L

    2014-08-01

    Practice-based networks can serve as effective mechanisms for the development of the profession of pharmacists, on the one hand by supporting student internships and on the other hand by collection of research data and implementation of research outcomes among public health practice settings. This paper presents the characteristics and benefits of the Utrecht Pharmacy Practice network for Education and Research, a practice based research network affiliated with the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Utrecht University. Yearly, this network is used to realize approximately 600 student internships (in hospital and community pharmacies) and 20 research projects. To date, most research has been performed in community pharmacy and research questions frequently concerned prescribing behavior or adherence and subjects related to uptake of regulations in the pharmacy setting. Researchers gain access to different types of data from daily practice, pharmacists receive feedback on the functioning of their own pharmacy and students get in depth insight into pharmacy practice.

  14. Promoting Evidence-Based Practices: The Adoption of a Prevention Support System in Community Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunter, Sarah B.; Paddock, Susan M.; Ebener, Patricia; Burkhart, A. K.; Chinman, Matthew

    2009-01-01

    Prevention support systems (PSSs) are designed to help communities implement evidence-based practices (EBPs). Little is known about the factors that influence their adoption. In this article, we examined adoption of a PSS for substance abuse prevention called Getting To Outcomes (GTO)[R] among staff in two community coalitions with varying levels…

  15. Partnerships for community mental health in the Asia-Pacific: principles and best-practice models across different sectors.

    PubMed

    Ng, Chee; Fraser, Julia; Goding, Margaret; Paroissien, David; Ryan, Brigid

    2013-02-01

    Stage Two of the Asia-Pacific Community Mental Health Development Project was established to document successful partnership models in community mental health care in the region. This paper summarizes the best-practice examples and principles of partnerships in community mental health across 17 Asia-Pacific countries. A series of consensus workshops between countries identified best-practice exemplars that promote or advance community mental health care in collaboration with a range of community stakeholders. These prototypes highlighted a broad range of partnerships across government, non-government and community agencies, as well as service users and family carers. From practice-based evidence, a set of 10 key principles was developed that can be applied in building partnerships for community mental health care consistent with the local cultures, communities and systems in the region. Such practical guidance can be useful to minimize fragmentation of community resources and promote effective partnerships to extend community mental health services in the region.

  16. The Basic Structure of Community Early Intervention Programs for Children with Autism: Provider Descriptions

    PubMed Central

    Stahmer, Aubyn C.

    2007-01-01

    Autism researchers have identified a set of common effective practice elements for early intervention (EI) (e.g., intensive programming). The current study examined the reported about use of common elements of effective interventions in community EI settings. Eighty EI providers reported about their programs. The majority of participants reported using common effective elements, however, the depth and quality of the use of these elements was highly variable. Taking community program structure into account in future research will facilitate the development of methodologies, which immediately fit into the context of community programming rather than requiring program adaptation for use in the real world. Recommendations for using current community program structure to improve use of evidence-based practices are discussed. PMID:17086438

  17. Northern nursing practice in a primary health care setting.

    PubMed

    Vukic, Adele; Keddy, Barbara

    2002-12-01

    This paper explicates the nature of outpost nursing work, and/or the day-to-day realities of northern nursing practice in a primary health care setting in Canada. The study was carried out to systematically explore the work of nurses in an indigenous setting. Institutional ethnography, pioneered by Dorothy Smith was the methodology used to guide this research. The theoretical perspective of this methodology does not seek causes or links but intends to explicate visible practices. It is intended to explicate the social organization of specific discourses that inform work processes of nurses working in remote indigenous communities. The data originated from various sources including spending 2 weeks in a northern remote community shadowing experienced nurses, taking field notes and audio taping interviews with these nurses. One of the two researchers was a northern practice nurse for many years and has had taught in an outpost nursing programme. As part of the process, texts were obtained from the site as data to be incorporated in the analysis. The lived experiences have added to the analytical understanding of the work of nurses in remote areas. Data uncovered documentary practices inherent to the work setting which were then analysed along with the transcribed interviews and field notes derived from the on-site visit. Identifying disjuncture in the discourse of northern nursing and the lived experience of the nurses in this study was central to the research process. The results indicated that the social organization of northern community nursing work required a broad generalist knowledge base for decision making to work effectively within this primary health care setting. The nurse as 'other' and the invisibility of nurses' work of building a trusting relationship with the community is not reflected in the discourse of northern nursing. Trust cannot be quantified or measured yet it is fundamental to working effectively with the community. The nurses in this study saw building trust to promote health and well-being in communities as very important, yet very difficult to achieve. The difficulty in part stems from the constraining, structural, administrative, historical, cultural and political contextual realities that have shaped northern community nursing.

  18. Adapting Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatments in Community Settings: Preliminary Results from a Partnership Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southam-Gerow, Michael A.; Hourigan, Shannon E.; Allin, Robert B., Jr.

    2009-01-01

    This article describes the application of a university-community partnership model to the problem of adapting evidence-based treatment approaches in a community mental health setting. Background on partnership research is presented, with consideration of methodological and practical issues related to this kind of research. Then, a rationale for…

  19. Economic impact of converting an interventional pain medicine physician office-based practice into a provider-based ambulatory pain practice.

    PubMed

    Grider, Jay S; Findley, Kelley A; Higdon, Courtney; Curtright, Jonathan; Clark, Don P

    2014-01-01

    One consequence of the shifting economic health care landscape is the growing trend of physician employment and practice acquisition by hospitals. These acquired practices are often converted into hospital- or provider-based clinics. This designation brings the increased services of the hospital, the accreditation of the hospital, and a new billing structure verses the private clinic (the combination of the facility and professional fee billing). One potential concern with moving to a provider-based designation is that this new structure might make the practice less competitive in a marketplace that may still be dominated by private physician office-based practices. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of the provider-based/hospital fee structure on clinical volume. Determine the effect of transition to a hospital- or provider-based practice setting (with concomitant cost implications) on patient volume in the current practice milieu.   Community hospital-based academic interventional pain medicine practice. Economic analysis of effect of change in price structure on clinical volumes. The current study evaluates the effect of a change in designation with price implications on the demand for clinical services that accompany the transition to a hospital-based practice setting from a physician office setting in an academic community hospital. Clinical volumes of both procedures and clinic volumes increased in a mature practice setting following transition to a provider-based designation and the accompanying facility and professional fee structure. Following transition to a provider-based designation clinic visits were increased 24% while procedural volume demand did not change. Single practice entity and single geographic location in southeastern United States. The conversion to a hospital- or provider-based setting does not negatively impact clinical volume and referrals to community-based pain medicine practice. These results imply that factors other than price are a driver of patient choice.  

  20. Rehabilitation goal setting with community dwelling adults with acquired brain injury: a theoretical framework derived from clinicians' reflections on practice.

    PubMed

    Prescott, Sarah; Fleming, Jennifer; Doig, Emmah

    2017-06-11

    The aim of this study was to explore clinicians' experiences of implementing goal setting with community dwelling clients with acquired brain injury, to develop a goal setting practice framework. Grounded theory methodology was employed. Clinicians, representing six disciplines across seven services, were recruited and interviewed until theoretical saturation was achieved. A total of 22 clinicians were interviewed. A theoretical framework was developed to explain how clinicians support clients to actively engage in goal setting in routine practice. The framework incorporates three phases: a needs identification phase, a goal operationalisation phase, and an intervention phase. Contextual factors, including personal and environmental influences, also affect how clinicians and clients engage in this process. Clinicians use additional strategies to support clients with impaired self-awareness. These include structured communication and metacognitive strategies to operationalise goals. For clients with emotional distress, clinicians provide additional time and intervention directed at new identity development. The goal setting practice framework may guide clinician's understanding of how to engage in client-centred goal setting in brain injury rehabilitation. There is a predilection towards a client-centred goal setting approach in the community setting, however, contextual factors can inhibit implementation of this approach. Implications for Rehabilitation The theoretical framework describes processes used to develop achievable client-centred goals with people with brain injury. Building rapport is a core strategy to engage clients with brain injury in goal setting. Clients with self-awareness impairment benefit from additional metacognitive strategies to participate in goal setting. Clients with emotional distress may need additional time for new identity development.

  1. Treat and Teach Our Students Well: College Mental Health and Collaborative Campus Communities.

    PubMed

    Downs, Nancy S; Alderman, Tracy; Schneiber, Katharina; Swerdlow, Neal R

    2016-09-01

    This article presents a selective review of best practices for the psychiatric care of college student populations. It describes psychiatric advances in evidence-based practice for college students and offers a brief compendium for college health practitioners. College mental health services are delivered in a specialized milieu, designed to address many of the unique needs of college students and to support their successful scholastic advancement and graduation. Practical steps for implementing these best practices within the college community setting are identified, with a focus on the initial student evaluation, risk assessment, treatment planning and goal setting, and steps to optimize academic functioning during psychopharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment. At the center of these practices is the use of a collaborative team and psychoeducation that engages students to actively learn about their mental health. By applying common sense and evidence-based practices within interdisciplinary and student-centered services, college communities can effectively meet the mental health needs of their students and empower them to reach their educational goals.

  2. Constructing Vocational Knowledge: History, Communities and Ontogeny.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Billett, Stephen

    1996-01-01

    Using a Vygotskian framework it is claimed that social practices influence mental functions, and thus vocational knowledge is shaped by history, community, and ontogeny. Key elements of practice are shaped by context, so there is no guarantee that transfer to another setting will occur. (SK)

  3. Intersections of Critical Systems Thinking and Community Based Participatory Research: A Learning Organization Example with the Autistic Community

    PubMed Central

    Raymaker, Dora M

    2016-01-01

    Critical systems thinking (CST) and community based participatory research (CBPR) are distinct approaches to inquiry which share a primary commitment to holism and human emancipation, as well as common grounding in critical theory and emancipatory and pragmatic philosophy. This paper explores their intersections and complements on a historical, philosophical, and theoretical level, and then proposes a hybrid approach achieved by applying CBPR's principles and considerations for operationalizing emancipatory practice to traditional systems thinking frameworks and practices. This hybrid approach is illustrated in practice with examples drawn from of the implementation of the learning organization model in an action research setting with the Autistic community. Our experience of being able to actively attend to, and continuously equalize, power relations within an organizational framework that otherwise has great potential for reinforcing power inequity suggests CBPR's principles and considerations for operationalizing emancipatory practice could be useful in CST settings, and CST's vocabulary, methods, and clarity around systems thinking concepts could be valuable to CBPR practioners. PMID:27833398

  4. Intersections of Critical Systems Thinking and Community Based Participatory Research: A Learning Organization Example with the Autistic Community.

    PubMed

    Raymaker, Dora M

    2016-10-01

    Critical systems thinking (CST) and community based participatory research (CBPR) are distinct approaches to inquiry which share a primary commitment to holism and human emancipation, as well as common grounding in critical theory and emancipatory and pragmatic philosophy. This paper explores their intersections and complements on a historical, philosophical, and theoretical level, and then proposes a hybrid approach achieved by applying CBPR's principles and considerations for operationalizing emancipatory practice to traditional systems thinking frameworks and practices. This hybrid approach is illustrated in practice with examples drawn from of the implementation of the learning organization model in an action research setting with the Autistic community. Our experience of being able to actively attend to, and continuously equalize, power relations within an organizational framework that otherwise has great potential for reinforcing power inequity suggests CBPR's principles and considerations for operationalizing emancipatory practice could be useful in CST settings, and CST's vocabulary, methods, and clarity around systems thinking concepts could be valuable to CBPR practioners.

  5. Supporting breast-feeding when a woman is homeless.

    PubMed

    Crespo-Fierro, Michele; Lunney, Margaret

    2011-01-01

    This case study demonstrates use of standardized nursing languages in the care of new mothers in community settings. The author collected data from clinical practice as an instructor in a baccalaureate nursing program and from the research literature. The appropriate nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and interventions were identified in partnership with the new mother. This case shows that NANDA International (NANDA-I), the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC) are useful to direct nursing care in community settings. When teaching nursing students in a baccalaureate program, nurse faculty can use NANDA-I, NOC, and NIC classifications to guide the growing practice of nursing students in community settings. © 2011, The Authors. International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications © 2011, NANDA International.

  6. Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Relating to Hazardous Alcohol Use across the Continuum of Care in a Community Healthcare Centre

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kishore, Vimal; Lynch, Sara; Pichon, Jamilia; Theall, Katherine; Johnson, Sandy; Roberson, Emily; Hinton, Susan

    2011-01-01

    Alcohol screening and intervention in community health settings places a great time demand on practitioners. Thus, implementation of practitioner-delivered intervention is challenging. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of incorporating a brief alcohol intervention into daily practices of a community health care centre by…

  7. Alcohol management practices in community football clubs: Association with risky drinking at the club and overall hazardous alcohol consumption.

    PubMed

    Rowland, Bosco; Tindall, Jenny; Wolfenden, Luke; Gillham, Karen; Ramsden, Robyn; Wiggers, John

    2015-07-01

    Across the world, it has been estimated that approximately 270 million people participate in community football clubs. However, the community sports club setting is associated with high levels of risky alcohol consumption. The study examined if sporting club alcohol management practices are associated with risky consumption of alcohol by club members while at the club, and also whether such consumption is directly and indirectly associated with club member overall hazardous alcohol consumption. Telephone surveys were conducted with a representative from 72 community football clubs in New South Wales, Australia, and 1428 club members. A path and mediation analysis was undertaken to determine the association between 11 club alcohol management practices and member alcohol consumption, at the club and overall hazardous consumption. Three alcohol management practices were associated with an increased probability of risky drinking while at the club: having alcohol promotions; serving intoxicated patrons; and having bar open longer than 4 h. A mediation analyses identified that risky drinking at the club as a result of these three practices was also linked to increase risk in being an overall hazardous drinker. Modifying alcohol management practices in community football clubs has the potential to reduce both risky alcohol consumption by members in this setting and the prevalence of overall hazardous alcohol consumption. Coordinated, multi-strategic interventions are required to support community football clubs to modify their alcohol management practices and hence contribute to reducing the burden of alcohol-related harm in the community. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  8. Impact of an Elective Course in Community and Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Practices on Student Perception of Patient Care

    PubMed Central

    Maguire, Michelle; Bennett, Marialice S.

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To determine the impact of an elective course on students’ perception of opportunities and of their preparedness for patient care in community and ambulatory pharmacy settings. Design. Each course meeting included a lecture and discussion to introduce concepts and active-learning activities to apply concepts to patient care or practice development in a community or ambulatory pharmacy setting. Assessment. A survey was administered to students before and after the course. Descriptive statistics were used to assess student responses to survey questions, and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to analyze the improvement in student responses with an alpha level set at 0.05. Students felt more prepared to provide patient care, develop or improve a clinical service, and effectively communicate recommendations to other health care providers after course completion. Conclusion. This elective course equipped students with the skills necessary to increase their confidence in providing patient care services in community and ambulatory settings. PMID:27168617

  9. Communities of Practice as a Technical Assistance Strategy: A Single-Case Study of State Systems Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linehan, Patrice Cunniff

    2010-01-01

    This study examined how one state approached the integration of policy and practice by forming communities of practice (CoP), defined as groups of people who share a set of problems and interact regularly to solve them (Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002). Policymakers have created strategies known as technical assistance (TA) to bridge the…

  10. Assessment of knowledge and practice of community pharmacy personnel on diabetes mellitus management in Kathmandu district: a cross sectional descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Shrestha, M; Maharjan, R; Prajapati, A; Ghimire, S; Shrestha, N; Banstola, A

    2015-01-01

    Pharmacists are the most reachable healthcare professionals to many chronically ill patients. It has been found that pharmacists see patients with diabetes up to five times more often than any other healthcare provider. Therefore, to provide quality health care to patients it is important that they have appropriate knowledge and practice on diabetes mellitus management. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice of diabetes mellitus management among community pharmacy personnel involved in retail community pharmacies of Kathmandu. Three hundred and fifteen community pharmacies, selected by systematic random sampling were surveyed by using pre-validated self-administered questionnaires. The first set of questionnaire evaluated the community pharmacy personnel's diabetes knowledge based on a pre-validated 20-item questionnaire. The second set of questionnaire documented about the practice of community pharmacy personnel on diabetes mellitus management which contained 22 questions. Data was entered in EPI Data and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. This survey demonstrated that 76.5 % respondents had poor knowledge and 86.4 % had negative practice on diabetes mellitus (DM) management. Only 26.2 % respondents had good knowledge as well as good practice. 31.4 % of respondents had poor knowledge as well as poor practice on DM management. Laws and regulations regarding community pharmacy personnel need to be implemented. There should be more advanced and experiment based training. Additionally, the provision for further education curriculum in pharmacy education should be implemented which should intensively include disease and proper management. Guidelines covering diabetes care should be distributed and implemented throughout community pharmacies.

  11. A Practice-Based Analysis of an Online Strategy Game

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milolidakis, Giannis; Kimble, Chris; Akoumianakis, Demosthenes

    In this paper, we will analyze a massively multiplayer online game in an attempt to identify the elements of practice that enable social interaction and cooperation within the game’s virtual world. Communities of Practice and Activity Theory offer the theoretical lens for identifying and understanding what constitutes practice within the community and how such practice is manifest and transmitted during game play. Our analysis suggests that in contrast to prevalent perceptions of practice as being textually mediated, in virtual settings it is framed as much in social interactions as in processes, artifacts and the tools constituting the ‘linguistic’ domain of the game or the practice the gaming community is about.

  12. Aligning Community Engagement With Traditional Authority Structures in Global Health Research: A Case Study From Northern Ghana

    PubMed Central

    Tindana, Paulina O.; Rozmovits, Linda; Boulanger, Renaud F.; Bandewar, Sunita V. S.; Aborigo, Raymond A.; Hodgson, Abraham V. O.; Kolopack, Pamela

    2011-01-01

    Despite the recognition of its importance, guidance on community engagement practices for researchers remains underdeveloped, and there is little empirical evidence of what makes community engagement effective in biomedical research. We chose to study the Navrongo Health Research Centre in northern Ghana because of its well-established community engagement practices and because of the opportunity it afforded to examine community engagement in a traditional African setting. Our findings suggest that specific preexisting features of the community have greatly facilitated community engagement and that using traditional community engagement mechanisms limits the social disruption associated with research conducted by outsiders. Finally, even in seemingly ideal, small, and homogeneous communities, cultural issues exist, such as gender inequities, that may not be effectively addressed by traditional practices alone. PMID:21852635

  13. Evidence-Based Implementation: The Role of Sustained Community-Based Practice and Research Partnerships

    PubMed Central

    Kilbourne, Amy M.; Neumann, Mary Spink; Waxmonsky, Jeanette; Bauer, Mark S.; Kim, Hyungin Myra; Pincus, Harold Alan; Thomas, Marshall

    2017-01-01

    This column describes a process for adapting an evidence-based practice in community clinics in which researchers and community providers participated and the resulting framework for implementation of the practice—Replicating Effective Programs–Facilitation. A two-day meeting for the Recovery-Oriented Collaborative Care study was conducted to elicit input from more than 50 stakeholders, including community providers, health care administrators, and implementation researchers. The process illustrates an effective researcher-community partnership in which stakeholders worked together not only to adapt the evidence-based practice to the needs of the clinical settings but also to develop the implementation strategy. PMID:22388527

  14. Developing an Interventional Pulmonary Service in a Community-Based Private Practice: A Case Study.

    PubMed

    French, Kim D; Desai, Neeraj R; Diamond, Edward; Kovitz, Kevin L

    2016-04-01

    Interventional pulmonology (IP) is a field that uses minimally invasive techniques to diagnose, treat, and palliate advanced lung disease. Technology, formal training, and reimbursement for IP procedures have been slow to catch up with other interventional subspecialty areas. A byproduct of this pattern has been limited IP integration in private practice settings. We describe the key aspects and programmatic challenges of building an IP program in a community-based setting. A philosophical and financial buy-in by stakeholders and a regionalization of services, within and external to a larger practice, are crucial to success. Our experience demonstrates that a successful launch of an IP program increases overall visits as well as procedural volume without cannibalizing existing practice volume. We hope this might encourage others to provide this valuable service to their own communities. Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Beliefs and implementation of evidence-based practice among community health nurses: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Filipa; Pellaux, Victoria; Verloo, Henk

    2018-03-08

    To describe beliefs about evidence-based practice and record levels of implementation among community health nurses working independently and in community healthcare centres in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. In many settings, evidence-based practice is considered a key means of delivering better and secure health care. However, there is a paucity of published studies on the implementation of evidence-based practice in community health care. Cross-sectional descriptive study (n = 100). Beliefs about evidence-based practice and levels of implementation were measured using validated scales developed by Melnyk et al. (Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 5, 2008, 208). Information on respondents' sociodemographic and professional characteristics was collected. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The final response rate was 32.3% (n = 100). More than half of respondents had previously heard about evidence-based practice; most believed in the value of using evidence to guide their practice and were prepared to improve their skills to be able to do so. However, the rate of implementation of evidence-based practice in daily practice in the 8 weeks before the survey was poor. Statistically significant positive associations were found between beliefs about evidence-based practice and how respondents had heard about it and between implementation rates and whether they had heard about evidence-based practice and how they had done so. Evidence-based practices requiring scientific knowledge and skills were implemented less frequently. Greater professional community healthcare experience and management roles did not increase implementation of evidence-based practice. The systematic implementation of evidence-based practice by community health nurses working independently and in healthcare centres in Valais was rare, despite their positive beliefs about it. These results revealed the level of implementation of evidence-based practice by nurses in community healthcare settings in Valais. Further research is required to better understand their needs and expectations and to develop suitable strategies that will allow the integration of evidence-based practice into nurses' daily practice. © 2018 The Authors Journal of Clinical Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Implementing a framework for goal setting in community based stroke rehabilitation: a process evaluation.

    PubMed

    Scobbie, Lesley; McLean, Donald; Dixon, Diane; Duncan, Edward; Wyke, Sally

    2013-05-24

    Goal setting is considered 'best practice' in stroke rehabilitation; however, there is no consensus regarding the key components of goal setting interventions or how they should be optimally delivered in practice. We developed a theory-based goal setting and action planning framework (G-AP) to guide goal setting practice. G-AP has 4 stages: goal negotiation, goal setting, action planning & coping planning and appraisal & feedback. All stages are recorded in a patient-held record. In this study we examined the implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits of G-AP in one community rehabilitation team with people recovering from stroke. G-AP was implemented for 6 months with 23 stroke patients. In-depth interviews with 8 patients and 8 health professionals were analysed thematically to investigate views of its implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits. Case notes of interviewed patients were analysed descriptively to assess the fidelity of G-AP implementation. G-AP was mostly implemented according to protocol with deviations noted at the planning and appraisal and feedback stages. Each stage was felt to make a useful contribution to the overall process; however, in practice, goal negotiation and goal setting merged into one stage and the appraisal and feedback stage included an explicit decision making component. Only two issues were raised regarding G-APs acceptability: (i) health professionals were concerned about the impact of goal non-attainment on patient's well-being (patients did not share their concerns), and (ii) some patients and health professionals found the patient-held record unhelpful. G-AP was felt to have a positive impact on patient goal attainment and professional goal setting practice. Collaborative partnerships between health professionals and patients were apparent throughout the process. G-AP has been perceived as both beneficial and broadly acceptable in one community rehabilitation team; however, implementation of novel aspects of the framework was inconsistent. The regulatory function of goal non-attainment and the importance of creating flexible partnerships with patients have been highlighted. Further development of the G-AP framework, training package and patient held record is required to address the specific issues highlighted by this process evaluation. Further evaluation of G-AP is required across diverse community rehabilitation settings.

  17. Human Subjects Protection: A Source for Ethical Service-Learning Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wendler, Rachael

    2012-01-01

    Human subjects research ethics were developed to ensure responsible conduct when university researchers learn by interacting with community members. As service-learning students also learn by interacting with community members, a similar set of principles may strengthen the ethical practice of service-learning. This article identifies ethical…

  18. Cardiovascular risk assessment of South Asian populations in religious and community settings: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Eastwood, Sophie V; Rait, Greta; Bhattacharyya, Mimi; Nair, Devaki R; Walters, Kate

    2013-08-01

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality, and South Asian groups experience worse outcomes than the general population in the UK. Regular screening for CVD risk factors is recommended, but we do not know the best settings in which to deliver this for ethnically diverse populations. Health promotion in religious and community settings may reduce inequalities in access to cardiovascular preventative health care. To use stakeholders' and attendees' experiences to explore the feasibility and potential impact of cardiovascular risk assessment targeting South Asian groups at religious and community venues and how health checks in these settings might compare with general practice assessments. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used. The settings were two Hindu temples, one mosque and one Bangladeshi community centre in central and north-west London. Twenty-four participants (12 stakeholders and 12 attendees) were purposively selected for interview. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Themes from the data were generated using thematic framework analysis. All attendees reported positive experiences of the assessments. All reported making lifestyle changes after the check, particularly to diet and exercise. Barriers to lifestyle change, e.g. resistance to change from family members, were identified. Advantages of implementing assessments in religious and community settings compared with general practice included accessibility and community encouragement. Disadvantages included reduced privacy, organizational difficulties and lack of follow-up care. Cardiovascular risk assessment in religious and community settings has the potential to trigger lifestyle change in younger participants. These venues should be considered for future health promotional activities.

  19. Parent Perceptions of an Adapted Evidence-Based Practice for Toddlers with Autism in a Community Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Brookman-Frazee, Lauren; Rieth, Sarah R.; Stoner, Julia Trigeiro; Feder, Joshua D.; Searcy, Karyn; Wang, Tiffnay

    2016-01-01

    Although data from parent-implemented Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions have shown positive effects on decreasing core symptoms of autism, there has been limited examination of the effectiveness of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions in community settings. In addition, parent perspectives of their involvement in…

  20. Parent Perceptions of an Adapted Evidence-Based Practice for Toddlers with Autism in a Community Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Brookman-Frazee, Lauren; Rieth, Sarah R.; Stoner, Julia Trigeiro; Feder, Joshua D.; Searcy, Karyn; Wang, Tiffany

    2017-01-01

    Although data from parent-implemented Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions have shown positive effects on decreasing core symptoms of autism, there has been limited examination of the effectiveness of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions in community settings. In addition, parent perspectives of their involvement in…

  1. I Just Do Not Have Time for New Ideas: Resistance, Resonance and Micro-Mobilisation in a Teaching Community of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houghton, Luke; Ruutz, Aaron; Green, Wendy; Hibbins, Ray

    2015-01-01

    There is growing interest in the role Communities of Practice (CoPs) play in continuing professional development of academics. However, very little research has explored how CoP theory is applied in practice in academic settings. Using the concepts of resonance and micro-mobilisation from social movement theory, we explore academic engagement (and…

  2. Employing Policy and Purchasing Levers to Increase the Use of Evidence-Based Practices in Community-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Settings: Reports from Single State Authorities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rieckmann, Traci R.; Kovas, Anne E.; Cassidy, Elaine F.; McCarty, Dennis

    2011-01-01

    State public health authorities are critical to the successful implementation of science based addiction treatment practices by community-based providers. The literature to date, however, lacks examples of state level policy strategies that promote evidence-based practices (EBPs). This mixed-methods study documents changes in two critical…

  3. From Controlled Trial to Community Adoption: The Multisite Translational Community Trial

    PubMed Central

    Murimi, Mary; Gonzalez, Anjelica; Njike, Valentine; Green, Lawrence W.

    2011-01-01

    Methods for translating the findings of controlled trials, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program, into real-world community application have not been clearly defined. A standardized research methodology for making and evaluating such a transition is needed. We introduce the multisite translational community trial (mTCT) as the research analog to the multisite randomized controlled trial. The mTCT is adapted to incorporate the principles and practices of community-based participatory research and the increased relevance and generalizability gained from diverse community settings. The mTCT is a tool designed to bridge the gap between what a clinical trial demonstrates can work in principle and what is needed to make it workable and effective in real-world settings. Its utility could be put to the test, in particular with practice-based research networks such as the Prevention Research Centers. PMID:21680935

  4. Uncovering the features of negotiation in developing the patient-nurse relationship.

    PubMed

    Stoddart, Kathleen; Bugge, Carol

    2012-02-01

    This article describes a study that set out to explore the interaction between patients and nurses in community practice settings, in order to understand the social meanings and understandings brought to the interaction and at play within it. The study used a grounded theory methodology with traditional procedures. Driven by constant comparative analysis, data were collected by non-participant observation and informal and semi-structured interviews in four community health centres. Eighteen patients and 18 registered practice nurses participated. Negotiation was found to be a fundamental process in patient- nurse interaction. Navigation, socio-cultural characteristics and power and control were found to be key properties of negotiation. The negotiation processes for developing understanding required patients and nurses to draw upon social meanings and understandings generated from within and beyond their current interaction. Social meanings and understandings created within and beyond the health-care setting influence negotiation. The developmental nature of negotiation in interaction is an important dimension of the patient- nurse relationship in community practice.

  5. Best practice principles for community-based obesity prevention: development, content and application.

    PubMed

    King, L; Gill, T; Allender, S; Swinburn, B

    2011-05-01

    Best practice in obesity prevention has generally been defined in terms of 'what' needs to be done while neglecting 'how'. A multifaceted definition of best practice, which combines available evidence on what actions to take, with an established process for interpreting this information in a specific community context, provides a more appropriate basis for defining the principles of best practice in community-based obesity prevention. Based on analysis of a range of literature, a preliminary set of principles was drafted and progressively revised through further analyses of published literature and a series of consultations. The framework for best practice principles comprises: community engagement, programme design and planning, evaluation, implementation and sustainability, and governance. Specific principles were formulated within this framework. While many principles were generic, distinctive features of obesity prevention were also covered. The engagement of end-users influenced the design of the formatting of the outputs, which represent three levels of knowledge transfer: detailed evidence summaries, guiding questions for programme planners and a briefer set of questions for simpler communication purposes. The best practice principles provide a valuable mechanism for the translation of existing evidence and experience into the decision-making processes for planning, implementing and evaluating the complex community-based interventions needed for successful obesity prevention. © 2010 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2010 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

  6. [Community vegetable gardens as a health promotion activity: an experience in Primary Healthcare Units].

    PubMed

    Costa, Christiane Gasparini Araújo; Garcia, Mariana Tarricone; Ribeiro, Silvana Maria; Salandini, Marcia Fernanda de Sousa; Bógus, Cláudia Maria

    2015-10-01

    Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) is being practiced in different settings, contributing to the improvement of health in communities and healthier environments. In order to identify the meanings and implications of the practice of UPA in Primary Healthcare Units (PHU) as an activity of health promotion (HP), and to what extent its therapeutic dimension characterizes it as an activity aligned with complementary and integrative practices (CIP), a qualitative cross-sectional study was performed in Embu das Artes, State of São Paulo. From the analysis, the following main themes arose: health concept, health outcomes, the return to traditional practices and habits and the reorientation of health services. It was possible to identify the close link between the cultivation of vegetable gardens and HP guidelines and fields of action, such as creating healthier environments, boosting community actions, developing personal skills, stimulating autonomy and empowerment and demands for the reorientation of services. The garden activities, set up in PHU areas, proved to be an implementation strategy of CIP. The conclusion reached is that vegetable gardening activities in community gardens are seen to be health promotion practices that integrate key elements of CIP.

  7. SciJourn is magic: construction of a science journalism community of practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicholas, Celeste R.

    2017-06-01

    This article is the first to describe the discoursal construction of an adolescent community of practice (CoP) in a non-school setting. CoPs can provide optimal learning environments. The adolescent community centered around science journalism and positioned itself dichotomously in relationship to school literacy practices. The analysis focuses on recordings from a panel-style research interview from an early implementation of the Science Literacy Through Science Journalism (SciJourn) project. Researchers trained high school students participating in a youth development program to write science news articles. Students engaged in the authentic practices of professional science journalists, received feedback from a professional editor, and submitted articles for publication. I used a fine-grained critical discourse analysis of genre, discourse, and style to analyze student responses about differences between writing in SciJourn and in school. Students described themselves as agentic in SciJourn and passive in school, using an academic writing discourse of deficit to describe schooling experiences. They affiliated with and defined a SciJourn CoP, constructing positive journalistic identities therein. Educators are encouraged to develop similar CoPs. The discursive features presented may be used to monitor the development of communities of practice in a variety of settings.

  8. Cross-Cultural Communities of Practice for College Readiness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leonard, Jack

    2014-01-01

    College readiness is a social construct requiring both student and adult preparedness. This paper used a case study methodology to explore how teaching in an early college program might promote adult college readiness in the instructors. A community of practice, enhanced by a co-teaching model, in two separate high school settings under one early…

  9. Infant Feeding Practices: Perceptions of Native American Mothers and Health Paraprofessionals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horodynski, Mildred A; Calcatera, Mary; Carpenter, Amanda

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To ascertain infant feeding practices and to explore the feasibility of an in-home feeding intervention with Native American Indian (NAI) mothers in six Native American communities in the United States (US). Design: Qualitative focus group study. Setting: Six Native American communities in the Midwest region of the United States.…

  10. Blogging through the Music Student Teaching Experience: Developing Virtual Communities of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzpatrick, Kate R.

    2014-01-01

    Within educational settings, well-developed web-based social networking technologies such as interactive weblogs (blogs) can serve to effectively facilitate and mediate interactions among members of a "community of practice" (Chong, 2008; Wenger, White, & Smith, 2009). The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of an…

  11. Say Who You Are, Play Who You Are: Improvisation, Pedagogy, and Youth on the Margins

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Heble, Ajay; Jackson, Rob; Walker, Melissa; Waterman, Ellen

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a research that emerges from a set of community-based outreach activities associated with a large-scale, interdisciplinary project, Improvisation, Community, and Social Practice (ICASP), which focuses on the social and pedagogical implications of improvised musical practices. Working from the premise that musical improvisation…

  12. Assessing diabetes practices in clinical settings: precursor to building community partnerships around disease management.

    PubMed

    Prochaska, John D; Mier, Nelda; Bolin, Jane N; Hora, Kerrie L; Clark, Heather R; Ory, Marcia G

    2009-12-01

    Many recommended best practices exist for clinical and community diabetes management and prevention. However, in many cases, these recommendations are not being fully utilized. It is useful to gain a sense of currently utilized and needed practices when beginning a partnership building effort to ameliorate such practice problems. The purpose of this study was to assess current practices in clinical settings within the Brazos Valley in preparation for beginning a community-based participatory research project on improving diabetes prevention and management in this region. Fifty-seven physicians with admission privileges to a regional health system were faxed a survey related to current diabetes patient loads, knowledge and implementation of diabetes-related best practices, and related topics. Both qualitative and quantitative examination of the data was conducted. Fifteen percent of responding providers indicated they implemented diabetes prevention best practices, with significant differences between primary-care physicians and specialists. Respondents indicated a need for educational and counseling resources, as well as an increased health-care workforce in the region. The utilization of a faxed-based survey proved an effective means for assessing baseline data as well as serving as a catalyst for further discussion around coalition development. Results indicated a strong need for both clinical and community-based services regarding diabetes prevention and management, and provided information and insight to begin focused community dialogue around diabetes prevention and management needs across the region. Other sites seeking to begin similar projects may benefit from a similar process.

  13. Three Cs of Translating Evidence-Based Programs for Youth and Families to Practice Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freire, Kimberley E.; Perkinson, Leah; Morrel-Samuels, Susan; Zimmerman, Marc A.

    2015-01-01

    Despite the growing number of evidence-based programs (EBPs) for youth and families, few are well-integrated in service systems or widely adopted by communities. One set of challenges to widespread adoption of EBPs relates to the transfer of programs from research and development to practice settings. This is often because program developers have…

  14. Value of a regional family practice residency training program site

    PubMed Central

    Fletcher, Sarah; Mullett, Jennifer; Beerman, Steve

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Objective To examine the perceptions of residents, nurses, and physicians about the effect of a regional family practice residency site on the delivery of health services in the community, as well as on the community health care providers. Design Interviews and focus groups were conducted. Setting Nanaimo, BC. Participants A total of 16 residents, 15 nurses, and 20 physicians involved with the family practice residency training program at the Nanaimo site. Methods A series of semistructured interviews and focus groups was conducted. Transcripts of interviews and focus groups were analyzed thematically by the research team. Main findings Overall, participants agreed that having a family practice residency training site in the community contributed to community life and to the delivery of health services in the following ways: increased community capacity and social capital; motivated positive relationships and attitudes in the hospital and community settings; improved communication and teamwork, as well as accessibility and understanding of the health care system; increased the standard of care; and facilitated the recruitment and retention of family physicians. Conclusion This family practice residency training site was beneficial for the community it served. Future planning for distributed medical education sites should take into account the effects of these sites on the health care community and ensure that they continue to be positive influences. Further research in this area could focus on patients’ perceptions of how residency programs affect their care, as well as on the effect of residency programs on wait times and workload for physicians and nurses. PMID:25217693

  15. Exercise and Fall Prevention: Narrowing the Research-to-Practice Gap and Enhancing Integration of Clinical and Community Practice.

    PubMed

    Li, Fuzhong; Eckstrom, Elizabeth; Harmer, Peter; Fitzgerald, Kathleen; Voit, Jan; Cameron, Kathleen A

    2016-02-01

    Falls in older adults are a global public health crisis, but mounting evidence from randomized controlled trials shows that falls can be reduced through exercise. Public health authorities and healthcare professionals endorse the use of evidence-based, exercise-focused fall interventions, but there are major obstacles to translating and disseminating research findings into healthcare practice, including lack of evidence of the transferability of efficacy trial results to clinical and community settings, insufficient local expertise to roll out community exercise programs, and inadequate infrastructure to integrate evidence-based programs into clinical and community practice. The practical solutions highlighted in this article can be used to address these evidence-to-practice challenges. Falls and their associated healthcare costs can be reduced by better integrating research on exercise intervention into clinical practice and community programs. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.

  16. An Essay on Academic Disciplines, Faithfulness, and the Christian Scholar

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gould, Paul

    2014-01-01

    Christian scholars inhabit at least two communities: the community of Christians and the community of scholars. Each community has its own distinctive set of beliefs, practices, and criteria for membership. To avoid incoherence, the Christian scholar seeks to understand the relationship between the two communities. The Christian, we are told, must…

  17. Youth–adult partnership: exploring contributions to empowerment, agency and community connections in Malaysian youth programs.

    PubMed

    Krauss, Steven Eric; Collura, Jessica; Zeldin, Shepherd; Ortega, Adriana; Abdullah, Haslinda; Sulaiman, Abdul Hadi

    2014-09-01

    Youth–adult partnership (Y–AP) has emerged as a key practice for enacting two features of effective developmental settings: supportive adult relationships and support for efficacy and mattering. Previous studies have shown that when youth, supported by adults, actively participate in organizational and community decision making they are likely to show greater confidence and agency, empowerment and critical consciousness, and community connections. Most of the extant research on Y–AP is limited to qualitative studies and the identification of organizational best practices. Almost all research focuses on Western sociocultural settings. To address these gaps, 299 youth, age 15 to 24, were sampled from established afterschool and community programs in Malaysia to explore the contribution of Y–AP (operationalized as having two components: youth voice in decision-making and supportive adult relationships) to empowerment, agency and community connections. As hypothesized, hierarchical regressions indicated that program quality (Y–AP, safe environment and program engagement) contributed to agency, empowerment and community connections beyond the contribution of family, school and religion. Additionally, the Y–AP measures contributed substantially more variance than the other measures of program quality on each outcome. Interaction effects indicated differences by age for empowerment and agency but not for community connections. The primary findings in this inquiry replicate those found in previous interview and observational-oriented studies. The data suggests fertile ground for future research while demonstrating that Y–AP may be an effective practice for positive youth development outside of Western settings.

  18. Pharmacogenomics in diverse practice settings: implementation beyond major metropolitan areas

    PubMed Central

    Dorfman, Elizabeth H; Trinidad, Susan Brown; Morales, Chelsea T; Howlett, Kevin; Burke, Wylie; Woodahl, Erica L

    2015-01-01

    Aim The limited formal study of the clinical feasibility of implementing pharmacogenomic tests has thus far focused on providers at large medical centers in urban areas. Our research focuses on small metropolitan, rural and tribal practice settings. Materials & methods We interviewed 17 healthcare providers in western Montana regarding pharmacogenomic testing. Results Participants were optimistic about the potential of pharmacogenomic tests, but noted unique barriers in small and rural settings including cost, adherence, patient acceptability and testing timeframe. Participants in tribal settings identified heightened sensitivity to genetics and need for community leadership approval as additional considerations. Conclusion Implementation differences in small metropolitan, rural and tribal communities may affect pharmacogenomic test adoption and utilization, potentially impacting many patients. PMID:25712186

  19. Toward Integrated Family Services in Rural Settings: A Summary of Research and Practice. Program Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stoops, Jack W.; Hull, Janis L.

    This report synthesizes research findings with observations of three Pacific Northwest sites attempting service integration in rural settings. At case-study sites in Washington and Oregon, rural schools, communities, and service providers collaborate to deliver services to students and community members suffering from high unemployment, alcohol…

  20. The provision of neuropsychological services in rural/regional settings: professional and ethical issues.

    PubMed

    Allott, Kelly; Lloyd, Susan

    2009-07-01

    Despite rapid growth of the discipline of clinical neuropsychology during recent times, there is limited information regarding the identification and management of professional and ethical issues associated with the practice of neuropsychology within rural settings. The aim of this article is to outline the characteristics unique to practicing neuropsychology in rural communities and to describe the potential professional and ethical dilemmas that might arise. Issues are illustrated using examples from neuropsychological practice in a rural/regional setting in Victoria, Australia. Relative to urban regions, there is an inequality in the distribution of psychologists, including neuropsychologists, in rural areas. The unique characteristics of rural and regional communities that impact on neuropsychological practice are: 1) limited resources in expertise, technology, and community services, 2) greater travel distances and costs, 3) professional isolation, and 4) beliefs about psychological services. These characteristics lower the threshold for particular ethical issues. The ethical issues that require anticipation and careful management include: 1) professional competence, 2) multiple relationships, and 3) confidentiality. Through increased awareness and management of rural-specific professional and ethical issues, rural neuropsychologists can experience their work as rewarding and enjoyable. Specific guidelines for identifying, managing, and resolving ethically and professionally challenging situations that may arise during rural practice are provided.

  1. Proposing Community-Based Learning in the Marketing Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cadwallader, Susan; Atwong, Catherine; Lebard, Aubrey

    2013-01-01

    Community service and service learning (CS&SL) exposes students to the business practice of giving back to society while reinforcing classroom learning in an applied real-world setting. However, does the CS&SL format provide a better means of instilling the benefits of community service among marketing students than community-based…

  2. Interprofessionalism and the Practice of Health Psychology in Hospital and Community: Walking the Bridge Between Here and There.

    PubMed

    Tovian, Steven M

    2016-12-01

    Interprofessionalism is a cornerstone for health care reform and is an important dimension for success for the practice of professional psychology in integrated care settings, whether in academic health centers, ambulatory clinics, or in independent practice. This article examines salient skills that have allowed the author to practice in both primary and tertiary health care settings, as well as in academic health centers and independent community practice. The scientist practitioner model of professional psychology has served to guide the author as a "roadmap" for successful collaborative, integrated care in the changing health care environment. The author emphasizes that marketing of health services in professional psychology is crucial for achieving the goals of interprofessionalism, and to secure a role for professional psychology in health care reform. Future challenges to psychology in health care are discussed with implications for training and practice.

  3. Using qualitative insights to change practice: exploring the culture of antibiotic prescribing and consumption for urinary tract infections

    PubMed Central

    Duane, Sinead; Domegan, Christine; Callan, Aoife; Galvin, Sandra; Cormican, Martin; Bennett, Kathleen; Murphy, Andrew W

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The aim of this paper is to explore the culture of antibiotic prescribing and consumption in the community for urinary tract infections (UTI) from the perspective of the general practitioners (GPs) and community member. Design Indepth interviews were conducted with GPs, and focus groups were held with community members. Setting General practice and community setting. Participants 15 GPs practising in rural and urban locations in Ireland participated in the indepth interviews. 6 focus groups (n=42) with participants who had direct or indirect experiences with UTI were also undertaken. Results The decision to prescribe or consume an antibiotic for a UTI is a set of complex processes including need recognition, information search and evaluation processes governed by the relationship and interactions between the GP and the patient. Different GP and patient decision-making profiles emerged emphasising the diversity and variety of general practice in real-life settings. The GP findings showed a requirement for more microbiological information on antibiotic resistance patterns to inform prescribing decisions. Focus group participants wanted a conversation with the GP about their illness and the treatment options available. Conclusions Collectively, this research identified the consultation as a priority intervention environment for stimulating change in relation to antibiotics. This paper demonstrates how qualitative research can identify the interacting processes which are instrumental to the decision to prescribe or consume an antibiotic for a suspected UTI. Qualitative research empowers researchers to investigate the what, how and why of interventions in real-life setting. Qualitative research can play a critical and instrumental role in designing behavioural change strategies with high impact on practice. The results of this research were used to design a complex intervention informed by social marketing. Trial registration number NCT01913860; Pre-results. PMID:26754175

  4. A community-based partnership collaborative practice agreement project to teach innovation in care delivery.

    PubMed

    Hohmeier, Kenneth C; Spivey, Christina A; Chisholm-Burns, Marie

    2017-05-01

    To explore students' perceptions (self-assessment) of their preparedness to develop collaborative practice agreements (CPAs) before and after delivery of one CPA-focused classroom lectures and 2) a CPA development student project in partnership with a local community-based pharmacy. A CPA-focused didactic lecture and subsequent project were given to second-year (P2) pharmacy students enrolled in a community pharmacy elective course at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. Pre- and post-surveys were administered using an online survey platform to assess student perceptions. Responses for each survey question were summarized using frequencies, and chi-square analysis was conducted to assess the association between pre- and post-scores on each question. Students were significantly more likely to rate themselves as prepared or completely prepared to develop a CPA in a community pharmacy setting (χ 2 =61.21, p<0.01) after the course and project. Students also noted that they felt they were prepared or very prepared to work within a team to develop and implement a CPA in a community pharmacy setting (χ 2 =37.60, p<0.01). This study demonstrated that a didactic classroom lecture series followed by a student project partnered with a local community pharmacy improved perceived knowledge, preparedness, and ability to implement CPAs in a community pharmacy. Through intentional exposure of students to scope-of-practice expanding opportunities like CPAs, pharmacy educators can potentially accelerate the evolution of community pharmacy practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Going Green Doesn't Have to Be Sexy: Lakeland Community College's Practical Approach to Addressing Energy Conservation and Sustainability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayher, Michael E.

    2010-01-01

    Lakeland Community College is recognized for its energy conservation leadership in Ohio and nationally. The college's program will detail the practical, incremental approach taken in Lakeland's "Energy Journey." Setting the standard statewide, that journey recently resulted in a sustainable, guaranteed reduction of energy use by 40%.

  6. Collaborativeness as the Core of Professional Learning Communities beyond Culture and Context: Evidence from Canada, Finland, and Israel

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jäppinen, Aini-Kristiina; Leclerc, Martine; Tubin, Dorit

    2016-01-01

    Professional learning communities (PLC) have been widely accepted as effective with respect to good atmosphere, adequate leadership practices, and functional working practices. However, the outcomes for school improvement depend on case-specific issues. To identify less culturally and contextually bound issues in 3 PLC settings in Canada, Finland,…

  7. Cultivating the Spatial Politics of Community-Based Literacy Practices in Hip-Hop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prier, Darius D.

    2013-01-01

    In this article, the social imagination of community-based sites of urban resistance enable out-of-school literacy practices in Black popular culture to foreground the contemporary context in which youth empowerment is nurtured in out-of-school learning settings. Second, the author chronicles how youth advocates in hip-hop--based community…

  8. Community-Based Financial Literacy Education in a Cultural Context: A Study of Teacher Beliefs and Pedagogical Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tisdell, Elizabeth J.; Taylor, Edward W.; Forte, Karin Sprow

    2013-01-01

    This article presents the findings related to teaching beliefs and pedagogical practices of a study that examined how financial literacy educators educate adults from underserved population groups in community-based settings. The study is theoretically framed in the teaching beliefs and culturally responsive education literature. Findings reveal a…

  9. Novel Setting for Addressing Tobacco-Related Disparities: A Survey of Community Welfare Organization Smoking Policies, Practices and Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonevski, B.; O'Brien, J.; Frost, S.; Yiow, L.; Oakes, W.; Barker, D.

    2013-01-01

    Research in the United States and Australia acknowledges the potential of non-government social and community service organizations (SCSOs) for reaching socially disadvantaged smokers. This study aimed to describe SCSO smoking policies and practices, and attitudes of senior staff towards smoking and cessation. It also investigated factors…

  10. Nurse Education and Communities of Practice. Researching Professional Education Research Reports Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burkitt, Ian; Husband, Charles; Mackenzie, Jennifer; Torn, Alison

    The processes whereby nurses develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver individualized and holistic care were examined in a 2-year study of nurses in a range of clinical settings and a university department of nursing in England. Members of two research teams of qualified nurses joined various communities of nursing practice as…

  11. Public-academic partnerships: research in community mental health settings: a practicum experience for researchers.

    PubMed

    Miller, Alexander L; Lopez, Linda; Gonzalez, Jodi M; Dassori, Albana; Bond, Gary; Velligan, Dawn

    2008-11-01

    Applying research findings to community mental health practices is slowed by provider concerns that research participants often differ from community populations in duration of illness, comorbid conditions, and illness severity. Selecting participants from community settings makes research results demonstrably relevant, but researchers and community providers can be mistrustful of one another, feeling that the other has little understanding of their needs and work. This mistrust impedes patient referrals for research. This column describes a program to increase researcher knowledge of community clinic procedures through structured interactions with clinic personnel. Follow-up interviews indicate improved attitudes and cooperation of researchers and community providers.

  12. Empowering Students through Service-Learning in a Community Psychology Course: A Case in Hong Kong

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Kevin; Ng, Eddie; Chan, Charles C.

    2016-01-01

    This article chronicles a service-learning (SL) subject on community psychology in Hong Kong (n = 26) and elaborates on how students experience concepts, frameworks, and values in community psychology and put them into practice at servicelearning settings. Upon acquiring basic concepts in community psychology, including sense of community,…

  13. Restorative Practices in the Collegiate Student Conduct Process: A Qualitative Analysis of Student Conduct Administrators' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mikus, Robert L.

    2014-01-01

    Restorative justice philosophy and practices have been utilized in a variety of settings. Legislative reform prompted their application in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. They have also been utilized in employment, education, civic, human services and community settings. While their integration in elementary, intermediate and secondary…

  14. Rural physician assistants: a survey of graduates of MEDEX Northwest.

    PubMed Central

    Larson, E H; Hart, L G; Hummel, J

    1994-01-01

    Graduates of MEDEX Northwest, the physician assistant training program at the University of Washington, were surveyed to describe differences between physician assistants practicing in rural settings and those practicing in urban settings. Differences in demography, satisfaction with practice and community, practice history, and practice content were explored. Of the 341 traceable graduates, 295 (86.5 percent) responded to the mail survey. Although rural- and urban-practicing physician assistants are remarkably similar in most respects--income, hours worked, levels of practice satisfaction, for example--those in rural primary care reported performing a much wider range of medical and administrative tasks than those in urban practice. Half of the physician assistants who grew up in small towns were practicing in rural places compared with 18 percent of those from large towns. The broader scope of practice available to primary care physician assistants in rural areas may be of particular interest to those considering rural careers, to people who train physician assistants, and to rural communities trying to recruit and retain physician assistants. Results also suggest that recruitment of students for rural practice should focus on rural residents. Some problems that rural practitioners are more likely to face than urban ones, such as unreasonable night call schedules and lack of acknowledgement and respect for them as professionals, need to be addressed if rural communities are to be able to attract and retain physician assistants. PMID:7908746

  15. Factors influencing the current practice of self-medication consultations in Eastern Indonesian community pharmacies: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Brata, Cecilia; Fisher, Colleen; Marjadi, Brahmaputra; Schneider, Carl R; Clifford, Rhonda M

    2016-05-13

    Research has shown that the current practice of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in Indonesia is suboptimal. To improve the performance of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in community pharmacies, the factors that influence current practice need to be understood. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence current practice of pharmacy staff when handling self-medication consultations in Eastern Indonesian community pharmacies. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy owners, and counter attendants. Thematic analysis was used to generate findings. The current practice of pharmacy staff when handling self-medication consultations is directly influenced by the professionalism of pharmacy staff and patient responses to the consultations. These factors are in turn affected by the organisational context of the pharmacy and the external pharmacy environment. The organisational context of the pharmacy includes staffing, staff affordability, and the availability of time and facilities in which to provide consultations. The external pharmacy environment includes the number of trained pharmacy staff in the research setting, the relevance of pharmacy education to the needs of pharmacy practice, the support offered by the Indonesian Pharmacists Association, a competitive business environment, and the policy environment. Complex and inter-related factors influence the current practice of pharmacy staff when providing self-medication consultations in community pharmacies in this research setting. Multiple strategies will be required to improve consultation practices.

  16. Organizing a Community Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience

    PubMed Central

    Koenigsfeld, Carrie Foust; Tice, Angela L

    2006-01-01

    Setting up a community advanced pharmacy practice experience can be an overwhelming task for many pharmacy preceptors. This article provides guidance to pharmacist preceptors in developing a complete and effective community advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). When preparing for the APPE, initial discussions with the college or school of pharmacy are key. Benefits, training, and requirements should be addressed. Site preparation, including staff education, will assist in the development process. The preceptor should plan orientation day activities and determine appropriate evaluation and feedback methods. With thorough preparation, the APPE will be rewarding for both the student and the pharmacy site. PMID:17136163

  17. Organizing a community advanced pharmacy practice experience.

    PubMed

    Koenigsfeld, Carrie Foust; Tice, Angela L

    2006-02-15

    Setting up a community advanced pharmacy practice experience can be an overwhelming task for many pharmacy preceptors. This article provides guidance to pharmacist preceptors in developing a complete and effective community advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE). When preparing for the APPE, initial discussions with the college or school of pharmacy are key. Benefits, training, and requirements should be addressed. Site preparation, including staff education, will assist in the development process. The preceptor should plan orientation day activities and determine appropriate evaluation and feedback methods. With thorough preparation, the APPE will be rewarding for both the student and the pharmacy site.

  18. Comparative Initial and Sustained Engagement in Web-based Training by Behavioral Healthcare Providers in New York State.

    PubMed

    Talley, Rachel; Chiang, I-Chin; Covell, Nancy H; Dixon, Lisa

    2018-06-01

    Improved dissemination is critical to implementation of evidence-based practice in community behavioral healthcare settings. Web-based training modalities are a promising strategy for dissemination of evidence-based practice in community behavioral health settings. Initial and sustained engagement of these modalities in large, multidisciplinary community provider samples is not well understood. This study evaluates comparative engagement and user preferences by provider type in a web-based training platform in a large, multidisciplinary community sample of behavioral health staff in New York State. Workforce make-up among platform registrants was compared to the general NYS behavioral health workforce. Training completion by functional job type was compared to characterize user engagement and preferences. Frequently completed modules were classified by credit and requirement incentives. High initial training engagement across professional role was demonstrated, with significant differences in initial and sustained engagement by professional role. The most frequently completed modules across functional job types contained credit or requirement incentives. The analysis demonstrated that high engagement of a web-based training in a multidisciplinary provider audience can be achieved without tailoring content to specific professional roles. Overlap between frequently completed modules and incentives suggests a role for incentives in promoting engagement of web-based training. These findings further the understanding of strategies to promote large-scale dissemination of evidence-based practice in community behavioral health settings.

  19. Intraprofessional Practice Education using a community partnership model.

    PubMed

    Hoffart, Caroline; Kuster-Orban, Cindy; Spooner, Crystal; Neudorf, Kim

    2013-02-01

    The Intraprofessional Practice Education (IPE) pilot project was designed to increase the number of high-quality practice education settings and to develop intraprofessional learning opportunities for nursing students from three different prelicensure programs. Students from the licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, and registered psychiatric nurse programs shared their practice education experience concurrently in a rural First Nations community. This project's framework, the Partnership Model for Community Health Nursing Education (PMCHNE), is described and includes an explanation of the planning and coordination that occurred prior to implementation of the pilot project. Various student practice education and cultural experiences are highlighted, and the results from the project's evaluation are discussed, including the utility of the PMCHNE and the benefits and challenges associated with implementing an IPE experience. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  20. Comparison of Rate of Utilization of Medicare Services in Private Versus Academic Cardiology Practice.

    PubMed

    Hovanesyan, Arsen; Rubio, Eduardo; Novak, Eric; Budoff, Matthew; Rich, Michael W

    2017-11-15

    Cardiovascular services are the third largest source of Medicare spending. We examined the rate of cardiovascular service utilization in the community of Glendale, CA, compared with the nearest academic medical center, the University of Southern California. Publicly available utilization data released by Medicare for the years 2012 and 2013 were used to identify all inpatient and outpatient cardiology services provided in each practice setting. The analysis included 19 private and 17 academic cardiologists. In unadjusted analysis, academic physicians performed half as many services per Medicare beneficiary per year as those in private practice: 2.3 versus 4.8, p <0.001. Other factors associated with higher utilization included male physician, international (vs US) medical school graduate, interventional (vs general) cardiologist, and more years in practice. Factors independently associated with higher utilization rates by multivariable analysis included private practice setting (odds ratio [OR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30 to 2.61, p <0.001), male physician (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.67, p = 0.049), and international medical school graduate (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.78, p = 0.014). In conclusion, in this analysis of 2 cardiology practice settings in southern California, medical service utilization per Medicare beneficiary was nearly 2-fold higher in private practice than in the academic setting, suggesting that there may be opportunity for substantially reducing costs of cardiology care in the community setting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Learning and Literacy in an Online Gaming Community: Examples of Participatory Practices in a Sims Affinity Space

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Yoonhee Naseef

    2012-01-01

    The goal of this research was to understand the different kinds of learning that take place in "Mod The Sims" (MTS), an online "Sims" gaming community. The study aimed to explore users' experiences and to understand learning practices that are not commonly observed in formal educational settings. To achieve this goal, the…

  2. The Intelcities Community of Practice: The Capacity-Building, Co-Design, Evaluation, and Monitoring of E-Government Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deakin, Mark; Lombardi, Patrizia; Cooper, Ian

    2011-01-01

    The paper examines the IntelCities Community of Practice (CoP) supporting the development of the organization's capacity-building, co-design, monitoring, and evaluation of e-government services. It begins by outlining the IntelCities CoP and goes on to set out the integrated model of electronically enhanced government (e-government) services…

  3. Managing a New Collaborative Entity in Business Organizations: Understanding Organizational Communities of Practice Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirkman, Bradley L.; Mathieu, John E.; Cordery, John L.; Rosen, Benson; Kukenberger, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Companies worldwide are turning to organizational communities of practice (OCoPs) as vehicles to generate learning and enhance organizational performance. OCoPs are defined as groups of employees who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic and who strengthen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on a consistent basis.…

  4. Becoming a Physicist: How Identities and Practices Shape Physics Trajectories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quan, Gina M.

    This dissertation studies the relationships and processes which shape students' participation within the discipline of physics. Studying this early disciplinary participation gives insight to how students are supported in or pushed out of physics, which is an important step in cultivating a diverse set of physics students. This research occurs within two learning environments that we co-developed: a physics camp for high school girls and a seminar for undergraduate physics majors to get started in physics research. Using situated learning theory, we conceptualized physics learning to be intertwined with participation in physics practices and identity development. This theoretical perspective draws our attention to relationships between students and the physics community. Specifically, we study how students come to engage in the practices of the community and who they are within the physics community. We find that students' interactions with faculty and peers impact the extent to which students engage in authentic physics practices. These interactions also impact the extent to which students develop identities as physicists. We present implications of these findings for the design of physics learning spaces. Understanding this process of how students become members of the physics community will provide valuable insights into fostering a diverse set of successful trajectories in physics.

  5. A cohort study of influences, health outcomes and costs of patients' health-seeking behaviour for minor ailments from primary and emergency care settings.

    PubMed

    Watson, M C; Ferguson, J; Barton, G R; Maskrey, V; Blyth, A; Paudyal, V; Bond, C M; Holland, R; Porteous, T; Sach, T H; Wright, D; Fielding, S

    2015-02-18

    To compare health-related and cost-related outcomes of consultations for symptoms suggestive of minor ailments in emergency departments (EDs), general practices and community pharmacies. Observational study; prospective cohort design. EDs (n=2), general practices (n=6) and community pharmacies (n=10) in a mix of rural/urban and deprived/affluent areas across North East Scotland and East Anglia. Participants Adults (≥18 years) presenting between 09:00 and 18:00 (Monday-Friday) in general practices and 09:00-18:00 (Monday-Saturday) in pharmacies and EDs with ≥1 of the following: musculoskeletal pain; eye discomfort; gastrointestinal disturbance; or upper respiratory tract-related symptoms. Participants completed three questionnaires: baseline (prior to index consultation); satisfaction with index consultation and follow-up (2 weeks after index consultation). Symptom resolution, quality of life, costs, satisfaction and influences on care-seeking behaviour. 377 patients participated, recruited from EDs (81), general practices (162) and community pharmacies (134). The 2-week response rate was 70% (264/377). Symptom resolution was similar across all three settings: ED (37.3%), general practice (35.7%) and pharmacy (44.3%). Mean overall costs per consultation were significantly lower for pharmacy (£29.30 (95% CI £21.60 to £37.00)) compared with general practice (£82.34 (95% CI £63.10 to £101.58)) and ED (£147.09 (95% CI £125.32 to £168.85)). Satisfaction varied across settings and by measure used. Compared with pharmacy and general practice use, ED use was significantly (p<0.001) associated with first episode and short duration of symptom(s), as well as higher levels of perceived seriousness and urgency for seeking care. Convenience of location was the most common reason for choice of consultation setting. These results suggest similar health-related outcomes and substantially lower costs with pharmacy consultations for minor ailments. Effective strategies are now needed to shift demand for minor ailment management away from EDs and general practices to the community pharmacy setting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  6. Improving School Practices Through Public Communication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gleason, Thomas P.; Rankine, Fred C.

    The principal objectives of this study were to assist school personnel and community members in the Botwood School zone to assess perceived problems, and to study and clarify communication networks existing between school and community. Two isolated, semirural, coastal communities in central Newfoundland, Canada, provided the experimental setting.…

  7. [Effects of agricultural practices on community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural ecosystem: a review].

    PubMed

    Sheng, Ping-Ping; Li, Min; Liu, Run-Jin

    2011-06-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are rich in diversity in agricultural ecosystem, playing a vital role based on their unique community structure. Host plants and environmental factors have important effects on AM fungal community structure, so do the agricultural practices which deserve to pay attention to. This paper summarized the research advances in the effects of agricultural practices such as irrigation, fertilization, crop rotation, intercropping, tillage, and pesticide application on AM fungal community structure, analyzed the related possible mechanisms, discussed the possible ways in improving AM fungal community structure in agricultural ecosystem, and put forward a set of countermeasures, i.e., improving fertilization system and related integrated techniques, increasing plant diversity in agricultural ecosystem, and inoculating AM fungi, to enhance the AM fungal diversity in agricultural ecosystem. The existing problems in current agricultural practices and further research directions were also proposed.

  8. Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Using a Web-Based Interactive Decision Aid for Colorectal Cancer Screening in Community Practice Settings: Findings From Focus Groups With Primary Care Clinicians and Medical Office Staff

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Information is lacking about the capacity of those working in community practice settings to utilize health information technology for colorectal cancer screening. Objective To address this gap we asked those working in community practice settings to share their perspectives about how the implementation of a Web-based patient-led decision aid might affect patient-clinician conversations about colorectal cancer screening and the day-to-day clinical workflow. Methods Five focus groups in five community practice settings were conducted with 8 physicians, 1 physician assistant, and 18 clinic staff. Focus groups were organized using a semistructured discussion guide designed to identify factors that mediate and impede the use of a Web-based decision aid intended to clarify patient preferences for colorectal cancer screening and to trigger shared decision making during the clinical encounter. Results All physicians, the physician assistant, and 8 of the 18 clinic staff were active participants in the focus groups. Clinician and staff participants from each setting reported a belief that the Web-based patient-led decision aid could be an informative and educational tool; in all but one setting participants reported a readiness to recommend the tool to patients. The exception related to clinicians from one clinic who described a preference for patients having fewer screening choices, noting that a colonoscopy was the preferred screening modality for patients in their clinic. Perceived barriers to utilizing the Web-based decision aid included patients’ lack of Internet access or low computer literacy, and potential impediments to the clinics’ daily workflow. Expanding patients’ use of an online decision aid that is both easy to access and understand and that is utilized by patients outside of the office visit was described as a potentially efficient means for soliciting patients’ screening preferences. Participants described that a system to link the online decision aid to a computerized reminder system could promote a better understanding of patients’ screening preferences, though some expressed concern that such a system could be difficult to keep up and running. Conclusions Community practice clinicians and staff perceived the Web-based decision aid technology as promising but raised questions as to how the technology and resultant information would be integrated into their daily practice workflow. Additional research investigating how to best implement online decision aids should be conducted prior to the widespread adoption of such technology so as to maximize the benefits of the technology while minimizing workflow disruptions. PMID:24351420

  9. Embracing a competency-based specialty curriculum for community-based nursing roles.

    PubMed

    Levin, Pamela F; Swider, Susan M; Breakwell, Susan; Cowell, Julia M; Reising, Virginia

    2013-01-01

    The Quad Council competencies for public health nursing (PHN) provide guidance in developing curricula at both the generalist and specialist level. However, these competencies are based on nursing roles in traditional public health agencies and community/public health is defined more broadly than official agency practice. The question arises as to whether community-based specialties require largely the same knowledge and skill set as PHN. The purpose of the competency cross-mapping project reported here was to (a) assess the intersection of the Quad Council competencies with four community-based specialties and (b) ensure the appropriateness of a Quad Council-based curriculum to prepare graduates across these four specialties (home health, occupational health, environmental health, and school nursing). This article details the multistep cross-mapping process, including validation with practice leaders. Results indicate strong alignment of community-based specialty competencies with Quad Council competencies. Community-based specialty-specific content that did not align well is identified, along with examples of didactic and clinical strategies to address gaps. This work indicates that a Quad Council-based curriculum is appropriate to prepare graduates in community-based specialties when attention to the specialty-specific competencies in the clinical setting is included. This work guides the development of a doctorate of nursing practice curriculum in PHN, encompassing the four additional community-based specialties. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. The Roles of Pharmacy Schools in Bridging the Gap Between Law and Practice.

    PubMed

    Adams, Alex J; Dering-Anderson, Allison; Klepser, Michael E; Klepser, Donald

    2018-05-01

    Progressive pharmacy laws do not always lead to progressive pharmacy practice. Progressive laws are necessary, but not sufficient for pharmacy services to take off in practice. Pharmacy schools can play critical roles by working collaboratively with community pharmacies to close the gap between law and practice. Our experiences launching pharmacy-based point-of-care testing services in community pharmacy settings illustrate some of the roles schools can play, including: developing and providing standardized training, developing template protocols, providing workflow support, sparking collaboration across pharmacies, providing policy support, and conducting research.

  11. Filling the implementation gap: a community-academic partnership approach to early intervention in psychosis.

    PubMed

    Hardy, Kate V; Moore, Melissa; Rose, Demian; Bennett, Robert; Jackson-Lane, Carletta; Gause, Michael; Jackson, Alma; Loewy, Rachel

    2011-11-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the development of a sustainable community early psychosis programme created through an academic-community partnership in the United States to other parties interested in implementing early psychosis services founded upon evidence-based practices within community settings. The service was developed around a sustainable core of key components, founded upon evidence-based practice, with additional flexible elements that could be adapted to the needs of the individual commissioning county. This paper describes the ways in which funding was sourced and secured as well as the partnerships developed through this process. Successful development of the Prevention and Recovery from Early Psychosis (PREP) programme in San Francisco County, California. PREP clinicians have received extensive training in the evidence-based approaches that are available through the programme and treated 30 clients and their families in the first year of operation. Development of a sustainable community programme of this type in a non-universal health-care setting, which is historically seen as non-integrated, required extensive partnering with agencies familiar with local resources. Implementation of the community-academic partnership bridged the gap between research and practice with successful integration of fidelity practice at the community level. The community partners were effective in sourcing funding and allocating resources, while the academic side of the partnership provided training in evidence-based models and oversight of clinical implementation of the model. Stringent evaluation of the impact of the service is our next focus. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  12. Reducing needlestick injuries: a review of a community service.

    PubMed

    Aziz, Ann-Marie

    Community nurses provide care to patients in a variety of settings; for example, health centres, community hospitals, patients' homes, and residential and nursing homes. Administering intramuscular (IM)injections to patients in the community is an everyday activity for many nurses in clinical practice. A great deal of problems related to being 'sharps safe' are common to both community nurses and hospital staff. There had been a reported six needlestick injuries (NSIs) from community clinics administering depot IM injections, which required a review. An audit of practice was undertaken in clinics administering depot injections. The audit was undertaken to monitor compliance in sharps management and investigated how community nurses were administering IM injections. The review highlighted a lack of resources, gaps in knowledge and training deficits. The infection prevention and control nurses worked hard to improve practices and procedures. After a year, there had been a significant reduction in NSIs.

  13. Concussion Assessment in California Community College Football: Athletic Trainers' Strides toward a Safer Return to Play

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chinn, Nancy Resendes

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed method study was to compare current practices of athletic trainers in the management of concussion in football at California Community Colleges (CCC) with the concussion management guidelines set forth by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). The study also set out to gain understanding of why some athletic…

  14. Community pharmacists and Colleges of Pharmacy: the Ohio partnership.

    PubMed

    Sweeney, Marc A; Mauro, Vincent F; Cable, Gerald L; Rudnicki, Barbara M; Wall, Andrea L; Murphy, Christine C; Makarich, Joseph A; Kahaleh, Abir A

    2005-01-01

    To develop pharmacist practice standards, pharmacy preceptor standards, and objectives for students completing advanced practice community pharmacy rotations. Ohio. Pharmacy schools and community pharmacies that serve as advanced practice rotation sites. Developed standards for preceptors and objectives for student experiences. Focus groups that included both community pharmacists and pharmacy faculty collaborated on defining key standards for advanced community pharmacy rotations. Not applicable. Three main documents were produced in this initiative, and these are provided as appendices to this article. Professional and patient care guidelines for preceptors define minimum standards for these role models. Expectations of pharmacists as preceptors provide insights for managing this student-teacher relationship, which is fundamentally different from the more common employer-employee and coworker relationships found in pharmacies of all types. Objectives for student experiences during advanced practice community pharmacy rotations present core expectations in clinical, dispensing, patient education, wellness, and drug information areas. Through this collaboration, Ohio colleges of pharmacy developed a partnership with practitioners in community settings that should enhance the Ohio experiential educational program for student pharmacists. Use of the established guidelines will help educators and practitioners achieve their shared vision for advanced practice community pharmacy rotations and promote high-quality patient care.

  15. Neoliberal Social Inclusion? The Agenda of the Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peacock, David

    2012-01-01

    University-community engagement (UCE) represents a hybrid discourse and a set of practices within contemporary higher education. As a modality of research and teaching, "engagement" denotes the process of universities forming partnerships with external communities for the promised generation of mutually beneficial and socially responsive…

  16. Quasi-Communities: Rethinking Learning in Formal Adult and Vocational Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Emad, Gholam Reza; Roth, Wolff-Michael

    2016-01-01

    Situated learning theories such as communities of practice provide a rich conceptual framework for analyzing the processes by which newcomers become full participants in the communities they enter. However, some research shows that these concepts have shortcomings for theorizing learning in formal educational settings especially when it comes to…

  17. Flexible Bilingualism through Multimodal Practices: Studying K-12 Community Languages Online

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nordstrom, Janica

    2015-01-01

    Community language schools are complementary schools set up and run by minority communities in Australia. They aim to assist in intergenerational language and identity transmission, but previous research has indicated that these schools position their students in monolingual ways that contradicts how bilingual speakers use their language in…

  18. Variability in ADHD care in community-based pediatrics.

    PubMed

    Epstein, Jeffery N; Kelleher, Kelly J; Baum, Rebecca; Brinkman, William B; Peugh, James; Gardner, William; Lichtenstein, Phil; Langberg, Joshua

    2014-12-01

    Although many efforts have been made to improve the quality of care delivered to children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in community-based pediatric settings, little is known about typical ADHD care in these settings other than rates garnered through pediatrician self-report. Rates of evidence-based ADHD care and sources of variability (practice-level, pediatrician-level, patient-level) were determined by chart reviews of a random sample of 1594 patient charts across 188 pediatricians at 50 different practices. In addition, the associations of Medicaid-status and practice setting (ie, urban, suburban, and rural) with the quality of ADHD care were examined. Parent- and teacher-rating scales were used during ADHD assessment with approximately half of patients. The use of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria was documented in 70.4% of patients. The vast majority (93.4%) of patients with ADHD were receiving medication and only 13.0% were receiving psychosocial treatment. Parent- and teacher-ratings were rarely collected to monitor treatment response or side effects. Further, fewer than half (47.4%) of children prescribed medication had contact with their pediatrician within the first month of prescribing. Most variability in pediatrician-delivered ADHD care was accounted for at the patient level; however, pediatricians and practices also accounted for significant variability on specific ADHD care behaviors. There is great need to improve the quality of ADHD care received by children in community-based pediatric settings. Improvements will likely require systematic interventions at the practice and policy levels to promote change. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  19. A sociocultural historical examination of youth argumentation across the settings of their lives: Implications for science education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bricker, Leah A.

    In this dissertation, I examine youth argumentative practices as employed over time and across settings. Specifically, I examine youth perspective on argumentation and their own argumentative practices, the relationship between argumentation and learning, and the relationship between argumentation and youth, family, and community cultures. The theoretical framework I employ enables me to analyze argumentation as a set of practices employed in situated activity systems and framed by culturally-influenced ways of understanding activity associated with argumentative practice. I utilize data from a long-term team ethnography of youth science and technology learning across settings and time. Research fieldwork was conducted across dozens of social settings over the course of three years. Data includes approximately 700 hours of participant observations and interviews with thirteen upper elementary and middle school young people, as well as 128 of their parents, extended family members, peers, and teachers. Findings highlight the multitude of meanings youth associate with argumentation as it occurs in their lives (e.g., at home, in classrooms, in neighborhoods), as well as the detailed accounts of their argumentative practices and how these practices are differentially used across the social settings youth frequent. Additionally, findings highlight how historically rooted cultural practices help to frame youth perspectives on argumentation and their argumentative practices. Findings also include details about the specific communicative features of youth argumentation (e.g., linguistic elements such as discourse markers, evidentials, and indexicals, as well as non-verbal gestures) and how communicative features relate to youth learning across settings and over time. I use this dissertation in part to dialogue with the science education community, which currently argues that youth in science classrooms should learn how to argue scientifically. Designs of learning environments meant to accomplish that goal have to date not attended to the argumentation practices of youth. I argue that significant progress with respect to this goal is unlikely unless the field deeply attends to the specific details of existing argumentative practices youth employ across the settings of their lives. I use this dissertation to detail their argumentative practices in order to add to the literature in this area.

  20. Community perceptions on malaria and care-seeking practices in endemic Indian settings: policy implications for the malaria control programme.

    PubMed

    Das, Ashis; Das Gupta, R K; Friedman, Jed; Pradhan, Madan M; Mohapatra, Charu C; Sandhibigraha, Debakanta

    2013-01-29

    The focus of India's National Malaria Programme witnessed a paradigm shift recently from health facility to community-based approaches. The current thrust is on diagnosing and treating malaria by community health workers and prevention through free provision of long-lasting insecticidal nets. However, appropriate community awareness and practice are inevitable for the effectiveness of such efforts. In this context, the study assessed community perceptions and practice on malaria and similar febrile illnesses. This evidence base is intended to direct the roll-out of the new strategies and improve community acceptance and utilization of services. A qualitative study involving 26 focus group discussions and 40 key informant interviews was conducted in two districts of Odisha State in India. The key points of discussion were centred on community perceptions and practice regarding malaria prevention and treatment. Thematic analysis of data was performed. The 272 respondents consisted of 50% females, three-quarter scheduled tribe community and 30% students. A half of them were literates. Malaria was reported to be the most common disease in their settings with multiple modes of transmission by the FGD participants. Adoption of prevention methods was seasonal with perceived mosquito density. The reported use of bed nets was low and the utilization was determined by seasonality, affordability, intoxication and alternate uses of nets. Although respondents were aware of malaria-related symptoms, care-seeking from traditional healers and unqualified providers was prevalent. The respondents expressed lack of trust in the community health workers due to frequent drug stock-outs. The major determinants of health care seeking were socio-cultural beliefs, age, gender, faith in the service provider, proximity, poverty, and perceived effectiveness of available services. Apart from the socio-cultural and behavioural factors, the availability of acceptable care can modulate the community perceptions and practices on malaria management. The current community awareness on symptoms of malaria and prevention is fair, yet the prevention and treatment practices are not optimal. Promoting active community involvement and ownership in malaria control and management through strengthening community based organizations would be relevant. Further, timely availability of drugs and commodities at the community level can improve their confidence in the public health system.

  1. Threat Assessment and Targeted Violence at Institutions of Higher Education: Implications for Policy and Practice Including Unique Considerations for Community Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, Laura; Bates, Michael

    2015-01-01

    This article provides an overview of the research on targeted violence, including campus violence, and the implications for policy and practice at institutions of higher education. Unique challenges of threat assessment in the community college setting are explored, and an overview of an effective threat assessment policy and team at William…

  2. Going for gold: the health promoting general practice.

    PubMed

    Watson, Michael

    2008-01-01

    The World Health Organization's Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion has been influential in guiding the development of 'settings' based health promotion. Over the past decade, settings such as schools have flourished and there has been a considerable amount of academic literature produced, including theoretical papers, descriptive studies and evaluations. However, despite its central importance, the health-promoting general practice has received little attention. This paper discusses: the significance of this setting for health promotion; how a health promoting general practice can be created; effective health promotion approaches; the nursing contribution; and some challenges that need to be resolved. In order to become a health promoting general practice, the staff must undertake a commitment to fulfil the following conditions: create a healthy working environment; integrate health promotion into practice activities; and establish alliances with other relevant institutions and groups within the community. The health promoting general practice is the gold standard for health promotion. Settings that have developed have had the support of local, national and European networks. Similar assistance and advocacy will be needed in general practice. This paper recommends that a series of rigorously evaluated, high-quality pilot sites need to be established to identify and address potential difficulties, and to ensure that this innovative approach yields tangible health benefits for local communities. It also suggests that government support is critical to the future development of health promoting general practices. This will be needed both directly and in relation to the capacity and resourcing of public health in general.

  3. Tools for community-oriented primary care: use of key informant trees in eleven practices.

    PubMed Central

    Williams, R. L.; Jaén, C. R.

    2000-01-01

    Physicians increasingly need information about their communities to use in care of the individual patient. Busy practitioners need feasible methods for collecting this information before they can begin to gather and use it, however. Our objective was to study key informant trees as a practical approach for practice-based gathering of qualitative data from a community. Following a standard protocol, key informant trees were set up in 11 different practices to study the costs, advantages, and problems with their use for this purpose. Time studies showed that each tree took 7 to 11 hours of physician time and 7 hours of clerical time to organize and conduct. The technique appeared to be best suited for two qualitative informational needs: idea generation and explanatory data gathering. Trees appeared most productive where there was stability of physician staff in the practice, where the practice had been present in the community for some years, and where community residents were relatively stable. Response and selection biases are important considerations in use of this technique. PMID:10976171

  4. Pharmacist and Technician Perceptions of Tech-Check-Tech in Community Pharmacy Practice Settings.

    PubMed

    Frost, Timothy P; Adams, Alex J

    2018-04-01

    Tech-check-tech (TCT) is a practice model in which pharmacy technicians with advanced training can perform final verification of prescriptions that have been previously reviewed for appropriateness by a pharmacist. Few states have adopted TCT in part because of the common view that this model is controversial among members of the profession. This article aims to summarize the existing research on pharmacist and technician perceptions of community pharmacy-based TCT. A literature review was conducted using MEDLINE (January 1990 to August 2016) and Google Scholar (January 1990 to August 2016) using the terms "tech* and check," "tech-check-tech," "checking technician," and "accuracy checking tech*." Of the 7 studies identified we found general agreement among both pharmacists and technicians that TCT in community pharmacy settings can be safely performed. This agreement persisted in studies of theoretical TCT models and in studies assessing participants in actual community-based TCT models. Pharmacists who had previously worked with a checking technician were generally more favorable toward TCT. Both pharmacists and technicians in community pharmacy settings generally perceived TCT to be safe, in both theoretical surveys and in surveys following actual TCT demonstration projects. These perceptions of safety align well with the actual outcomes achieved from community pharmacy TCT studies.

  5. One program, multiple training sites: does site of family medicine training influence professional practice location?

    PubMed

    Jamieson, Jean L; Kernahan, Jill; Calam, Betty; Sivertz, Kristin S

    2013-01-01

    Numerous strategies have been suggested to increase recruitment of family physicians to rural communities and smaller regional centers. One approach has been to implement distributed postgraduate education programs where trainees spend substantial time in such communities. The purpose of the current study was to compare the eventual practice location of family physicians who undertook their postgraduate training through a single university but who were based in either metropolitan or distributed, non-metropolitan communities. Since 1998, the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia in Canada has conducted an annual survey of its residents at 2, 5, and 10 years after completion of training. The authors received Ethics Board approval to use this anonymized data to identify personal and educational factors that predict future practice location. The overall response rate was 45%. At 2 years (N=222), residents trained in distributed sites were 15 times more likely to enter practice in rural communities, small towns and regional centers than those who trained in metropolitan teaching centers. This was even more predictive for retention in non-urban practice sites. Among the subgroup of physicians who remained in a single practice location for more than a year preceding the survey, those who trained in smaller sites were 36 times more likely to choose a rural or regional practice setting. While the vast majority of those trained in metropolitan sites chose an urban practice location, a subgroup of those with some rural upbringing were more likely to practice in rural or regional settings. Trainees from distributed sites considered themselves more prepared for practice regardless of ultimate practice location. Participation in a distributed postgraduate family medicine training site is an important predictor of a non-urban practice location. This effect persists for 10 years after completion of training and is independent of other predictors of non-urban practice including gender, rural upbringing, and rural undergraduate training. It is hypothesized that this is due not only to a curriculum that supports preparedness for this type of practice but also to opportunities to develop personal and professional roots in these communities.

  6. The University of Washington's Community-Oriented Public Health Practice program and Public Health-Seattle & King County partnership.

    PubMed

    House, Peter J; Hartfield, Karen; Nicola, Bud; Bogan, Sharon L

    2014-01-01

    The Community-Oriented Public Health Practice (COPHP) program, a 2-year in-residence MPH degree program in the University of Washington School of Public Health, has partnered with Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC) since 2002 to create a mutually beneficial set of programs to improve teaching and address community-based public health problems in a practice setting. The COPHP program uses a problem-based learning approach that puts students in small groups to work on public health problems. Both University of Washington-based and PHSKC-based faculty facilitate the classroom work. In the first year for students, COPHP, in concert with PHSKC, places students in practicum assignments at PHSKC; in the second year, students undertake a master's project (capstone) in a community or public health agency. The capstone project entails taking on a problem in a community-based agency to improve either the health of a population or the capacity of the agency to improve population health. Both the practicum and the capstone projects emphasize applying classroom learning in actual public health practice work for community-based organizations. This partnership brings PHSKC and COPHP together in every aspect of teaching. In essence, PHSKC acts as the "academic health department" for COPHP. There are detailed agreements and contracts that guide all aspects of the partnership. Both the practicum and capstone projects require written contracts. The arrangements for getting non-University of Washington faculty paid for teaching and advising also include formal contracts.

  7. Community-based dental education and the importance of faculty development.

    PubMed

    McAndrew, Maureen

    2010-09-01

    Community-based dental education offers a variety of positive learning experiences for students while providing needed dental services for the underserved. More dental students are being instructed by a growing body of largely volunteer community-based faculty who practice in a wide range of community settings including community hospitals and clinics, nursing homes, and private practices. These geographically dispersed instructors may have little experience as educators. Their practice styles and their motivation to improve teaching effectiveness are likely to differ from the styles and motivation of school-based faculty members. Moreover, many dental schools have begun to emphasize practices that may be unfamiliar to community-based faculty such as evidence-based practice. Providing faculty development for them is challenging, yet crucial to the success of these programs and dental education in general. Fundamental elements that must be considered for effective community faculty development programming include fostering a culture of respect between school-based and community faculty members, basing programs on the actual needs of these educators, integrating principles of adult learning theory, and establishing ongoing institutional support. This article provides background on this movement, reviews the literature for faculty development programs geared specifically to community-based educators, makes recommendations for development programs for these dental educators, and includes suggestions for future research.

  8. Influence of culture and community perceptions on birth and perinatal care of immigrant women: doulas' perspective.

    PubMed

    Kang, Hye-Kyung

    2014-01-01

    A qualitative study examined the perceptions of doulas practicing in Washington State regarding the influence of cultural and community beliefs on immigrant women's birth and perinatal care, as well as their own cultural beliefs and values that may affect their ability to work interculturally. The findings suggest that doulas can greatly aid immigrant mothers in gaining access to effective care by acting as advocates, cultural brokers, and emotional and social support. Also, doulas share a consistent set of professional values, including empowerment, informed choice, cultural relativism, and scientific/evidence-based practice, but do not always recognize these values as culturally based. More emphasis on cultural self-awareness in doula training, expanding community doula programs, and more integration of doula services in health-care settings are recommended.

  9. Recommendations for scale-up of community-based misoprostol distribution programs.

    PubMed

    Robinson, Nuriya; Kapungu, Chisina; Carnahan, Leslie; Geller, Stacie

    2014-06-01

    Community-based distribution of misoprostol for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in resource-poor settings has been shown to be safe and effective. However, global recommendations for prenatal distribution and monitoring within a community setting are not yet available. In order to successfully translate misoprostol and PPH research into policy and practice, several critical points must be considered. A focus on engaging the community, emphasizing the safe nature of community-based misoprostol distribution, supply chain management, effective distribution, coverage, and monitoring plans are essential elements to community-based misoprostol program introduction, expansion, or scale-up. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. From the bush to the big smoke--development of a hybrid urban community based medical education program in the Northern Territory, Australia.

    PubMed

    Morgan, S; Smedts, A; Campbell, N; Sager, R; Lowe, M; Strasser, S

    2009-01-01

    The Northern Territory (NT) of Australia is a unique setting for training medical students. This learning environment is characterised by Aboriginal health and an emphasis on rural and remote primary care practice. For over a decade the NT Clinical School (NTCS) of Flinders University has been teaching undergraduate medical students in the NT. Community based medical education (CBME) has been demonstrated to be an effective method of learning medicine, particularly in rural settings. As a result, it is rapidly gaining popularity in Australia and other countries. The NTCS adopted this model some years ago with the implementation of its Rural Clinical School; however, urban models of CBME are much less well developed than those in rural areas. There is considerable pressure to better incorporate CBME into medical student teaching environment, particularly because of the projected massive increase in student numbers over the next few years. To date, the community setting of urban Darwin, the NT capital city, has not been well utilised for medical student training. In 2008, the NTCS enrolled its first cohort of students in a new hybrid CBME program based in urban Darwin. This report describes the process and challenges involved in development of the program, including justification for a hybrid model and the adaptation of a rural model to an urban setting. Relationships were established and formalised with key partners and stakeholders, including GPs and general practices, Aboriginal medical services, community based healthcare providers and other general practice and community organisations. Other significant issues included curriculum development and review, development of learning materials and the establishment of robust evaluation methods. Development of the CBME model in Darwin posed a number of key challenges. Although the experience of past rural programs was useful, a number of distinct differences were evident in the urban setting. Change leadership and inter-professional collaboration were key strengths in the implementation and ongoing evaluation of the program. The program will provide important information about medical student training in urban community settings, and help inform other clinical schools considering the adoption of similar models.

  11. Phases of "pre-engagement" capacity building: discovery, exploration, and trial alliance.

    PubMed

    Campbell-Voytal, Kimberly

    2010-01-01

    Academic prevention researchers who engage limited-resource communities may find that organizational or community capacity for prevention is low. Community organizations, neighborhoods, and academic partners may lack shared issue awareness, mutual interests, and interactive skills necessary for collaborative intervention. Existing capacity building models either ignore a 'pre-engagement' phase or acknowledge it without offering strategic detail. An exploratory or developmental phase before active engagement can be achieved through co-located work in a community setting. The construct, "ecology of practice," provides conceptual background for examining how "shared work" introduces and prepares partners for future collaboration consistent with community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles. This paper presents two case studies where pre-engagement capacity building involved partners who were initially unaware, disinterested, or unable to engage in preventive interventions. These cases illustrate how mutual participation in shared "ecologies of practice" enabled an exchange of cultural knowledge, skill, and language that laid the groundwork for future preventive intervention. A trajectory of developmental work in each case occurred over 5 years. Historical timelines, interviews, and personal communications between community and academic leaders were reviewed and common themes identified. A model of "pre-capacity building" emerged. Capacity-building models that detail strategies for developing equitable engagement in under-resourced settings will more effectively move best practices into vulnerable communities. Preventive interventions must be translated equitably if health disparities are to be reduced.

  12. Securing the Future: Retention Models in Community Colleges--Study of Community College Structures for Student Success (SCCSSS)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, 2012

    2012-01-01

    The Study of Community College Structures for Student Success (SCCSSS) was launched in 2010 with three goals at its center: (1) To explore a set of promising institutional practices and organizational structures identified through theory and research as having the potential to support community college student success; (2) To present a synthesized…

  13. The AACC Competencies and the PhD Completion Project: Practical Implications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sinady, Chantal; Floyd, Deborah L.; Mulder, Anne E.

    2010-01-01

    The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has identified a set of six competencies essential to effective community college leadership. Studies have been conducted to test the validity and usefulness of these competencies in such ways as by surveying community college professionals and to examine the effectiveness of graduate programs…

  14. National Leaders in Innovation. Washington's Community and Technical Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, 2015

    2015-01-01

    Washington's community and technical colleges set a national example for innovative policies, practices and research for student success. Washington's community and technical college system ranks 12th in the nation for graduation rates, and 7th for certificates and degrees produced. Olympic College and Renton Technical College in March 2015 were…

  15. Longitudinal Prescribing Patterns for Psychoactive Medications in Community-Based Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: Utilization of Pharmacy Records

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lott, I. T.; McGregor, M.; Engelman, L.; Touchette, P.; Tournay, A.; Sandman, C.; Fernandez, G.; Plon, L.; Walsh, D.

    2004-01-01

    Little is known about longitudinal prescribing practices for psychoactive medications for individuals with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities (IDDD) who are living in community settings. Computerized pharmacy records were accessed for 2344 community-based individuals with IDDD for whom a total of 3421 prescriptions were…

  16. Learning in/through Everyday Resistance: A Cultural-Historical Perspective on Community Resources and Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pacheco, Mariana

    2012-01-01

    This essay addresses the value of leveraging the unique learning, thinking, and knowledge students develop in home-community spaces for school curriculum. The author explores "everyday resistance" to highlight a particular set of enacted political actions and practices in which students, families, and communities participate to negotiate the…

  17. Implementing a framework for goal setting in community based stroke rehabilitation: a process evaluation

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Goal setting is considered ‘best practice’ in stroke rehabilitation; however, there is no consensus regarding the key components of goal setting interventions or how they should be optimally delivered in practice. We developed a theory-based goal setting and action planning framework (G-AP) to guide goal setting practice. G-AP has 4 stages: goal negotiation, goal setting, action planning & coping planning and appraisal & feedback. All stages are recorded in a patient-held record. In this study we examined the implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits of G-AP in one community rehabilitation team with people recovering from stroke. Methods G-AP was implemented for 6 months with 23 stroke patients. In-depth interviews with 8 patients and 8 health professionals were analysed thematically to investigate views of its implementation, acceptability and perceived benefits. Case notes of interviewed patients were analysed descriptively to assess the fidelity of G-AP implementation. Results G-AP was mostly implemented according to protocol with deviations noted at the planning and appraisal and feedback stages. Each stage was felt to make a useful contribution to the overall process; however, in practice, goal negotiation and goal setting merged into one stage and the appraisal and feedback stage included an explicit decision making component. Only two issues were raised regarding G-APs acceptability: (i) health professionals were concerned about the impact of goal non-attainment on patient’s well-being (patients did not share their concerns), and (ii) some patients and health professionals found the patient-held record unhelpful. G-AP was felt to have a positive impact on patient goal attainment and professional goal setting practice. Collaborative partnerships between health professionals and patients were apparent throughout the process. Conclusions G-AP has been perceived as both beneficial and broadly acceptable in one community rehabilitation team; however, implementation of novel aspects of the framework was inconsistent. The regulatory function of goal non-attainment and the importance of creating flexible partnerships with patients have been highlighted. Further development of the G-AP framework, training package and patient held record is required to address the specific issues highlighted by this process evaluation. Further evaluation of G-AP is required across diverse community rehabilitation settings. PMID:23705824

  18. Peer Mentoring Communities of Practice for Early and Mid-Career Faculty: Broad Benefits from a Research-Oriented Female Peer Mentoring Group

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rees, Amanda; Shaw, Kimberly

    2014-01-01

    In light of recent interest in the limitations of early and mid-career mentoring (Driscoll et al 2009; Trowers 2011), this case study of a women's scholarly activity and goal setting Community of Practice (CoP) indicates that such groups can offer extensive peer mentoring at one teaching-oriented state university in the United States. Using a…

  19. Building an evidence-base for the training of evidence-based treatments in community settings: Use of an expert-informed approach.

    PubMed

    Scudder, Ashley; Herschell, Amy D

    2015-08-01

    In order to make EBTs available to a large number of children and families, developers and expert therapists have used their experience and expertise to train community-based therapists in EBTs. Understanding current training practices of treatment experts may be one method for establishing best practices for training community-based therapists prior to comprehensive empirical examinations of training practices. A qualitative study was conducted using surveys and phone interviews to identify the specific procedures used by treatment experts to train and implement an evidence-based treatment in community settings. Twenty-three doctoral-level, clinical psychologists were identified to participate because of their expertise in conducting and training Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were completed by phone, later transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic coding. The de-identified data were coded by two independent qualitative data researchers and then compared for consistency of interpretation. The themes that emerged following the final coding were used to construct a training protocol to be empirically tested. The goal of this paper is to not only understand the current state of training practices for training therapists in a particular EBT, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, but to illustrate the use of expert opinion as the best available evidence in preparation for empirical evaluation.

  20. Effects of Short-Term Set-Aside Management Practices on Soil Microorganism and Enzyme Activity in China.

    PubMed

    Li, Guangyu; Wu, Cifang

    2017-08-14

    Set-aside farmland can effectively improve the self-rehabilitation of arable soil. Long-term set-asides however cannot satisfy provisionment, therefore the use of short-term set-asides to restore cultivated soil is a better option. Few studies have compared short-term set-aside patterns, and the effects of set-asides on soil microbial community and enzyme enzymes. We analyzed the bacterial structure, microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen and enzyme activity of farmland soil under different set-aside regimes in the Yellow River Delta of China. Bacterial alpha diversity was relatively lower under only irrigation, and farmyard manure applications showed clear advantages. Set-asides should consider their influence on soil organic carbon and nitrogen, which were correlated with microbial community structure. Nitrospira (0.47-1.67%), Acidobacteria Gp6 (8.26-15.91%) and unclassified Burkholderiales (1.50-2.81%) were significantly altered ( p < 0.01). Based on functions of these genera, some set-aside patterns led to a relative balance in nitrogen and carbon turnover. Partial treatments showed a deficiency in organic matter. In addition, farmyard manure may lead to the increased consumption of organic matter, with the exception of native plants set-asides. Conventional farming (control group) displayed a significant enzyme activity advantage. Set-aside management practices guided soil microbial communities to different states. Integrated soil microbiota and the content of carbon and nitrogen, native plants with farmyard manure showed an equilibrium state relatively, which would be helpful to improve land quality in the short-term.

  1. Complexities of Providing Dental Hygiene Services in Community Care Settings.

    PubMed

    Zarkowski, Pamela; Aksu, Mert N

    2016-06-01

    Direct access care provided by dental hygienists can reduce oral health disparities for the underserved, yet legal, regulatory, and ethical considerations create complexities and limits. Individual state dental practice acts regulate the scope of practice and level of supervision required when dental hygienists deliver care. Yet, inconsistent state practice act regulations contribute to ethical and legal limitations and dilemmas for practitioners. The dental hygienist is positioned to assume an increasingly larger role in the management of oral health disparities. However, there are several legal and ethical considerations that impact both dental hygienists and dentists providing care in complex community settings. This article informs dental hygienists and other related constituencies about conundrums that are encountered when providing care 'beyond the operatory.' An evidence-based view of ways in which dental hygienists are reducing oral health disparities illustrates the complex issues involved in providing such care. Potential scenarios that can occur during care provision in underserved settings provide the basis for a discussion of legal and other associated issues impacting dental hygiene practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Theorizing about Practice: Story Telling and Practical Knowledge in Cancer Diagnoses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zucchermaglio, Cristina; Alby, Francesca

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the organization of storytelling and its role in creating and sharing practical knowledge for cancer diagnosis in a medical community in Italy. Design/methodology/approach: The qualitative analysis draws upon different interactional data sets--naturally occurring diagnostic conversations among physicians in the…

  3. Mission Impossible? Social Work Practice with Black Urban Youth Gangs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Jerry R.

    1985-01-01

    Describes the adaptation of social work practice skills to serve black urban youth gangs. Presents a model for practice which respects youths' right to self-determination and community needs. Model stages discussed include contact, rapport, setting goals, assigning roles, procuring resources, and evaluation. Model applicability is suggested. (NRB)

  4. Utilisation of Evidence-Based Practices by ASD Early Intervention Service Providers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paynter, Jessica M.; Ferguson, Sarah; Fordyce, Kathryn; Joosten, Annette; Paku, Sofia; Stephens, Miranda; Trembath, David; Keen, Deb

    2017-01-01

    A number of autism intervention practices have been demonstrated to be effective. However, the use of unsupported practices persists in community early intervention settings. Recent research has suggested that personal, professional and workplace factors may influence intervention choices. The aim of this research was to investigate knowledge and…

  5. Sleep health education in pediatric community settings: rationale and practical suggestions for incorporating healthy sleep education into pediatric practice.

    PubMed

    Gruber, Reut; Cassoff, Jamie; Knäuper, Bärbel

    2011-06-01

    This article offers practical ways to incorporate healthy sleep education into pediatric practice and discusses key questions, barriers, and strategies associated with such efforts. The rationale for incorporating healthy sleep education in pediatric practice settings is presented, and desirable features of sleep education programs that may be implemented in pediatric practice are identified. Potential barriers are reviewed and strategies offered to overcome these barriers, such as developing resources applicable to healthy sleep education and practical information for pediatricians. Key factors regarding effectiveness of such interventional programs and key points relevant to successful healthy sleep education in pediatric practice are highlighted. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. Family practice residencies in community health centers--an approach to cost and access concerns.

    PubMed Central

    Zweifler, J

    1995-01-01

    An inadequate number of trained primary care clinicians limits access to care at Community Health Centers. If family practice residents working in these centers can provide care to patients at a cost that is comparable to the center's hiring its own physicians, then expansion of Family Practice Residency Programs into community centers can address both cost and access concerns. A cost-benefit analysis of the Family Practice Residency Program at the Fresno, CA, community center was performed; the community center is affiliated with the University of California at San Francisco. Costs included (a) residents' salaries, (b) supervision of the family practice residents, (c) family practice program costs for educational activities apart from supervision at the community center, and (d) administrative costs attributable to family practice residents in the community center. Benefits were based on the number of patients that residents saw in the community center. Using this approach, a cost of $7,700 per resident per year was calculated. This cost is modest compared with the cost of training residents in inpatient settings. The added costs attributable to training residents in community health centers can be shared with agencies that are concerned with medical education, providing physicians to underserved communities, and increasing the supply of primary care physicians. Redirecting graduate medical education funding from hospitals to selected ambulatory care training centers of excellence would facilitate placing residents in community centers. This change would have the dual advantage of addressing the current imbalance between training in ambulatory care and hospital sites and increasing the capacity of community health centers to meet the health care needs of underserved populations. PMID:7610223

  7. Learning and change in a community mental health setting.

    PubMed

    Mancini, Michael A; Miner, Craig S

    2013-10-01

    This article offers methodological reflections and lessons learned from a three-year university-community partnership that used participatory action research methods to develop and evaluate a model for learning and change. Communities of practice were used to facilitate the translation of recovery-oriented and evidence-based programs into everyday practice at a community mental health agency. Four lessons were drawn from this project. First, the processes of learning and organizational change are complex, slow, and multifaceted. Second, development of leaders and champions is vital to sustained implementation in an era of restricted resources. Third, it is important to have the agency's values, mission, policies, and procedures align with the principles and practices of recovery and integrated treatment. And fourth, effective learning of evidence-based practices is influenced by organizational culture and climate. These four lessons are expanded upon and situated within the broader literature and implications for future research are discussed.

  8. Implementing community-based provider participation in research: an empirical study.

    PubMed

    Teal, Randall; Bergmire, Dawn M; Johnston, Matthew; Weiner, Bryan J

    2012-05-08

    Since 2003, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) has sought to restructure the clinical research enterprise in the United States by promoting collaborative research partnerships between academically-based investigators and community-based physicians. By increasing community-based provider participation in research (CBPPR), the NIH seeks to advance the science of discovery by conducting research in clinical settings where most people get their care, and accelerate the translation of research results into everyday clinical practice. Although CBPPR is seen as a promising strategy for promoting the use of evidence-based clinical services in community practice settings, few empirical studies have examined the organizational factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of CBPPR. The purpose of this study is to explore the organizational start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in community-based practice. We used longitudinal, case study research methods and an organizational model of innovation implementation to theoretically guide our study. Our sample consisted of three community practice settings that recently joined the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) in the United States. Data were gathered through site visits, telephone interviews, and archival documents from January 2008 to May 2011. The organizational model for innovation implementation was useful in identifying and investigating the organizational factors influencing start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in CCOP organizations. In general, the three CCOP organizations varied in the extent to which they achieved consistency in CBPPR over time and across physicians. All three CCOP organizations demonstrated mixed levels of organizational readiness for change. Hospital management support and resource availability were limited across CCOP organizations early on, although they improved in one CCOP organization. As a result of weak IPPs, all three CCOPs created a weak implementation climate. Patient accrual became concentrated over time among those groups of physicians for whom CBPPR exhibited a strong innovation-values fit. Several external factors influenced innovation use, complicating and enriching our intra-organizational model of innovation implementation. Our results contribute to the limited body of research on the implementation of CBPPR. They inform policy discussions about increasing and sustaining community clinician involvement in clinical research and expand on theory about organizational determinants of implementation effectiveness.

  9. Viewpoint: professionalism and humanism beyond the academic health center.

    PubMed

    Swick, Herbert M

    2007-11-01

    Medical professionalism and humanism have long been integral to the practice of medicine, and they will continue to shape practice in the 21st century. In recent years, many advances have been made in understanding the nature of medical professionalism and in efforts to teach and assess professional values and behaviors. As more and more teaching of both medical students and residents occurs in settings outside of academic medical centers, it is critically important that community physicians demonstrate behaviors that resonate professionalism and humanism. As teachers, they must be committed to being role models for what physicians should be. Activities that are designed to promote and advance professionalism, then, must take place not only in academic settings but also in clinical practice sites that are beyond the academic health center. The author argues that professionalism and humanism share common values and that each can enrich the other. Because the cauldron of practice threatens to erode traditional values of professionalism, not only for individual physicians but also for the medical profession, practicing physicians must incorporate into practice settings activities that are explicitly designed to exemplify those values, not only with students and patients, but also within their communities. The author cites a number of examples of ways in which professionalism and humanism can be fostered by individual physicians as well as professional organizations.

  10. Influence of Culture and Community Perceptions on Birth and Perinatal Care of Immigrant Women: Doulas’ Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Hye-Kyung

    2014-01-01

    A qualitative study examined the perceptions of doulas practicing in Washington State regarding the influence of cultural and community beliefs on immigrant women’s birth and perinatal care, as well as their own cultural beliefs and values that may affect their ability to work interculturally. The findings suggest that doulas can greatly aid immigrant mothers in gaining access to effective care by acting as advocates, cultural brokers, and emotional and social support. Also, doulas share a consistent set of professional values, including empowerment, informed choice, cultural relativism, and scientific/evidence-based practice, but do not always recognize these values as culturally based. More emphasis on cultural self-awareness in doula training, expanding community doula programs, and more integration of doula services in health-care settings are recommended. PMID:24453465

  11. Practicing ethnography in migration-related detention centers: A reflexive account.

    PubMed

    Esposito, Francesca

    2017-01-01

    Feminist scholars, as well as community psychologists, have advocated the role of reflexive engagement in the research process in order to challenge power relations. Moreover, the liberating potential of storytelling, especially when working with issues of diversity and marginalization, has been stressed. The purpose of this article is to reflect on an ethnographic work underway in the Identification and Expulsion Center-CIE of Ponte Galeria, Rome. How the researcher's identities, values, and experiences, alongside power and privilege, have influenced her positioning in the research setting and the relationships formed with the different setting members is the subject of discussion. In sharing the story of this work, the final intent is to contribute to the joint effort to foster a reflexive community psychology practice incorporating feminist goals and a dialogue about ethnography in community psychology.

  12. Thinking together: What makes Communities of Practice work?

    PubMed Central

    Pyrko, Igor; Dörfler, Viktor; Eden, Colin

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we develop the founding elements of the concept of Communities of Practice by elaborating on the learning processes happening at the heart of such communities. In particular, we provide a consistent perspective on the notions of knowledge, knowing and knowledge sharing that is compatible with the essence of this concept – that learning entails an investment of identity and a social formation of a person. We do so by drawing richly from the work of Michael Polanyi and his conception of personal knowledge, and thereby we clarify the scope of Communities of Practice and offer a number of new insights into how to make such social structures perform well in professional settings. The conceptual discussion is substantiated by findings of a qualitative empirical study in the UK National Health Service. As a result, the process of ‘thinking together’ is conceptualized as a key part of meaningful Communities of Practice where people mutually guide each other through their understandings of the same problems in their area of mutual interest, and this way indirectly share tacit knowledge. The collaborative learning process of ‘thinking together’, we argue, is what essentially brings Communities of Practice to life and not the other way round. PMID:28232754

  13. A community initiative for developing data and modeling driven curriculum modules for hydrology education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruddell, B. L.; Merwade, V.

    2010-12-01

    Hydrology and geoscience education at the undergraduate and graduate levels may benefit greatly from a structured approach to pedagogy that utilizes modeling, authentic data, and simulation exercises to engage students in practice-like activities. Extensive evidence in the educational literature suggests that students retain more of their instruction, and attain higher levels of mastery over content, when interactive and practice-like activities are used to contextualize traditional lecture-based and theory-based instruction. However, it is also important that these activities carefully link the use of data and modeling to abstract theory, to promote transfer of knowledge to other contexts. While this type of data-based activity has been practiced in the hydrology classroom for decades, the hydrology community still lacks a set of standards and a mechanism for community-based development, publication, and review of this type of curriculum material. A community-based initiative is underway to develop a set curriculum materials to teach hydrology in the engineering and geoscience university classroom using outcomes-based, pedagogically rigorous modules that use authentic data and modeling experiences to complement traditional lecture-based instruction. A preliminary design for a community cyberinfrastructure for shared module development and publication, and for module topics and outcomes and ametadata and module interoperability standards, will be presented, along with the results of a series of community surveys and workshops informing this design.

  14. Paradoxes of Social Networking in a Structured Web 2.0 Language Learning Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loiseau, Mathieu; Zourou, Katerina

    2012-01-01

    This paper critically inquires into social networking as a set of mechanisms and associated practices developed in a structured Web 2.0 language learning community. This type of community can be roughly described as learning spaces featuring (more or less) structured language learning resources displaying at least some notions of language learning…

  15. Listening to the Community: Guidance from Native Community Members for Emerging Culturally Responsive Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Christine A.; Jaime, Angela M.

    2010-01-01

    Critical race theory (CRT) emphasizes the importance of listening to the counter-narratives of people from marginalized groups. However, the applicability of CRT in practical settings often remains unclear for educators and scholars. This project offers not only a place for Native community members to share their experiences and ideas, it also…

  16. Ancillary care in public health intervention research in low-resource settings: researchers' practices and decision-making.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Holly A; Merritt, Maria W; Mullany, Luke C

    2011-09-01

    Little is known about researchers' practices regarding the provision of ancillary care (AC) in public health intervention studies they have conducted and the factors that influence their decisions about whether to provide ancillary care in low-resource settings. We conducted 52 in-person in-depth interviews with public health researchers. Data analysis was iterative and led to the identification of themes and patterns among themes. We found that researchers who conduct their research in the community setting are more likely to identify and plan for the AC needs of potential research subjects before a study begins, whereas those affiliated with a permanent facility are more likely to deliver AC to research subjects on an ad hoc basis. Our findings suggest that on the whole, at least for public health intervention research in low-resource settings, researchers conducting research in the community setting confront more complex ethical and operational challenges in their decision-making about AC than do researchers conducting facility-based studies.

  17. Feasibility and effectiveness of the baby friendly community initiative in rural Kenya: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth W; Kimiywe, Judith; Kabue, Mark; Wekesah, Frederick; Matiri, Evelyn; Muhia, Nelson; Wanjohi, Milka; Muriuki, Peterrock; Samburu, Betty; Kanyuira, James N; Young, Sera L; Griffiths, Paula L; Madise, Nyovani J; McGarvey, Stephen T

    2015-09-28

    Interventions promoting optimal infant and young child nutrition could prevent a fifth of under-5 deaths in countries with high mortality. Poor infant and young child feeding practices are widely documented in Kenya, with potential detrimental effects on child growth, health and survival. Effective strategies to improve these practices are needed. This study aims to pilot implementation of the Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI), a global initiative aimed at promoting optimal infant and young child feeding practices, to determine its feasibility and effectiveness with regards to infant feeding practices, nutrition and health outcomes in a rural setting in Kenya. The study, employing a cluster-randomized trial design, will be conducted in rural Kenya. A total of 12 clusters, constituting community units within the government's Community Health Strategy, will be randomized, with half allocated to the intervention and the other half to the control arm. A total of 812 pregnant women and their respective children will be recruited into the study. The mother-child pairs will be followed up until the child is 6 months old. Recruitment will last approximately 1 year from January 2015, and the study will run for 3 years, from 2014 to 2016. The intervention will involve regular counseling and support of mothers by trained community health workers and health professionals on maternal, infant and young child nutrition. Regular assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices on maternal, infant and young child nutrition will be done, coupled with assessment of nutritional status of the mother-child pairs and morbidity for the children. Statistical methods will include analysis of covariance, multinomial logistic regression and multilevel modeling. The study is funded by the NIH and USAID through the Program for Enhanced Research (PEER) Health. Findings from the study outlined in this protocol will inform potential feasibility and effectiveness of a community-based intervention aimed at promoting optimal breastfeeding and other infant feeding practices. The intervention, if proved feasible and effective, will inform policy and practice in Kenya and similar settings, particularly regarding implementation of the baby friendly community initiative. ISRCTN03467700 ; Date of Registration: 24 September 2014.

  18. Rel8: demonstrating the feasibility of delivering an 8-week social skills program in a public mental health setting.

    PubMed

    Wauchope, Bronwyn; Terlich, Alissa; Lee, Stuart

    2016-06-01

    As community mental health services integrate recovery-oriented practices, treatments that focus on skills development and social integration are desirable. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of implementing "Rel8", an 8-week social skills training group adapted to suit a public community mental health setting. A retrospective audit was conducted of quantitative and qualitative data from four groups run between 2011 and 2013. Pre- and post-group measures were collected, assessing self-rated friendships and confidence with social skills and clinician-rated social skill performance. Qualitative feedback about group participation was also collected through use of a developed questionnaire. Analysis revealed significant improvements in participants' confidence with their social skills following group participation, with a trend also found for improved social skill performance. "Rel8", an adapted 8-week social skills training group, is a feasible program in the context of community mental health services. The program added to the recovery-centred practice of the community mental health service while also adding to the diversity of clinician skills for psychosocial-oriented practice. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

  19. Top 10 metrics for life science software good practices.

    PubMed

    Artaza, Haydee; Chue Hong, Neil; Corpas, Manuel; Corpuz, Angel; Hooft, Rob; Jimenez, Rafael C; Leskošek, Brane; Olivier, Brett G; Stourac, Jan; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Van Parys, Thomas; Vaughan, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Metrics for assessing adoption of good development practices are a useful way to ensure that software is sustainable, reusable and functional. Sustainability means that the software used today will be available - and continue to be improved and supported - in the future. We report here an initial set of metrics that measure good practices in software development. This initiative differs from previously developed efforts in being a community-driven grassroots approach where experts from different organisations propose good software practices that have reasonable potential to be adopted by the communities they represent. We not only focus our efforts on understanding and prioritising good practices, we assess their feasibility for implementation and publish them here.

  20. Top 10 metrics for life science software good practices

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Metrics for assessing adoption of good development practices are a useful way to ensure that software is sustainable, reusable and functional. Sustainability means that the software used today will be available - and continue to be improved and supported - in the future. We report here an initial set of metrics that measure good practices in software development. This initiative differs from previously developed efforts in being a community-driven grassroots approach where experts from different organisations propose good software practices that have reasonable potential to be adopted by the communities they represent. We not only focus our efforts on understanding and prioritising good practices, we assess their feasibility for implementation and publish them here. PMID:27635232

  1. Secondary Science Teachers' and Students' Involvement in a Primary School Community of Science Practice: How It Changed Their Practices and Interest in Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Forbes, Anne; Skamp, Keith

    2016-02-01

    MyScience is a primary science education initiative in which being in a community of practice is integral to the learning process. In this initiative, stakeholder groups—primary teachers, primary students and mentors—interact around the `domain' of `investigating scientifically'. This paper builds on three earlier publications and interprets the findings of the views of four secondary science teachers and five year 9 secondary science students who were first-timer participants—as mentors—in MyScience. Perceptions of these mentors' interactions with primary students were analysed using attributes associated with both `communities of practice' and the `nature of science'. Findings reveal that participation in MyScience changed secondary science teachers' views and practices about how to approach the teaching of science in secondary school and fostered primary-secondary links. Year 9 students positively changed their views about secondary school science and confidence in science through participation as mentors. Implications for secondary science teaching and learning through participation in primary school community of science practice settings are discussed.

  2. In pursuit of change: Conceptualizing the social work response to LGBTQ microaggressions in health settings.

    PubMed

    Kia, Hannah; MacKinnon, Kinnon Ross; Legge, Melissa Marie

    2016-01-01

    Despite the emergence of research on microaggressions targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities in recent years, there remains an insufficiency of theoretical literature in this area. In this article, we draw on the works of Michel Foucault to conceptualize the effects of microaggressive practices on LGBTQ people accessing health and other social services, and generate insight into strategies these groups use to resist these effects. We emphasize the need for social workers, particularly those in health care settings, to support these communities' ongoing attempts at challenging the effects of microaggression, and to this end, outline several implications of our analysis for social work practice.

  3. GN&C Engineering Best Practices for Human-Rated Spacecraft Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dennehy, Cornelius J.; Lebsock, Kenneth; West, John

    2007-01-01

    The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) recently completed an in-depth assessment to identify a comprehensive set of engineering considerations for the Design, Development, Test and Evaluation (DDT&E) of safe and reliable human-rated spacecraft systems. Reliability subject matter experts, discipline experts, and systems engineering experts were brought together to synthesize the current "best practices" both at the spacecraft system and subsystems levels. The objective of this paper is to summarize, for the larger Community of Practice, the initial set of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) engineering Best Practices as identified by this NESC assessment process.

  4. GN&C Engineering Best Practices for Human-Rated Spacecraft System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dennehy, Cornelius J.; Lebsock, Kenneth; West, John

    2008-01-01

    The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) recently completed an in-depth assessment to identify a comprehensive set of engineering considerations for the Design, Development, Test and Evaluation (DDT&E) of safe and reliable human-rated spacecraft systems. Reliability subject matter experts, discipline experts, and systems engineering experts were brought together to synthesize the current "best practices" both at the spacecraft system and subsystems levels. The objective of this paper is to summarize, for the larger Community of Practice, the initial set of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) engineering Best Practices as identified by this NESC assessment process.

  5. GN&C Engineering Best Practices For Human-Rated Spacecraft Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dennehy, Cornelius J.; Lebsock, Kenneth; West, John

    2007-01-01

    The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) recently completed an in-depth assessment to identify a comprehensive set of engineering considerations for the Design, Development, Test and Evaluation (DDT&E) of safe and reliable human-rated spacecraft systems. Reliability subject matter experts, discipline experts, and systems engineering experts were brought together to synthesize the current "best practices" both at the spacecraft system and subsystems levels. The objective of this paper is to summarize, for the larger Community of Practice, the initial set of Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) engineering Best Practices as identified by this NESC assessment process.

  6. Impact of safe community program on motorcyclists' safety with focus on helmet usage in 14 cities of IR Iran.

    PubMed

    Moghisi, Alireza; Mohammadi, Reza; Svanström, Leif

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of safe community interventions on motorcyclists' safety. Two cross sectional observations were conducted in 14 cities (five safe community practicing and nine safe community non-practicing cities) independently on 2005 and 2007. Ten percent of registered motorcycles were observed and interviewed (n=1114 in each observation). 87.9% used motorcycle for commercial purposes. All motorcyclists were male and mostly aged 18-29 years old. Death rate significantly rose from 122 to 254 per 100000 motorcyclists in Fars province since the first observation (p < 0.0001). Helmet usage rate was constant (13%). Recorded crashes increased from 16.4% to 23.1% in safe community setting (p < 0.0001). 11% carried more than one pillion. Heat disturbances, embarrassment, hearing blockage, and negligence were the most mentioned excuses for not using helmet. Law enforcement, public education, accessibility to helmets on discount rate, new legislation and, finally, access to new designed helmet were the most suggestions made by motorcyclists to promote helmet usage. No significant effect was noticed between two settings except in injury registration system in safe community. Community involvement in the safety programs could ensure sustainability of initiatives and continuity of interventions in safe communities.

  7. Effects of Short-Term Set-Aside Management Practices on Soil Microorganism and Enzyme Activity in China

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Cifang

    2017-01-01

    Set-aside farmland can effectively improve the self-rehabilitation of arable soil. Long-term set-asides however cannot satisfy provisionment, therefore the use of short-term set-asides to restore cultivated soil is a better option. Few studies have compared short-term set-aside patterns, and the effects of set-asides on soil microbial community and enzyme enzymes. We analyzed the bacterial structure, microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen and enzyme activity of farmland soil under different set-aside regimes in the Yellow River Delta of China. Bacterial alpha diversity was relatively lower under only irrigation, and farmyard manure applications showed clear advantages. Set-asides should consider their influence on soil organic carbon and nitrogen, which were correlated with microbial community structure. Nitrospira (0.47–1.67%), Acidobacteria Gp6 (8.26–15.91%) and unclassified Burkholderiales (1.50–2.81%) were significantly altered (p < 0.01). Based on functions of these genera, some set-aside patterns led to a relative balance in nitrogen and carbon turnover. Partial treatments showed a deficiency in organic matter. In addition, farmyard manure may lead to the increased consumption of organic matter, with the exception of native plants set-asides. Conventional farming (control group) displayed a significant enzyme activity advantage. Set-aside management practices guided soil microbial communities to different states. Integrated soil microbiota and the content of carbon and nitrogen, native plants with farmyard manure showed an equilibrium state relatively, which would be helpful to improve land quality in the short-term. PMID:28805737

  8. Associate degree nursing in a community-based health center network: lessons in collaboration.

    PubMed

    Connolly, Charlene; Wilson, Diane; Missett, Regina; Dooley, Wanda C; Avent, Pamela A; Wright, Ronda

    2004-02-01

    This exemplar highlights the ability of community experiences to enhance nursing students' understanding of the principles of community-based care: advocating self-care; focusing on prevention, family, culture, and community; providing continuity of care; and collaborating. An innovative teaching-practice model (i.e., a nurse-managed "network" of clinics), incorporating service-learning, was created. The Network's purposes are to provide practice sites in community-based primary care settings for student clinical rotations, increasing the awareness of the civic and social responsibility to provide quality health care for disadvantaged populations; and to reduce health disparities by increasing access to free primary health care, including health promotion and disease prevention, for disadvantaged individuals. Network clients receive free health care, referrals, and guidance to effectively obtain additional health care resources for themselves and their families. The Network is a national pioneer in modeling the delivery of primary care services through a faculty-student practice plan, with leadership emanating from a community college.

  9. Predictors and enablers of mental health nurses' family-focused practice.

    PubMed

    Grant, Anne; Reupert, Andrea; Maybery, Darryl; Goodyear, Melinda

    2018-06-27

    Family-focused practice improves outcomes for families where parents have a mental illness. However, there is limited understanding regarding the factors that predict and enable these practices. This study aimed to identify factors that predict and enable mental health nurses' family-focused practice. A sequential mixed methods design was used. A total of 343 mental health nurses, practicing in 12 mental health services (in acute inpatient and community settings), throughout Ireland completed the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire, measuring family-focused behaviours and other factors that impact family-focused activities. Hierarchical multiple regression identified 14 predictors of family-focused practice. The most important predictors noted were nurses' skill and knowledge, own parenting experience, and work setting (i.e. community). Fourteen nurses, who achieved high scores on the questionnaire, subsequently participated in semistructured interviews to elaborate on enablers of family-focused practice. Participants described drawing on their parenting experiences to normalize parenting challenges, encouraging service users to disclose parenting concerns, and promoting trust. The opportunity to visit a service user's home allowed them to observe how the parent was coping and forge a close relationship with them. Nurses' personal characteristics and work setting are key factors in determining family-focused practice. This study extends current research by clearly highlighting predictors of family-focused practice and reporting how various enablers promoted family-focused practice. The capacity of nurses to support families has training, organizational and policy implications within adult mental health services in Ireland and elsewhere. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

  10. Thyroid Disease and Surgery in CHEER: The Nation’s Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Practice Based Network

    PubMed Central

    Parham, Kourosh; Chapurin, Nikita; Schulz, Kris; Shin, Jennifer J.; Pynnonen, Melissa A.; Witsell, David L.; Langman, Alan; Nguyen-Huynh, Anh; Ryan, Sheila E.; Vambutas, Andrea; Wolfley, Anne; Roberts, Rhonda; Lee, Walter T.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives 1) Describe thyroid-related diagnoses and procedures in CHEER across academic and community sites. 2) Compare management of malignant thyroid disease across these sites, and 3) Provide practice based data related to flexible laryngoscopy vocal fold assessment before and after thyroid surgery based on AAO-HNSF Clinical Practice Guidelines. Study Design Review of retrospective data collection (RDC) database of the CHEER network using ICD-9 and CPT codes related to thyroid conditions. Setting Multisite practice based network. Subjects and Methods There were 3,807 thyroid patients (1,392 malignant; 2,415 benign) with 10,160 unique visits identified from 1 year of patient data in the RDC. Analysis was performed for identified cohort of patients using demographics, site characteristics and diagnostic and procedural distribution. Results Mean number of patients with thyroid disease per site was 238 (range 23–715). In community practices, 19% of patients with thyroid disease had cancer versus 45% in the academic setting (p<0.001). While academic sites manage more cancer patients, community sites are also surgically treating thyroid cancer, and performed more procedures per cancer patient (4.2 vs. 3.5, p<0.001). Vocal fold function was assessed by flexible laryngoscopy in 34.0% of pre-operative patients and in 3.7% post-operatively. Conclusion This is the first overview of malignant and benign thyroid disease through CHEER. It shows how the RDC can be used alone and with national guidelines to inform of clinical practice patterns in academic and community sites. This demonstrates the potential for future thyroid related studies utilizing the Otolaryngology-H&N Surgery’s practice-based research network. PMID:27371622

  11. Strategies for Translating Evidence-Based Medicine in Lung Cancer into Community Practice.

    PubMed

    Rosenberg, Stephen A; Baschnagel, Andrew M; Bagley, Stephen J; Housri, Nadine

    2017-01-01

    The landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment has rapidly evolved over the past decade. This is exemplified by the use of molecular targeted agents, immunotherapies, and newer technologies such as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). As the translation of preclinical discoveries into clinical practice continues, the effective dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatment of NSCLC will remain a foremost challenge for oncologists. To further extend evidence-based medicine into the community setting, community oncologists are being engaged on multiple fronts including leadership and participation in national clinical trials and utilization of internet-based resources.

  12. The Relative Influence of Formal Learning Opportunities versus Indicators of Professional Community on Changes in Science Teaching in Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGee, Steven

    2016-01-01

    Previous research has shown that professional communities have the potential to be a powerful lever for continuous improvement in school settings. This research seeks to extend previous research by investigating the indicators of professional community that influence science teaching practice. This study took place in a network of urban…

  13. Promoting Entrepreneurship Studies in the Community College Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watts, Karen Southall

    This document examines the current promotional methods used by North Carolina community colleges to advance entrepreneurship education and identifies practical strategies for improving promotional efforts and outcomes. The observations, interviews, and anecdotal information presented in the paper are based on the author's three years of community…

  14. Application of local policy to prevent alcohol problems: experiences from a community trial.

    PubMed

    Holder, H D; Reynolds, R I

    1997-06-01

    Alcohol policy conventionally has been established at the national or regional, state and provincial levels. Alcohol policy at any level is not actually limited to the regulation and control of alcohol production, wholesale distribution, and retail sales. There are a number of alternatives for setting alcohol policies within a local community. Building upon existing national and state/provincial laws, policy makers at the community level can set priorities for allocating resources and enforcing laws related to drinking and driving, underage alcohol sales, alcohol serving practices of bars and restaurants and geographical density of alcohol outlets in the community. This paper concludes from the Community Trials Project that policies established at the local level can reduce alcohol problems.

  15. Subcutaneous injections: preventing needlestick injuries in the community.

    PubMed

    Aziz, Ann-Marie

    2012-06-01

    Community nurses provide care to patients in a variety of settings, for example health centres, community hospitals, patients' homes, residential and nursing homes. Administering subcutaneous injections to patients in the community is an everyday activity for many nurses in clinical practice. Many problems related to being 'sharps safe' are common to both community nurses and hospital staff. The majority of subcutaneous injections administered in the community are for patients with diabetes. Reducing needlestick injuries after the administration of subcutaneous injections in the community remains paramount to all NHS staff. This article provides information on what national standards to employ when administrating subcutaneous injections and what safety practices should be undertaken for good sharps management. Staff administering subcutaneous injections in the community need to ensure that they are updated on the latest developments in safety needle devices in order to prevent needlestick injuries and provide safe, effective and individualised care for their patients.

  16. The Geriatric ICF Core Set reflecting health-related problems in community-living older adults aged 75 years and older without dementia: development and validation.

    PubMed

    Spoorenberg, Sophie L W; Reijneveld, Sijmen A; Middel, Berrie; Uittenbroek, Ronald J; Kremer, Hubertus P H; Wynia, Klaske

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to develop a valid Geriatric ICF Core Set reflecting relevant health-related problems of community-living older adults without dementia. A Delphi study was performed in order to reach consensus (≥70% agreement) on second-level categories from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The Delphi panel comprised 41 older adults, medical and non-medical experts. Content validity of the set was tested in a cross-sectional study including 267 older adults identified as frail or having complex care needs. Consensus was reached for 30 ICF categories in the Delphi study (fourteen Body functions, ten Activities and Participation and six Environmental Factors categories). Content validity of the set was high: the prevalence of all the problems was >10%, except for d530 Toileting. The most frequently reported problems were b710 Mobility of joint functions (70%), b152 Emotional functions (65%) and b455 Exercise tolerance functions (62%). No categories had missing values. The final Geriatric ICF Core Set is a comprehensive and valid set of 29 ICF categories, reflecting the most relevant health-related problems among community-living older adults without dementia. This Core Set may contribute to optimal care provision and support of the older population. Implications for Rehabilitation The Geriatric ICF Core Set may provide a practical tool for gaining an understanding of the relevant health-related problems of community-living older adults without dementia. The Geriatric ICF Core Set may be used in primary care practice as an assessment tool in order to tailor care and support to the needs of older adults. The Geriatric ICF Core Set may be suitable for use in multidisciplinary teams in integrated care settings, since it is based on a broad range of problems in functioning. Professionals should pay special attention to health problems related to mobility and emotional functioning since these are the most prevalent problems in community-living older adults.

  17. Care managers' time use: differences between community mental health and older people's services in the United Kingdom.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Sally; Hughes, Jane; Challis, David; Stewart, Karen; Weiner, Kate

    2006-01-01

    Since the community care reforms of the early 1990s, care management in the United Kingdom has become the usual means of arranging services for even the most straightforward of social care needs. This paper presents data from a diary study of care managers' time use, from a sample of social services commissioning organizations representing the most common forms of care management practiced in England at the end of the 20th century. It compares the working practices of care managers in community mental health service settings to the practices of those situated in older people's services. Evidence is provided to suggest that while the former follow a more clinical model of care management, those working with older people take an almost exclusively administrative approach to their work. In addition, the multidisciplinary nature of mental health service teams appears to facilitate a more integrated health and social care approach to care management compared to the approach to older people's services. Further enquiry is needed as to the comparative effectiveness of these different modes of working in each service setting.

  18. Rural nursing education: a photovoice perspective.

    PubMed

    Leipert, Beverly; Anderson, Emma

    2012-01-01

    For many rural Canadians nursing care is the primary and often the sole access point to health care. As such, rural nurses are an invaluable resource to the health and wellbeing of rural populations. However, due to a nursing workforce that is aging and retiring, limited resources and support, healthcare reform issues, and other factors, these rural professionals are in short supply. Because of limited opportunities to learn about rural practice settings, nursing students may be reluctant to select rural practice locations. Relevant and effective educational initiatives are needed to attract nursing students to underserved rural and remote communities so that rural people receive the health care they require. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of the innovative research approach called photovoice as an educational strategy to foster learning about and interest in rural locations and rural nursing as future practice settings. Fostering of interest in rural may help to address nursing workforce shortages in rural settings. Thirty-eight third and fourth year nursing and health sciences students enrolled in an elective 'Rural Nursing' course used the qualitative research method photovoice to take photographs that represented challenges and facilitators of rural nursing practice. They then engaged in written reflection about their photos. Photos were to be taken in rural settings of their choice, thus fostering both urban and rural student exposure to diverse rural communities. One hundred forty-four photos and reflections were submitted, representing students' appreciation of diverse facilitators and challenges to rural nursing practice. Facilitators included technology, a generalist role, strong sense of community, and slower pace of life. Challenges included inadequate rural education in undergraduate nursing programs, professional isolation, safety issues, few opportunities for professional development, lack of anonymity, and insider/outsider status. Exemplar photos and reflections are provided. The photovoice research approach used in this rural education endeavour proved to be very useful in fostering students' exposure to, interest in, and understanding of rural settings and their influence on rural nursing practice. Photovoice is also recommended for use in rural courses other than nursing. Suggested strategies include group photovoice experience and the expansion of reflection to enhance rural health research.

  19. Towards a new theory of practice for community health psychology.

    PubMed

    Nolas, Sevasti-Melissa

    2014-01-01

    The article sets out the value of theorizing collective action from a social science perspective that engages with the messy actuality of practice. It argues that community health psychology relies on an abstract version of Paulo Freire's earlier writing, the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which provides scholar-activists with a 'map' approach to collective action. The article revisits Freire's later work, the Pedagogy of Hope, and argues for the importance of developing a 'journey' approach to collective action. Theories of practice are discussed for their value in theorizing such journeys, and in bringing maps (intentions) and journeys (actuality) closer together.

  20. Considering Community Psychology Competencies: A Love Letter to Budding Scholar-Activists Who Wonder if They Have What It Takes.

    PubMed

    Langhout, Regina Day

    2015-06-01

    Recently, community psychologists have re-vamped a set of 18 competencies considered important for how we practice community psychology. Three competencies are: (1) ethical, reflexive practice, (2) community inclusion and partnership, and (3) community education, information dissemination, and building public awareness. This paper will outline lessons I-a white working class woman academic-learned about my competency development through my research collaborations, using the lens of affective politics. I describe three lessons, from school-based research sites (elementary schools serving working class students of color and one elite liberal arts school serving wealthy white students). The first lesson, from an elementary school, concerns ethical, reflective practice. I discuss understanding my affect as a barometer of my ability to conduct research from a place of solidarity. The second lesson, which centers community inclusion and partnership, illustrates how I learned about the importance of "before the beginning" conversations concerning social justice and conflict when working in elementary schools. The third lesson concerns community education, information dissemination, and building public awareness. This lesson, from a college, taught me that I could stand up and speak out against classism in the face of my career trajectory being threatened. With these lessons, I flesh out key aspects of community practice competencies.

  1. Community and Connection in Inclusive Early-Childhood Education: A Participatory Action Research Investigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erwin, Elizabeth J.; Puig, Victoria I.; Evenson, Tara L.; Beresford, Madeleine

    2012-01-01

    There are many resources that describe high-quality inclusive practices in early education as well as the necessary competencies for early-childhood practitioners working in inclusive settings. Yet, despite important initiatives in the field, a discrepancy between research and practice remains. In an effort to narrow this research-to-practice gap…

  2. The effectiveness of oral health education conducted at a rural community market setting.

    PubMed

    Lawal, F B; Nasiru, W O; Taiwo, J O

    2013-01-01

    The workplace is one of the avenues for educating the public about their oral health in developing countries; particularly in rural communities where the workplace plays a major role in communal living. It is therefore necessary to find out if the market is appropriate for achieving the set aim of improving oral health awareness among the populace in rural communities. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of oral health education conducted in a market in a rural community by comparing the oral health practices of market women involved in the oral health education programme to those not involved in the programme. A prospective study. A rural community in South-western Nigeria. A prospective interventional study was conducted among market women in Igboora, a rural community in South-western Nigeria. The intervention was oral health education differentiating between the intervention group and the control group. Structured interviewer administered questionnaires were used to obtain information from the participants on their oral hygiene measures, fluoride use, dental attendance and the demographics of the participants. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS and p-value set at <0.05. Two hundred market women participated in the study with a mean age of 45.2 ± 17 years. The interventional group was made up of 106 market women while the control group was made up of 94 market women. There were no significant differences in the sociodemographic characteristics of women in both the intervention and control groups. Women in the intervention group engaged in more frequent cleaning of their teeth and tongue than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Market women who had participated in the oral health education subsequently visited the dentist more often than those in the control group (p = 0.010). The study showed that oral health education conducted at a market was effective in improving some oral health practices of participants. It is recommended that oral health practices be extended to major markets in our communities.

  3. Opsite Plus in the managment of low to moderate exuding wounds.

    PubMed

    Fear, M

    This article discusses the use of OpSite Plus (formerly known as OpSite Post-Op) in the community setting. This semipermeable film dressing with an absorbent pad was evaluated by the community hospital and by practice and district nurses within Plymouth's NHS Primary Care Trust.

  4. Small Learning Communities Meet School-to-Work: Whole-School Restructuring for Urban Comprehensive High Schools. Report No. 31.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Legters, Nettie E.

    This report describes specific reform practices schools are implementing to realize the vision set forth in the National Association of Secondary School Principals document, "Breaking Ranks," which calls for changes in curriculum, instruction, assessment, school organization, professional development, community partnerships, and…

  5. Integrating Systems-Based Practice, Community Psychiatry, and Recovery into Residency Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeMelle, Stephanie; Arbuckle, Melissa R.; Ranz, Jules M.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Behavioral health services involving multiple systems of care are increasingly being provided in community as well as hospital settings. Residents therefore should be familiar with multiple systems and the role of the psychiatrist in these systems. The authors describe a curriculum incorporating principles of systems-based practice…

  6. Dissemination of Evidence-Based Practice: Can We Train Therapists from a Distance?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vismara, Laurie A.; Young, Gregory S.; Stahmer, Aubyn C.; Griffith, Elizabeth McMahon; Rogers, Sally J.

    2009-01-01

    Although knowledge about the efficacy of behavioral interventions for children with ASD is increasing, studies of effectiveness and transportability to community settings are needed. The current study conducted an effectiveness trial to compare distance learning vs. live instruction for training community-based therapists to implement the Early…

  7. Social Work with Religious Volunteers: Activating and Sustaining Community Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garland, Diana R.; Myers, Dennis M.; Wolfer, Terry A.

    2008-01-01

    Social workers in diverse community practice settings recruit and work with volunteers from religious congregations. This article reports findings from two surveys: 7,405 congregants in 35 Protestant congregations, including 2,570 who were actively volunteering, and a follow-up survey of 946 volunteers. It compares characteristics of congregation…

  8. In Practice: Harvard Houses--The Value of the Tutorial System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Suzy; Johnson, Laura; Boes, Lisa

    2012-01-01

    In recent years, many institutions have developed residential living-learning communities that aim to involve faculty in promoting peer-to-peer learning and furthering students' scholarly interests in a residential setting. A special type of living-learning community--the residential college--has been embraced by many: Harvard University; the…

  9. Supporting the Emotional Work of School Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Belinda M.

    2007-01-01

    This practical book deals with the emotional and moral dimensions of school leadership. The author sets out the intra-personal and interpersonal attributes, attitudes and behaviours necessary to develop emotional and moral leadership within the school community. The book provides a range of person-centred strategies for building communities of…

  10. The Task of an Educator Is Supporting "Communities of Learners" as Transformative Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tomlins-Jahnke, Huia

    2013-01-01

    Indigenous scholars have consistently challenged institutions to be more responsive to indigenous students and their communities. In providing guidance on how institutions could support indigenous education in North America, Kirkness and Barnhardt suggest a set of interconnecting principles of respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility.…

  11. Bridging the Gap Between Micro and Macro Practice to Address Homelessness in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Implications for Practitioners and Community Stakeholders

    PubMed Central

    Moya, Eva M.; Chavez-Baray, Silvia Maria; Martinez, Omar; Mattera, Brian; Adcox, Courtney

    2018-01-01

    Research and scholarship efforts continue to promote the integration of micro and macro practice in social work practice and education. Despite this, scholarship has documented persistent challenges in the fluid integration between the domains of micro-level service provision and macro-level social change efforts in practice and academic programs. This paper outlines a successful bridge between the micro-macro divide in the form of community-engaged practice to address homelessness and social work education in the U.S.-Mexico border region. MSW students enrolled in a macro-level course at the University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Health Sciences successfully partnered with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a grassroots community-based organization serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The narrative describes how students were effectively able to apply both micro- and macro-level skills learned in the classroom to an experiential learning environment while providing much-needed assistance to an underfunded community-based organization. A set of challenges and recommendations are also discussed. Research initiatives are needed to evaluate and test clinical and community work initiatives, including the use of photovoice methodology to address homelessness, while being responsive to community needs and challenges. PMID:29809204

  12. Bridging the Gap Between Micro and Macro Practice to Address Homelessness in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Implications for Practitioners and Community Stakeholders.

    PubMed

    Moya, Eva M; Chavez-Baray, Silvia Maria; Martinez, Omar; Mattera, Brian; Adcox, Courtney

    2018-01-01

    Research and scholarship efforts continue to promote the integration of micro and macro practice in social work practice and education. Despite this, scholarship has documented persistent challenges in the fluid integration between the domains of micro-level service provision and macro-level social change efforts in practice and academic programs. This paper outlines a successful bridge between the micro-macro divide in the form of community-engaged practice to address homelessness and social work education in the U.S.-Mexico border region. MSW students enrolled in a macro-level course at the University of Texas at El Paso's College of Health Sciences successfully partnered with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a grassroots community-based organization serving individuals experiencing homelessness. The narrative describes how students were effectively able to apply both micro- and macro-level skills learned in the classroom to an experiential learning environment while providing much-needed assistance to an underfunded community-based organization. A set of challenges and recommendations are also discussed. Research initiatives are needed to evaluate and test clinical and community work initiatives, including the use of photovoice methodology to address homelessness, while being responsive to community needs and challenges.

  13. Designing for expansive science learning and identification across settings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stromholt, Shelley; Bell, Philip

    2017-10-01

    In this study, we present a case for designing expansive science learning environments in relation to neoliberal instantiations of standards-based implementation projects in education. Using ethnographic and design-based research methods, we examine how the design of coordinated learning across settings can engage youth from non-dominant communities in scientific and engineering practices, resulting in learning experiences that are more relevant to youth and their communities. Analyses highlight: (a) transformative moments of identification for one fifth-grade student across school and non-school settings; (b) the disruption of societal, racial stereotypes on the capabilities of and expectations for marginalized youth; and (c) how youth recognized themselves as members of their community and agents of social change by engaging in personally consequential science investigations and learning.

  14. Mapping the rehabilitation interventions of a community stroke team to the extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke.

    PubMed

    Evans, Melissa; Hocking, Clare; Kersten, Paula

    2017-12-01

    This study aim was to evaluate whether the Extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke captured the interventions of a community stroke rehabilitation team situated in a large city in New Zealand. It was proposed that the results would identify the contribution of each discipline, and the gaps and differences in service provision to Māori and non-Māori. Applying the Extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke in this way would also inform whether this core set should be adopted in New Zealand. Interventions were retrospectively extracted from 18 medical records and linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and the Extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke. The frequencies of linked interventions and the health discipline providing the intervention were calculated. Analysis revealed that 98.8% of interventions provided by the rehabilitation team could be linked to the Extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke, with more interventions for body function and structure than for activities and participation; no interventions for emotional concerns; and limited interventions for community, social and civic life. Results support previous recommendations for additions to the EICSS. The results support the use of the Extended International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke in New Zealand and demonstrates its use as a quality assurance tool that can evaluate the scope and practice of a rehabilitation service. Implications for Rehabilitation The Extended International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke appears to represent the stroke interventions of a community stroke rehabilitation team in New Zealand. As a result, researchers and clinicians may have increased confidence to use this core set in research and clinical practice. The Extended International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health Core Set for Stroke can be used as a quality assurance tool to establish whether a community stroke rehabilitation team is meeting the functional needs of its stroke population.

  15. Comparison of community and hospital pharmacists' attitudes and behaviors on medication error disclosure to the patient: A pilot study.

    PubMed

    Kim, ChungYun; Mazan, Jennifer L; Quiñones-Boex, Ana C

    To determine pharmacists' attitudes and behaviors on medication errors and their disclosure and to compare community and hospital pharmacists on such views. An online questionnaire was developed from previous studies on physicians' disclosure of errors. Questionnaire items included demographics, environment, personal experiences, and attitudes on medication errors and the disclosure process. An invitation to participate along with the link to the questionnaire was electronically distributed to members of two Illinois pharmacy associations. A follow-up reminder was sent 4 weeks after the original message. Data were collected for 3 months, and statistical analyses were performed with the use of IBM SPSS version 22.0. The overall response rate was 23.3% (n = 422). The average employed respondent was a 51-year-old white woman with a BS Pharmacy degree working in a hospital pharmacy as a clinical staff member. Regardless of practice settings, pharmacist respondents agreed that medication errors were inevitable and that a disclosure process is necessary. Respondents from community and hospital settings were further analyzed to assess any differences. Community pharmacist respondents were more likely to agree that medication errors were inevitable and that pharmacists should address the patient's emotions when disclosing an error. Community pharmacist respondents were also more likely to agree that the health care professional most closely involved with the error should disclose the error to the patient and thought that it was the pharmacists' responsibility to disclose the error. Hospital pharmacist respondents were more likely to agree that it was important to include all details in a disclosure process and more likely to disagree on putting a "positive spin" on the event. Regardless of practice setting, responding pharmacists generally agreed that errors should be disclosed to patients. There were, however, significant differences in their attitudes and behaviors depending on their particular practice setting. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Canada's new medical school: The Northern Ontario School of Medicine: social accountability through distributed community engaged learning.

    PubMed

    Strasser, Roger P; Lanphear, Joel H; McCready, William G; Topps, Maureen H; Hunt, D Dan; Matte, Marie C

    2009-10-01

    Like many rural regions around the world, Northern Ontario has a chronic shortage of doctors. Recognizing that medical graduates who have grown up in a rural area are more likely to practice in the rural setting, the Government of Ontario, Canada, decided in 2001 to establish a new medical school in the region with a social accountability mandate to contribute to improving the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is a joint initiative of Laurentian University and Lakehead University, which are located 700 miles apart. This paper outlines the development and implementation of NOSM, Canada's first new medical school in more than 30 years. NOSM is a rural distributed community-based medical school which actively seeks to recruit students into its MD program who come from Northern Ontario or from similar northern, rural, remote, Aboriginal, Francophone backgrounds. The holistic, cohesive curriculum for the MD program relies heavily on electronic communications to support distributed community engaged learning. In the classroom and in clinical settings, students explore cases from the perspective of physicians in Northern Ontario. Clinical education takes place in a wide range of community and health service settings, so that the students experience the diversity of communities and cultures in Northern Ontario. NOSM graduates will be skilled physicians ready and able to undertake postgraduate training anywhere, but with a special affinity for and comfort with pursuing postgraduate training and clinical practice in Northern Ontario.

  17. Reducing rural maternal mortality and the equity gap in northern Nigeria: the public health evidence for the Community Communication Emergency Referral strategy.

    PubMed

    Aradeon, Susan B; Doctor, Henry V

    2016-01-01

    The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) maternal mortality target risks being underachieved like its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) predecessor. The MDG skilled birth attendant (SBA) strategy proved inadequate to end preventable maternal deaths for the millions of rural women living in resource-constrained settings. This equity gap has been successfully addressed by integrating a community-based emergency obstetric care strategy into the intrapartum care SBA delivery strategy in a large scale, northern Nigerian health systems strengthening project. The Community Communication Emergency Referral (CCER) strategy catalyzes community capacity for timely evacuations to emergency obstetric care facilities instead of promoting SBA deliveries in environments where SBA availability and accessibility will remain inadequate for the near and medium term. Community Communication is an innovative, efficient, equitable, and culturally appropriate community mobilization approach that empowers low- and nonliterate community members to become the communicators. For the CCER strategy, this community mobilization approach was used to establish and maintain emergency maternal care support structures. Public health evidence demonstrates the success of integrating the CCER strategy into the SBA strategy and the practicability of this combined strategy at scale. In intervention sites, the maternal mortality ratio reduced by 16.8% from extremely high levels within 4 years. Significantly, the CCER strategy contributed to saving one-third of the lives saved in the project sites, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the SBAs and upgraded emergency obstetric care facilities. Pre- and postimplementation Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Survey results and qualitative assessments support the CCER theory of change. This theory of change rests on a set of implementation steps that rely on three innovative components: Community Communication, Rapid Imitation Practice, and CCER support structures. Innovative communication body tools and the rote learning Rapid Imitation Practice training methodology enabled low-literate volunteers to saturate their communities with informed group discussions transferring communication capacity and ownership to the discussion participants. CCER is especially efficient because virtually every timely, community referral for emergency maternal care results in a saved life, whereas on average, only one in every eight births delivered by an SBA (12%) is expected to be a delivery-associated complication requiring lifesaving care.

  18. Medical Teaching in Sioux Lookout: Primary Health Care in a Cross-Cultural Setting

    PubMed Central

    Hagen, Catherine; Casson, Ian; Wilson, Ruth

    1989-01-01

    When participating in health care in northern Native communities, physician-teachers are challenged to understand community development, treat diverse manifestations of illness and socio-cultural strain, and provide opportunities for students and residents to learn the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will promote the health of Native people and that will develop the students' own education. The University of Toronto Sioux Lookout Program includes a teaching practice with the goals of service, teaching, and research that provides care and promotes health for 13 000 Ojibway- or Cree-speaking aboriginal Canadians in northwestern Ontario. Knowledge gained in this setting about broad determinants of health, communication skills, and clinical decision making can be generalized to other practices. PMID:21249082

  19. Campaign best practice in intravenous therapy.

    PubMed

    Baldwin, Wayne; Murphy, Jayne; Shakespeare, David; Kelly, Chris; Fox, Louise; Kelly, Matthew

    Intravenous therapy is an integral part of nursing care but is associated with a high risk of infection. This article outlines a campaign that aimed to increase awareness of best practice for IV therapy and reduce the risks of healthcare-associated IV infections in hospital and community settings.

  20. Approaches for building community participation: A qualitative case study of Canadian food security programs.

    PubMed

    Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

    2017-10-01

    There is increasing opportunity and support for occupational therapists to expand their scope of practice in community settings. However, evidence is needed to increase occupational therapists' knowledge, confidence, and capacity with building community participation and adopting community-centered practice roles. The purpose of this study is to improve occupational therapists' understanding of an approach to building community participation, through case study of a network of Canadian food security programs. Qualitative case study was utilized. Data were semistructured interviews, field observations, documents, and online social media. Thematic analysis was used to identify and describe four themes that relate to processes used to build community participation. The four themes were use of multiple methods, good leaders are fundamental, growing participation via social media, and leveraging outcomes. Occupational therapists can utilize an approach for building community participation that incorporates resource mobilization. Challenges of sustainability and social exclusion must be addressed.

  1. Houses and Sheds in Australia: An Exploration of the Genesis and Growth of Neighbourhood Houses and Men's Sheds in Community Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Golding, Barry; Kimberley, Helen; Foley, Annette; Brown, Mike

    2008-01-01

    This article reviews research into the genesis and spread of both neighbourhood houses and learning centres in Victoria and community-based men's sheds in Australia to identify some similarities and differences. Our article asks questions about the gendered communities of practice that underpin houses for women on the one hand, and sheds for men…

  2. Dispensing doctor practices and community pharmacies: exploring the quality of pharmaceutical services.

    PubMed

    Weiss, Marjorie C; Grey, Elisabeth; Harris, Michael; Rodham, Karen

    2016-01-01

    This research sought (a) to investigate the similarities and differences in how pharmaceutical services are provided by community pharmacies (CPs) and dispensing doctor practices (DPs) and (b) to identify the issues relevant to determining the quality of pharmaceutical services in these settings. UK pharmaceutical services, including dispensing prescriptions and public health advice, can be provided from both (CP) and, in rural areas, (DP). While there is much similarity between CPs and DPs in the types of services provided, there is also the potential for variation in service quality across settings. A postal questionnaire of DPs and CPs in South West England was conducted to provide a descriptive overview of pharmaceutical services across the settings. A subsection of questionnaire respondent sites were selected to take part in case studies, which involved documentary analyses, observation and staff interviews. Survey response was 39% for CPs (52/134) and 48% (31/64) for DPs. There were three CP and four DP case study sites, with 17 staff interviews. More pharmacies than practices were open at the weekend and they had more staff trained above NVQ level 2. Both doctors and pharmacists saw themselves as medicines experts, as being accessible and having good relationships with patients. Workplace practices and organisational ethos varied both within and across settings, with good practice observed in both. Overall, CPs and DPs have much in common. Workplace culture and an evidence-based approach to checking prescriptions and error reporting need to be considered in future assessments of service quality.

  3. Practice development: implementing a change of practice as a team.

    PubMed

    Covill, Carl; Hope, Angela

    2012-08-01

    Practice development (PD), as a framework for multiprofessional working, has immense potential, specifically within change management and the clinical governance agenda. It has been acknowledged as a vehicle for 'continuous improvement'. This article discusses PD through collaborative working using the example of a case study on change of practice in falls reduction within a localised community setting. The process is underpinned by a PD framework and facilitated by leaders of PD within a university setting. The article identifies that PD frameworks are conducive to developing leadership and management roles within a democratic process. The article discusses the potential for multiprofessional PD within the locality and further afield.

  4. Reflective practice: a framework for case manager development.

    PubMed

    Brubakken, Karen; Grant, Sara; Johnson, Mary K; Kollauf, Cynthia

    2011-01-01

    The role of a nurse case manager (NCM) incorporates practice that is built upon knowledge gained in other roles as well as components unique to case management. The concept of reflective practice was used in creating a framework to recognize the developmental stages that occur within community based case management practice. The formation of this framework and its uses are described in this article. The practice setting is a community based case management department in a large midwestern metropolitan health care system with Magnet recognition. Advanced practice nurses provide care for clients with chronic health conditions. Twenty-four narratives were used to identify behaviors of community based case managers and to distinguish stages of practice. The behaviors of advanced practice found within the narratives were labeled and analyzed for similarities. Related behaviors were grouped and descriptor statements were written. These statements grouped into 3 domains of practice: relationship/partnership, coordination/collaboration, and clinical knowledge/decision making. The statements in each domain showed practice variations from competent to expert, and 3 stages were determined. Reliability and validity of the framework involved analysis of additional narratives. The reflective practice process, used for monthly case review presentations, provides opportunity for professional development and group learning focused on improving case manager practice. The framework is also being used in orientation as new case managers acclimate to the role. Reflective writing has unveiled the richness and depth of nurse case manager practice. The depth of knowledge and skills involved in community-based case management is captured within this reflective practice framework. This framework provides a format for describing community based case manager practice development over the course of time and has been used as a tool for orientation and peer review.

  5. Implementing community-based provider participation in research: an empirical study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Since 2003, the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) has sought to restructure the clinical research enterprise in the United States by promoting collaborative research partnerships between academically-based investigators and community-based physicians. By increasing community-based provider participation in research (CBPPR), the NIH seeks to advance the science of discovery by conducting research in clinical settings where most people get their care, and accelerate the translation of research results into everyday clinical practice. Although CBPPR is seen as a promising strategy for promoting the use of evidence-based clinical services in community practice settings, few empirical studies have examined the organizational factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of CBPPR. The purpose of this study is to explore the organizational start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in community-based practice. Methods We used longitudinal, case study research methods and an organizational model of innovation implementation to theoretically guide our study. Our sample consisted of three community practice settings that recently joined the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) in the United States. Data were gathered through site visits, telephone interviews, and archival documents from January 2008 to May 2011. Results The organizational model for innovation implementation was useful in identifying and investigating the organizational factors influencing start-up and early implementation of CBPPR in CCOP organizations. In general, the three CCOP organizations varied in the extent to which they achieved consistency in CBPPR over time and across physicians. All three CCOP organizations demonstrated mixed levels of organizational readiness for change. Hospital management support and resource availability were limited across CCOP organizations early on, although they improved in one CCOP organization. As a result of weak IPPs, all three CCOPs created a weak implementation climate. Patient accrual became concentrated over time among those groups of physicians for whom CBPPR exhibited a strong innovation-values fit. Several external factors influenced innovation use, complicating and enriching our intra-organizational model of innovation implementation. Conclusion Our results contribute to the limited body of research on the implementation of CBPPR. They inform policy discussions about increasing and sustaining community clinician involvement in clinical research and expand on theory about organizational determinants of implementation effectiveness. PMID:22568935

  6. Evaluation of community pharmacy-based services for type-2 diabetes in an Indonesian setting: pharmacist survey.

    PubMed

    Wibowo, Yosi; Parsons, Richard; Sunderland, Bruce; Hughes, Jeffery

    2015-10-01

    Diabetes is an emerging chronic disease in developing countries. Currently the management of diabetes in developing countries is mainly hospital or clinic based. With burgeoning numbers of patients with diabetes, other models need to be evaluated for service delivery in developing countries. Community pharmacists are an important option for provision of diabetes care. Currently, data regarding practices of community pharmacists in diabetes care have been limited to developed countries. To evaluate current community pharmacy-based services and perceived roles of pharmacists in type 2 diabetes care, and characteristics (pharmacist and pharmacy) associated with current practice. Community pharmacies in a developing country setting (Surabaya, Indonesia). A questionnaire was administered to pharmacists managing a random sample of 400 community pharmacies in Surabaya, Indonesia. Current practice and pharmacists' perceived roles were rated using Likert scales, whilst an open-ended question was used to identify priority roles. Logistic regression models determined characteristics associated with current practice. A response rate of 60% was achieved. Dispensing (100%) and education on how to use medications (72.6%) were common current pharmacy practices. More than 50% of pharmacists were supportive towards providing additional services beyond dispensing. The highest priorities for services beyond dispensing were education on medications [i.e. directions for use (58.6%) and common/important adverse effects (25.7%)], education on exercise (36.5%), education on diet (47.7%), and monitoring medication compliance (27.9%). Facilitators identified were: being perceived as part of a pharmacist's role (for all priority services), pharmacies with more than 50 diabetes customers per month (for diet education), and pharmacists' involvement in diabetes training (for compliance monitoring). The key barrier identified was lower pharmacist availability (for diet education as well as compliance monitoring). Most community pharmacies in Surabaya, Indonesia have only provided a basic service of dispensing for type 2 diabetes patients. Many pharmacists believed that they should extend their roles particularly regarding patient education and monitoring. The development of pharmacist professional roles would assist in managing the burgeoning burden of diabetes. The identified facilitators/barriers provide baseline data to support the development of community pharmacy-based diabetes services.

  7. Resource allocation on the frontlines of public health preparedness and response: report of a summit on legal and ethical issues.

    PubMed

    Barnett, Daniel J; Taylor, Holly A; Hodge, James G; Links, Jonathan M

    2009-01-01

    In the face of all-hazards preparedness challenges, local and state health department personnel have to date lacked a discrete set of legally and ethically informed public health principles to guide the distribution of scarce resources in crisis settings. To help address this gap, we convened a Summit of academic and practice experts to develop a set of principles for legally and ethically sound public health resource triage decision-making in emergencies. The invitation-only Summit, held in Washington, D.C., on June 29, 2006, assembled 20 experts from a combination of academic institutions and nonacademic leadership, policy, and practice settings. The Summit featured a tabletop exercise designed to highlight resource scarcity challenges in a public health infectious disease emergency. This exercise served as a springboard for Summit participants' subsequent identification of 10 public health emergency resource allocation principles through an iterative process. The final product of the Summit was a set of 10 principles to guide allocation decisions involving scarce resources in public health emergencies. The principles are grouped into three categories: obligations to community; balancing personal autonomy and community well-being/benefit; and good preparedness practice. The 10 Summit-derived principles represent an attempt to link law, ethics, and real-world public health emergency resource allocation practices, and can serve as a useful starting framework to guide further systematic approaches and future research on addressing public health resource scarcity in an all-hazards context.

  8. What are community nurses experiences of assessing frailty and assisting in planning subsequent interventions?

    PubMed

    Britton, Hannah

    2017-09-02

    With an ageing population and increasing focus on community care, this study aimed to explore the experiences of community nurses in assessing frailty and planning interventions around frailty. Six community nurses were recruited for face-to-face semi-structured interviews as part of this qualitative study which was underpinned by a competence framework ( Royal College of Nursing, 2009 ). Thematic analysis was used and frailty was identified as an emerging topic within practice. Participants discussed several aspects associated with frailty; however, some uncertainty around the concept of frailty and its definition was noted, particularly for staff who had received limited frailty training. Participants had a growing awareness of frailty in practice, but challenges-including time constraints and staffing within some roles, a perception of limited services to support older people, and for some a lack of confidence and training-presented barriers to frailty assessment. The Rockwood frailty scale was used by participants within practice, but evidence suggested it was felt to lack validity within the community setting.

  9. The community reintegration project: occupational therapy at work in a county jail.

    PubMed

    Eggers, Mila; Muñoz, Jaime Phillip; Sciulli, John; Crist, Patricia Ann Hickerson

    2006-01-01

    The incarcerated population in U.S jails has more than doubled in the last thirty years while prison populations have quintupled. Over half of those released from incarceration return to correctional systems within one year of release. One of the reasons for these high rates of recidivism is that many inmates lack the community living skills necessary for community reintegration. Successful community reintegration for ex-offenders requires a skill set that occupational therapists have long addressed in their domain of practice. Compared to practitioners in the United Kingdom and Australia, U.S. practitioners have been slow to develop occupational therapy programming in correctional settings. This article describes a community reintegration program for jail inmates built through a collaborative partnership between a university occupational therapy program, community non-profit organizations and a county jail.

  10. Newborn Care Practices among Mother-Infant Dyads in Urban Uganda

    PubMed Central

    Kayom, Violet Okaba; Kakuru, Abel; Kiguli, Sarah

    2015-01-01

    Background. Most information on newborn care practices in Uganda is from rural communities which may not be generalized to urban settings. Methods. A community based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the capital city of Uganda from February to May 2012. Quantitative and qualitative data on the newborn care practices of eligible mothers were collected. Results. Over 99% of the mothers attended antenatal care at least once and the majority delivered in a health facility. Over 50% of the mothers applied various substances to the cord of their babies to quicken the healing. Although most of the mothers did not bathe their babies within the first 24 hours of birth, the majority had no knowledge of skin to skin care as a thermoprotective method. The practice of bathing babies in herbal medicine was common (65%). Most of the mothers breastfed exclusively (93.2%) but only 60.7% initiated breastfeeding within the first hour of life, while a significant number (29%) used prelacteal feeds. Conclusion. The inadequate newborn care practices in this urban community point to the need to intensify the promotion of universal coverage of the newborn care practices irrespective of rural or urban communities and irrespective of health care seeking indicators. PMID:26713096

  11. Medication dispensing errors in Palestinian community pharmacy practice: a formal consensus using the Delphi technique.

    PubMed

    Shawahna, Ramzi; Haddad, Aseel; Khawaja, Baraa; Raie, Rand; Zaneen, Sireen; Edais, Tasneem

    2016-10-01

    Background Medication dispensing errors (MDEs) are frequent in community pharmacy practice. A definition of MDEs and scenarios representing MDE situations in Palestinian community pharmacy practice were not previously approached using formal consensus techniques. Objective This study was conducted to achieve consensus on a definition of MDEs and a wide range of scenarios that should or should not be considered as MDEs in Palestinian community pharmacy practice by a panel of community pharmacists. Setting Community pharmacy practice in Palestine. Method This was a descriptive study using the Delphi technique. A panel of fifty community pharmacists was recruited from different geographical locations of the West Bank of Palestine. A three round Delphi technique was followed to achieve consensus on a proposed definition of MDEs and 83 different scenarios representing potential MDEs using a nine-point scale. Main outcome measure Agreement or disagreement of a panel of community pharmacists on a proposed definition of MDEs and a series of scenarios representing potential MDEs. Results In the first Delphi round, views of key contact community pharmacists on MDEs were explored and situations representing potential MDEs were collected. In the second Delphi round, consensus was achieved to accept the proposed definition and to include 49 (59 %) of the 83 proposed scenarios as MDEs. In the third Delphi round, consensus was achieved to include further 13 (15.7 %) scenarios as MDEs, exclude 9 (10.8 %) scenarios and the rest of 12 (14.5 %) scenarios were considered equivocal based on the opinions of the panelists. Conclusion Consensus on a definition of MDEs and scenarios representing MDE situations in Palestinian community pharmacy practice was achieved using a formal consensus technique. The use of consensual definitions and scenarios representing MDE situations in community pharmacy practice might minimize methodological variations and their significant effects on the number and rate of MDEs reported in different studies.

  12. Proposed Terminology for Anal Squamous Lesions: Its Application and Interobserver Agreement Among Pathologists in Academic and Community Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Roma, Andres A; Liu, Xiuli; Patil, Deepa T; Xie, Hao; Allende, Daniela

    2017-07-01

    To analyze interobserver reproducibility and compare practice patterns between academic and community settings of Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology (LAST). In total, 132 anal biopsy slides were revised as well as p16 immunostains. LAST was used in 49% of cases (academic center, 68%; satellite hospitals [community practice setting], 32%). After pathology review and consensus interpretation, 23 (17%) case diagnoses were reclassified: eight (34.8%) cases (benign or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion [LSIL]) were upgraded to high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (p16 confirmed ordered during review); four (17.4%) cases originally classified as HSIL were downgraded to LSIL (p16 originally ordered in one case). There was no significant difference in discrepancies between original and consensus diagnosis in the community vs academic setting or by subspecialty (gynecological vs gastrointestinal). Overall interobserver agreement among reviewers was substantial (κ = 0.63) and improved with the use of p16 immunostain in challenging cases (κ = 0.71; P < .001). This new terminology is not yet uniformly used by pathologists in anal/perianal biopsy specimens; this two-tier system has a good interobserver agreement and is further improved with p16 use in appropriate cases. © American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  13. Practice activities of privately-practicing nurse practitioners: Results from an Australian survey.

    PubMed

    Currie, Jane; Chiarella, Mary; Buckley, Thomas

    2018-03-01

    To facilitate expansion of privately-practicing nurse practitioners in community and primary care settings, a legislative amendment in 2010 made privately-practicing nurse practitioners eligible to provide services subsidised through the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. To evaluate their practice activities, a national survey of privately-practicing nurse practitioners in Australia was conducted, and data analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis (n = 73). As part of their role, 96% (n = 70) participants reported undertaking direct patient care, 95% (n = 69) patient education and health promotion, 95% (n = 69) prescribed medications, 92% (n = 67) referred patients for diagnostic investigations, and 88% (n = 64) reported making a diagnosis. Over 50% of participants saw up to 15 patients daily, and 80% (n = 58) treated the same patients on a regular basis. Of the participants, 59% (n = 43) perceived that they worked to their full scope of practice. The mainstay of privately-practicing nurse practitioner services is provision of direct patient care in community and primary healthcare settings, suggesting they have emerging potential in addressing the ever-increasing demand for healthcare in Australia. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  14. Bringing Person- and Family-Centred Care Alive in Home, Community and Long-Term Care Organizations.

    PubMed

    Bender, Danielle; Holyoke, Paul

    2016-01-01

    It is now more important than ever for person- and family-centred care (PFCC) to be at the forefront of program and service design and delivery; yet, to date, very little guidance is available to assist home, community and long-term care (LTC) organizations to operationalize this concept and overcome inherent challenges. This article provides a list of practical strategies for healthcare leaders to promote and support a culture shift towards PFCC in their organizations and identifies and addresses five common concerns. The unique opportunities and challenges for practicing PFCC in home, community and LTC settings are also discussed.

  15. Turn! Turn! Turn!: A Time for Engaged Learning. The Engagement of Scholarship and Practice in a Classroom Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knassmüller, Monika

    2016-01-01

    As the integration of academic teaching and research with communities of practice is considered a major concern of public administration since its founding as a field, professional programmes were established on the premise that there is a positive relationship between practice and scholarship. However, the balance between them is considered…

  16. Building a Community of Collaborative Inquiry: A Pathway to Re-Imagining Practice in Health and Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petrie, Kirsten; Burrows, Lisette; Cosgriff, Marg

    2014-01-01

    On-going critiques of existing practices in primary schools focus on the ability of generalist teachers to deliver quality Health and Physical Education (HPE). As well, there are concerns regarding the influx of outsider providers in school spaces and the potentially damaging body pedagogies and practices that are pervading education settings. Our…

  17. Perspectives from practice: complexities of personal care workers.

    PubMed

    Martyn, Julie-Anne; Zanella, Sally; Wilkinson, Adele

    2017-11-14

    Personal care workers (PCWs) make up the bulk of the workforce in residential and community care services. The knowledge and skill set needed for safe and effective practice in care settings is extensive. A diverse range of registered training organisations (RTOs) offering Certificate III and IV in Individual Support (aging, home and community) are tasked with producing job-ready PCWs. However, the curricula of these programs vary. Additionally, a national code of conduct for healthcare workers became effective in October 2015 as a governance framework for PCWs. The language of the code statements is ambiguous making it unclear how this framework should be translated by RTOs and applied in the preservice practice preparation of PCWs. Employers of PCWs need to feel confident that the content of the preservice education of PCWs satisfactorily prepares them for the diverse contexts of their practice. Likewise, the health professionals who supervise PCWs must be assured about the knowledge and skills of the PCW if they are to safely delegate care activities. The perspectives presented in this discussion make it clear that investigation into the nebulous nature of PCW education, regulation and practice is needed to identify the shortcomings and enable improved practice.

  18. Professional Competencies for Student Affairs Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munsch, Patty; Cortez, Lori

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this chapter is to explore the integration of the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners (ACPA/NASPA, 2010) on community college campuses. The competencies provide specific skill sets for a broad range of student affairs practice areas that should be met by professionals throughout their careers.…

  19. Narrative ideas for consulting with communities and organizations: ripples from the gatherings.

    PubMed

    Freedman, Jill; Combs, Gene

    2009-09-01

    This paper reviews Michael White's early work with communities and extends ideas and practices from that work into the realm of consulting with organizations. We draw on Michael's writing and the records of two specific projects, as well as the recollections of team members in those projects, to describe how ideas and practices that were originally developed in working with individuals and families came to be applied in community settings. Specifically, we show how the central intention of the work is to use narrative ideas and practices in ways that allow communities to articulate, appreciate, document, utilize, and share their own knowledges of life and skills of living. We discuss the basic narrative ideas of stories, double listening, telling and retelling, making documents, and linking lives through shared purposes. For these projects, the teams developed structures that made it possible to use the basic idea with whole communities. We show how this work with communities has offered inspiration and ideas for our work in consulting to organizations. Finally, we describe and illustrate a particular way of working with organizations that carries the spirit of Michael's community work into situations requiring shorter blocks of time and more limited commitments than the original community contexts.

  20. Coproduction of Research Questions and Research Evidence in Public Health: The Study to Prevent Teen Drinking Parties.

    PubMed

    Wolfson, Mark; Wagoner, Kimberly G; Rhodes, Scott D; Egan, Kathleen L; Sparks, Michael; Ellerbee, Dylan; Song, Eunyoung Y; Debinski, Beata; Terrillion, Albert; Vining, Judi; Yang, Evelyn

    2017-01-01

    Community-based participatory research (CBPR) provides a set of principles and practices intended to foster coproduction of knowledge. However, CBPR often has shortcomings when applied to population-level policy and practice interventions, including a focus on single communities and a lack of focus on policy change. At the same time, community trials focused on policy have shortcomings, including lack of stakeholder involvement in framing research questions and modest engagement in study implementation and interpretation and dissemination of results. We describe an attempt to hybridize CBPR and community trials by creating a partnership that included a national membership organization, a coalition advisory board, intervention and delayed intervention communities, and an academic study team, which collaborated on a study of community strategies to prevent underage drinking parties. We use qualitative and quantitative data to critically assess the partnership. Areas where the partnership was effective included (1) identifying a research question with high public health significance, (2) enhancing the intervention, and (3) improving research methods. Challenges included community coalition representatives' greater focus on their own communities rather than the production of broader scientific knowledge. This model can be applied in future attempts to narrow the gap between research, policy, and practice.

  1. The future: a primary care-led NHS.

    PubMed

    Cross, Sue

    2010-04-01

    The NHS is becoming increasingly primary care and community focused and the role of the community nurse is becoming more significant, not just in managing long-term conditions and end of life but in providing vital help and education. Helping people become more knowledgeable about maintaining both their own health and that of their families at home or within the community is vital - the desired end being less need for expensive hospital care. As the demand to implement more complex services grows, so the need for nurses to contribute to the planning and delivery of services becomes more important. Nurses in the community have the experience and practical knowledge and must use it to influence commissioning and engage proactively, and positively, with current policy agendas and with the people whose responsibility it is to implement them. Change in primary care is constant and increasingly it is the frontline deliverers of services that drive that change and help set the agenda. As more care and treatment is devolved from the secondary to primary care setting, there must be greater integration between general practice and the community nursing team, with each helping and informing the other to deliver a world class primary care service.

  2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: Using a Common Read to Transform a Learning Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Virtue, Emily; Wells, Gayle; MacKusick, Carol; Murphy-Nugen, Amy; Rose, Amy

    2018-01-01

    First-year seminars and learning communities (LC) have been used to help increase retention, provide continuity, and support students as they transition to the university setting. Another high impact educational practice--common intellectual experiences (CIE)--includes student activities centered on a theme to help facilitate learning, increase…

  3. Outdoor Learning: Curriculum Imperatives and Community Relevance in a Rural Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maposah-Kandemiri, Myra; Higgins, Peter; McLaughlin, Pat

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a review of practice in the use of the outdoors, and its potential in the teaching of environmental education at Muenzaniso, a Zimbabwean primary school. The school uses permaculture and Integrated Land Use Design as tools for sustainable environmental management. Evidence suggests that pressing community and curriculum…

  4. HEALTH C.H.I.P.s: Opportunistic Community Use of Computerized Health Information Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radvan, Deborah; Wiggers, John; Hazell, Trevor

    2004-01-01

    Computerized health information programs have been shown to have potential to improve knowledge, attitudes and behavior. However, relatively little is known regarding their capacity to engage the public for opportunistic, spontaneous use in community settings. Two studies were undertaken to provide insight to this practical issue. An intercept…

  5. Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in 2-Year-Olds: A Study of Community Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corsello, Christina M.; Akshoomoff, Natacha; Stahmer, Aubyn C.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Longitudinal research studies have demonstrated that experienced clinicians using standardized assessment measures can make a reliable diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children under age 3. Limited data are available regarding the sensitivity and specificity of these measures in community settings. The aims of this…

  6. This Revolution Can Dance: Environmental Education through Community Arts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reinsborough, Laura

    2008-01-01

    For a world catapulting towards the many environmental catastrophes that we each recognize and grasp at our own pace, every educational opportunity must transform us in deep, rich, and meaningful ways. The field of community arts has much to offer environmental education, including sets of questions to interrogate our practices regarding issues…

  7. Exemplary Practice in Manitoba. Models of Quality in Literacy Programming.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manitoba Dept. of Education and Training, Winnipeg. Literacy and Continuing Education Branch.

    This document profiles seven exemplary literacy programs in Manitoba, Canada: the Open Doors program in Winnipeg (a community-based program conducted in a school setting); the Brandon Friendship Centre literacy program (a community-based program conducted in a friendship center in rural Manitoba); the Flin Flon Friendship Centre literacy program…

  8. Facilitating knowledge translation in the "real world" of community psychiatry.

    PubMed

    Goldie, Catherine L; Malchy, Leslie; Johnson, Joy L

    2010-11-01

    Tobacco use disproportionately affects the well-being of individuals with mental illness. In community psychiatric settings, there are culturally embedded attitudes and behaviors regarding smoking that enable practitioners to remain ambivalent about their clients' tobacco use. Given these cultural norms, the authors aimed to introduce evidence-informed smoking cessation interventions to a variety of interdisciplinary mental health care providers by using an innovative approach to knowledge translation. The authors used a case study design in which six community psychiatric settings were targeted. The organizational culture related to smoking was examined at each site before tailored tobacco reduction interventions were delivered. The study design was guided by the knowledge-to-action (KTA) process and two supplementary approaches to change: motivational interviewing (MI) and appreciative inquiry (AI). The principles of the KTA process, MI, and AI helped the authors to meaningfully engage with practice groups and change the organizational culture surrounding tobacco use in several community psychiatric settings.

  9. Obtaining and providing health information in the community pharmacy setting.

    PubMed

    Iwanowicz, Susan L; Marciniak, Macary Weck; Zeolla, Mario M

    2006-06-15

    Community pharmacists are a valuable information resource for patients and other healthcare providers. The advent of new information technology, most notably the Internet, coupled with the rapid availability of new healthcare information, has fueled this demand. Pharmacy students must receive training that enables them to meet this need. Community advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) provide an excellent opportunity for students to develop and master drug information skills in a real-world setting. Preceptors must ensure that students are familiar with drug information resources and can efficiently identify the most useful resource for a given topic. Students must also be trained to assess the quality of resources and use this information to effectively respond to drug or health information inquiries. This article will discuss key aspects of providing drug information in the community pharmacy setting and can serve as a guide and resource for APPE preceptors.

  10. Obtaining and Providing Health Information in the Community Pharmacy Setting

    PubMed Central

    Iwanowicz, Susan L.; Marciniak, Macary Weck; Zeolla, Mario M.

    2006-01-01

    Community pharmacists are a valuable information resource for patients and other healthcare providers. The advent of new information technology, most notably the Internet, coupled with the rapid availability of new healthcare information, has fueled this demand. Pharmacy students must receive training that enables them to meet this need. Community advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) provide an excellent opportunity for students to develop and master drug information skills in a real-world setting. Preceptors must ensure that students are familiar with drug information resources and can efficiently identify the most useful resource for a given topic. Students must also be trained to assess the quality of resources and use this information to effectively respond to drug or health information inquiries. This article will discuss key aspects of providing drug information in the community pharmacy setting and can serve as a guide and resource for APPE preceptors. PMID:17136178

  11. Filipino therapists' experiences and attitudes of interprofessional education and collaboration: A cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Sy, Michael Palapal

    2017-11-01

    For the past more than 50 years, the World Health Organisation has acknowledged through empirical findings that health workers that learn together work together effectively to provide the best care for their patients. This study aimed to: (1) describe the perceived extent of interprofessional education (IPE) experience among Filipino occupational therapists (OTs), physical therapists (PTs), and speech-language-pathologists (SLPs); (2) identify their attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration (IPC); and (3) compare their attitudes towards IPC according to: prior IPE experience, classification of IPE experience, profession, years of practice, and practice setting. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a two-part questionnaire was sent to Filipino OTs, PTs, and SLPs working in the Philippines via an online survey application. The first part of the survey contained eight items of demographic information and the second part contained the 14-item Attitudes Towards Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS). Findings revealed that among the Filipino OT, PT and SLP respondents (n = 189), 70.9% had prior experience on IPE. Moreover, the three most commonly used IPE teaching-learning strategies were case discussion (clinical setting), small group discussion, didactics, and case discussion (community setting), while the use of didactics and case discussion (community setting) yielded more agreeable attitudes towards IPC. Among the 14 items in the ATHCTS, 11 were rated with agreeability and three items with neutrality. For professional variables, only the practice setting variable yielded a statistically significant finding confirming those working in the academia to be more agreeable towards IPC compared to other settings. However, years of practice and professional background variables both yielded no statistically significant difference implying no association between years of practice and attitude towards IPC and a homogenous composition among respondents, respectively. The results of this research are to springboard IPE initiatives within Philippine higher education institutions to enable evidence-based IPC approaches in clinical practice.

  12. The Aboriginal Practical Experience and Its Impact on Pre-Service Teacher's Decisions about Living and Working in Remote in Indigenous Communities in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jay, Jenny; Moss, Lynette; Cherednichenko, Brenda

    2009-01-01

    In June 2008, 10 pre-service teachers and 2 teacher educators from Edith Cowan University (ECU) participated in an existing community education program in rural and remote Indigenous communities in central Australia. From an intrepid start with a mountain of overloaded baggage and camping cutlery setting off the scanning machine at the airport,…

  13. Job satisfaction among chain community pharmacists: results from a pilot study

    PubMed Central

    Hincapie, Ana L.; Yandow, Stephanie; Hines, Stephanie; Martineau, Megan; Warholak, Terri

    Objective The objectives of this study were to obtain pilot data concerning the job satisfaction of Tucson area retail chain setting and to identify the facets of community practice that have the greatest contribution to job satisfaction Methods This was a cross-sectional study of chain pharmacists in the Tucson area. The Warr-Cook-Wall questionnaire of job satisfaction was used to evaluate community pharmacists’ satisfaction with their current position. This study used Rasch analysis to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The Rasch scores obtained for each respondent were used as a dependent variable in univariate and bivariate analyses to evaluate differences in job satisfaction. Results A total of 32 pharmacists responded from 129 chain community pharmacies in the cities of Tucson, Marana and Oro Valley, Arizona. The mean (SD) Rasch score for job satisfaction was 0.93 (2.1). Results from bivariate analysis indicate that pharmacists in the Tucson area with practice experience outside community pharmacy were less satisfied with their job compared to those without experience outside community pharmacy (p<0.01). Conclusions This pilot evaluation suggests that having pharmacy experience outside community practice affects pharmacist job satisfaction. Additionally, findings from this study indicate that there is reliability and validity evidence to support the use of the modified Warr-Cook-Wall questionnaire for assessing overall job satisfaction in chain community pharmacy practice. PMID:24155841

  14. Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Emergency Department and Guidelines for Development

    PubMed Central

    May, Larissa; Cosgrove, Sara; L’Archeveque, Michelle; Talan, David A.; Payne, Perry; Rothman, Richard E.

    2013-01-01

    Antimicrobial resistance is a mounting public health concern. Emergency departments (EDs) represent a particularly important setting for addressing inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing practices, given the frequent use of antibiotics in this setting that sits at the interface of the community and the hospital. This article outlines the importance of antimicrobial stewardship in the ED setting and provides practical recommendations drawn from existing evidence for the application of various strategies and tools that could be implemented in the ED including advancement of clinical guidelines, clinical decision support systems, rapid diagnostics, and expansion of ED pharmacist programs. PMID:23122955

  15. "It's like Tuskegee in reverse": a case study of ethical tensions in institutional review board review of community-based participatory research.

    PubMed

    Malone, Ruth E; Yerger, Valerie B; McGruder, Carol; Froelicher, Erika

    2006-11-01

    Community-based participatory research (CBPR) addresses the social justice dimensions of health disparities by engaging marginalized communities, building capacity for action, and encouraging more egalitarian relationships between researchers and communities. CBPR may challenge institutionalized academic practices and the understandings that inform institutional review board deliberations and, indirectly, prioritize particular kinds of research. We present our attempt to study, as part of a CBPR partnership, cigarette sales practices in an inner-city community. We use critical and communitarian perspectives to examine the implications of the refusal of the university institutional review board (in this case, the University of California, San Francisco) to approve the study. CBPR requires expanding ethical discourse beyond the procedural, principle-based approaches common in biomedical research settings. The current ethics culture of academia may sometimes serve to protect institutional power at the expense of community empowerment.

  16. Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Locations Predominantly Located in Federally Designated Underserved Areas.

    PubMed

    Barclift, Songhai C; Brown, Elizabeth J; Finnegan, Sean C; Cohen, Elena R; Klink, Kathleen

    2016-05-01

    Background The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program is an Affordable Care Act funding initiative designed to expand primary care residency training in community-based ambulatory settings. Statute suggests, but does not require, training in underserved settings. Residents who train in underserved settings are more likely to go on to practice in similar settings, and graduates more often than not practice near where they have trained. Objective The objective of this study was to describe and quantify federally designated clinical continuity training sites of the THCGME program. Methods Geographic locations of the training sites were collected and characterized as Health Professional Shortage Area, Medically Underserved Area, Population, or rural areas, and were compared with the distribution of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-funded training positions. Results More than half of the teaching health centers (57%) are located in states that are in the 4 quintiles with the lowest CMS-funded resident-to-population ratio. Of the 109 training sites identified, more than 70% are located in federally designated high-need areas. Conclusions The THCGME program is a model that funds residency training in community-based ambulatory settings. Statute suggests, but does not explicitly require, that training take place in underserved settings. Because the majority of the 109 clinical training sites of the 60 funded programs in 2014-2015 are located in federally designated underserved locations, the THCGME program deserves further study as a model to improve primary care distribution into high-need communities.

  17. Managing the Social Determinants of Health: Part I: Fundamental Knowledge for Professional Case Management.

    PubMed

    Fink-Samnick, Ellen

    PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING(S):: Applicable to health and behavioral health settings, wherever case management is practiced. The SDH pose major challenges to the health care workforce in terms of effective resource provision, health and behavioral health treatment planning plus adherence, and overall coordination of care. Obstacles and variances to needed interventions easily lead to less than optimal outcomes for case managers and their health care organizations. Possessing sound knowledge and clear understanding of each SDH, the historical perspectives, main theories, and integral dynamics, as well as creative resource solutions, all support a higher level of intentional and effective professional case management practice. Those persons and communities impacted most by the SDH comprise every case management practice setting. These clients can be among the most vulnerable and disenfranchised members of society, which can easily engender biases on the part of the interprofessional workforce. They are also among the costliest to care for with 50% of costs for only 5% of the population. Critical attention to knowledge about managing the SDH leverages and informs case management practice, evolves more effective programming, and enhances operational outcomes across practice settings.

  18. Narrative pedagogy with evolving case study--A transformative approach to gerontic nursing practice for undergraduate nursing students.

    PubMed

    Laver, Shaorn; Croxon, Lyn

    2015-09-01

    Engaging nursing students in the complexities of care across community, acute, rehabilitation and residential aged care settings is challenging. Equally challenging is conceptualising and promoting diverse and comprehensive health assessments across care settings that reflect clinical reality, inform clinical decision making, traverse theory and practice, and transform clinical practice knowledge. This article describes the use of narrative and evolving case study as a teaching-learning tool utilised by the authors in a third year undergraduate gerontic nursing subject in a pre-service nursing degree at a rural university. Principles of transformative learning and strengths based nursing were drawn upon in the development of the case study. The aim of the approach was to draw on embedded knowledge and the experiences of students and academics from assorted practice settings to facilitate understanding of the lived experiences of an older community dwelling couple. Using social learning strategies students were encouraged to analyse and think critically and creatively about the situations they were presented with. They identified possible solutions that would be acceptable to the couple. Building on the older couple's strengths, achievements and personal social capital, the aim was to develop a positive paradigm for health and the way older people are viewed by nursing students. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. An efficacy trial of brief lifestyle intervention delivered by generalist community nurses (CN SNAP trial).

    PubMed

    Laws, Rachel A; Chan, Bibiana C; Williams, Anna M; Davies, Gawaine Powell; Jayasinghe, Upali W; Fanaian, Mahnaz; Harris, Mark F

    2010-02-23

    Lifestyle risk factors, in particular smoking, nutrition, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity (SNAP) are the main behavioural risk factors for chronic disease. Primary health care (PHC) has been shown to be an effective setting to address lifestyle risk factors at the individual level. However much of the focus of research to date has been in general practice. Relatively little attention has been paid to the role of nurses working in the PHC setting. Community health nurses are well placed to provide lifestyle intervention as they often see clients in their own homes over an extended period of time, providing the opportunity to offer intervention and enhance motivation through repeated contacts. The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a brief lifestyle intervention delivered by community nurses in routine practice on changes in clients' SNAP risk factors. The trial uses a quasi-experimental design involving four generalist community nursing services in NSW Australia. Services have been randomly allocated to an 'early intervention' group or 'late intervention' (comparison) group. 'Early intervention' sites are provided with training and support for nurses in identifying and offering brief lifestyle intervention for clients during routine consultations. 'Late intervention site' provide usual care and will be offered the study intervention following the final data collection point. A total of 720 generalist community nursing clients will be recruited at the time of referral from participating sites. Data collection consists of 1) telephone surveys with clients at baseline, three months and six months to examine change in SNAP risk factors and readiness to change 2) nurse survey at baseline, six and 12 months to examine changes in nurse confidence, attitudes and practices in the assessment and management of SNAP risk factors 3) semi-structured interviews/focus with nurses, managers and clients in 'early intervention' sites to explore the feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of the intervention. The study will provide evidence about the effectiveness and feasibility of brief lifestyle interventions delivered by generalist community nurses as part of routine practice. This will inform future community nursing practice and PHC policy. ACTRN12609001081202.

  20. Understanding the Landscape of Psychosocial Intervention Practices for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges in Youth with ASD: A Study Protocol

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wainer, Allison; Drahota, Amy; Cohn, Elizabeth; Kerns, Connor; Lerner, Matthew; Marro, Bianca; Moskowitz, Lauren; Soorya, Latha

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: There is a significant gap between research and practice for mental health services for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite increased numbers of individuals with ASD treated in community settings, little is known about the array of practices used with this population and the extent to which providers are aware of and…

  1. An exploration of experts' perceptions on the use of interprofessional education to support collaborative practice in the care of community-living older adults.

    PubMed

    Ploeg, Jenny; Markle-Reid, Maureen; Fisher, Anita; Bookey-Bassett, Sue; Chambers, Tracey; Kennedy, Laurie; Morsy, Mona; Dufour, Sinéad

    2017-09-01

    Globally, as older adults are living longer and with more chronic conditions, there is a need to support their ability to age optimally in their homes and communities. Community-based interprofessional teams working closely with these older adults, their families, and informal caregivers will be instrumental in achieving this goal. Interprofessional education (IPE) is the means through which these teams can develop expertise in collaboratively working together with older adults. However, most IPE occurs in academic settings, and acute and long-term care sectors and little is known about IPE in the context of home and community care of older adults. The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions of academic and practice experts related to the current state of IPE in home and community care of older adults and the changes that are necessary to meet the future needs of practitioners and older adults. Using a qualitative descriptive design, interviews were conducted with 32 national and international key informants representing practitioners, educators, researchers, and health system decision-makers in the field of IPE. Thematic analysis of the data identified six themes: (a) client and family-centred care at the core of IPE, (b) the community as a unique learning setting across the learning continuum; (c) an aging-relevant IPE curriculum; (d) faculty commitment and resources for IPE; (e) technological innovation to support IPE; and (f) comprehensive IPE programme evaluation and research. These findings are explored through the lens of an interprofessional learning continuum model. The article concludes with a discussion of the study implications for IPE practice and research specifically in the care of community-living older adults.

  2. New Evaluation Vector through the Stanford Mobile Inquiry-Based Learning Environment (SMILE) for Participatory Action Research

    PubMed Central

    An, Ji-Young

    2016-01-01

    Objectives This article reviews an evaluation vector model driven from a participatory action research leveraging a collective inquiry system named SMILE (Stanford Mobile Inquiry-based Learning Environment). Methods SMILE has been implemented in a diverse set of collective inquiry generation and analysis scenarios including community health care-specific professional development sessions and community-based participatory action research projects. In each scenario, participants are given opportunities to construct inquiries around physical and emotional health-related phenomena in their own community. Results Participants formulated inquiries as well as potential clinical treatments and hypothetical scenarios to address health concerns or clarify misunderstandings or misdiagnoses often found in their community practices. From medical universities to rural village health promotion organizations, all participatory inquiries and potential solutions can be collected and analyzed. The inquiry and solution sets represent an evaluation vector which helps educators better understand community health issues at a much deeper level. Conclusions SMILE helps collect problems that are most important and central to their community health concerns. The evaluation vector, consisting participatory and collective inquiries and potential solutions, helps the researchers assess the participants' level of understanding on issues around health concerns and practices while helping the community adequately formulate follow-up action plans. The method used in SMILE requires much further enhancement with machine learning and advanced data visualization. PMID:27525157

  3. Putting the public (back) into public health: leadership, evidence and action.

    PubMed

    South, J; Connolly, A M; Stansfield, J A; Johnstone, P; Henderson, G; Fenton, K A

    2018-03-13

    There is a strong evidence-based rationale for community capacity building and community empowerment as part of a strategic response to reduce health inequalities. Within the current UK policy context, there are calls for increased public engagement in prevention and local decision-making in order to give people greater control over the conditions that determine health. With reference to the challenges and opportunities within the English public health system, this essay seeks to open debate about what is required to mainstream community-centred approaches and ensure that the public is central to public health. The essay sets out the case for a reorientation of public health practice in order to build impactful action with communities at scale leading to a reduction in the health gap. National frameworks that support local practice are described. Four areas of challenge that could potentially drive an implementation gap are discussed: (i) achieving integration and scale, (ii) effective community mobilization, (iii) evidencing impact and (iv) achieving a shift in power. The essay concludes with a call to action for developing a contemporary public health practice that is rooted in communities and offers local leadership to strengthen local assets, increase community control and reduce health inequalities.

  4. Pattern Language Development in the Preparation of Inclusive Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bain, Alan; Lancaster, Julie; Zundans, Lucia

    2008-01-01

    Pattern language is the lexicon used to express the schema of a field of professional practice (Smethurst, 1997). This lexicon is frequently presumed to exist in communities of practice in educational settings, although the findings derived from the longitudinal study of schools (Elmore, 1996; Goodlad, 1984; Lortie, 1975; McLaughlin & Talbert,…

  5. Adlerian Counseling: A Practitioner's Approach. Fourth Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sweeney, Thomas J.

    Written with the practitioner in mind, this overview of the theory and practice of Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology explains the dimensions and uses of natural and logical consequences--the twin bases of Adlerian/Individual Psychology. The text takes a practical approach to the topic, and covers a variety of settings (school, home, community,…

  6. A University-Community Partnership to Advance Research in Practice Settings: The HUB Research Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dulmus, Catherine N.; Cristalli, Maria E.

    2012-01-01

    Human service organizations are uniquely positioned, given their scope of practice and access to consumers with the widest range of needs to significantly increase the national capacity for research if they were effectively equipped with the knowledge, skills, and funding to integrate research and development into their ongoing organizational…

  7. The Space Between: Pedagogic Collaboration between a Writing Centre and an Academic Department

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mckay, Tracey Morton; Simpson, Zachary

    2013-01-01

    The expectations placed on students with respect to appropriate academic writing may hinder successful participation in Higher Education. Full participation is further complicated by the fact that each discipline within the University constitutes its own community of practice, with its own set of literacy practices. While Writing Centres aim to…

  8. Beginning community engagement at a busy biomedical research programme: Experiences from the KEMRI CGMRC-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya

    PubMed Central

    Marsh, Vicki; Kamuya, Dorcas; Rowa, Yvonne; Gikonyo, Caroline; Molyneux, Sassy

    2008-01-01

    There is wide acknowledgement of the need for community engagement in biomedical research, particularly in international settings. Recent debates have described theoretical approaches to identifying situations where this is most critical and potential mechanisms to achieve it. However, there is relatively little published experience of community engagement in practice. A major component of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust Research Programme is centred on Kilifi District General Hospital and surrounding community of 240,000 local residents. Documented community perceptions of the research centre are generally positive, but many indicate a low understanding of research and therapeutic misconceptions of its activities. As in other settings, these misunderstandings have contributed to concerns and rumours, and potentially undermine ethical aspects of research and local trust in the institution. Through a series of consultative activities, a community engagement strategy has been developed in Kilifi to strengthen mutual understanding between community members and the Centre. One important component is the establishment of a representative local resident network in different geographic locations commonly involved in research, to supplement existing communication channels. Early implementation of the strategy has provided new and diverse opportunities for dialogue, interaction and partnership building. Through the complex social interactions inherent in the community engagement strategy, the centre aims to build context specific ethical relations with local residents and to strengthen understanding of how ethical principles can be applied in practice. Evaluations over time will assess the effectiveness and sustainability of these strategies, provide generalisable information for similar research settings, and contribute to debates on the universality of ethical principles for research. This paper aims to summarise the rationale for community engagement in research, drawing on published literature and local findings, to outline the process of community engagement in Kilifi and to describe issues emerging from its development and early implementation. PMID:18375028

  9. Local community detection as pattern restoration by attractor dynamics of recurrent neural networks.

    PubMed

    Okamoto, Hiroshi

    2016-08-01

    Densely connected parts in networks are referred to as "communities". Community structure is a hallmark of a variety of real-world networks. Individual communities in networks form functional modules of complex systems described by networks. Therefore, finding communities in networks is essential to approaching and understanding complex systems described by networks. In fact, network science has made a great deal of effort to develop effective and efficient methods for detecting communities in networks. Here we put forward a type of community detection, which has been little examined so far but will be practically useful. Suppose that we are given a set of source nodes that includes some (but not all) of "true" members of a particular community; suppose also that the set includes some nodes that are not the members of this community (i.e., "false" members of the community). We propose to detect the community from this "imperfect" and "inaccurate" set of source nodes using attractor dynamics of recurrent neural networks. Community detection by the proposed method can be viewed as restoration of the original pattern from a deteriorated pattern, which is analogous to cue-triggered recall of short-term memory in the brain. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method using synthetic networks and real social networks for which correct communities are known. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Job frustration in substance abuse counselors working with offenders in prisons versus community settings.

    PubMed

    Perkins, Elizabeth B; Oser, Carrie B

    2014-06-01

    Substance abuse counselors who work with offenders are facing increasing caseloads, which puts them at higher risk of job frustration. The purpose of this study was to explore differences between substance abuse counselors employed in prison versus community settings in terms of level of organizational support and job frustration. This study also investigated whether organizational support was associated with job frustration after controlling for counselor characteristics and workplace setting. This was accomplished utilizing data that were collected from 267 counselors as part of the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies research cooperative. Results indicated that counselors employed in community settings, as compared with those employed in prisons, are more likely to report higher levels of perceived organizational support. In addition, ordinal logistic regression results reveal that counselors who are non-White and have greater levels of organizational support have less job frustration, after controlling for counselor characteristics and workplace setting. The researches to practice implications are discussed.

  11. Job Frustration in Substance Abuse Counselors Working with Offenders in Prisons Versus Community Settings

    PubMed Central

    Perkins, Elizabeth B.; Oser, Carrie B.

    2014-01-01

    Substance abuse counselors who work with offenders are facing increasing caseloads which puts them at higher risk for job frustration. The purpose of this study was to explore differences between substance abuse counselors employed in prison versus community settings in terms of level of organizational support and job frustration. This study also investigated whether organizational support was associated with job frustration after controlling for counselor characteristics and workplace setting. This was accomplished utilizing data that was collected from 267 counselors as part of the Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) research cooperative. Results indicated that counselors employed in community settings, as compared to those employed in prisons, are more likely to report higher levels of perceived organizational support. In addition, ordinal logistic regression results reveal that counselors who are non-white and have greater levels of organizational support have less job frustration, after controlling for counselor characteristics and workplace setting. The research to practice implications are discussed. PMID:23525175

  12. A qualitative study of clinic and community member perspectives on intervention toolkits: "Unless the toolkit is used it won't help solve the problem".

    PubMed

    Davis, Melinda M; Howk, Sonya; Spurlock, Margaret; McGinnis, Paul B; Cohen, Deborah J; Fagnan, Lyle J

    2017-07-18

    Intervention toolkits are common products of grant-funded research in public health and primary care settings. Toolkits are designed to address the knowledge translation gap by speeding implementation and dissemination of research into practice. However, few studies describe characteristics of effective intervention toolkits and their implementation. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore what clinic and community-based users want in intervention toolkits and to identify the factors that support application in practice. In this qualitative descriptive study we conducted focus groups and interviews with a purposive sample of community health coalition members, public health experts, and primary care professionals between November 2010 and January 2012. The transdisciplinary research team used thematic analysis to identify themes and a cross-case comparative analysis to explore variation by participant role and toolkit experience. Ninety six participants representing primary care (n = 54, 56%) and community settings (n = 42, 44%) participated in 18 sessions (13 focus groups, five key informant interviews). Participants ranged from those naïve through expert in toolkit development; many reported limited application of toolkits in actual practice. Participants wanted toolkits targeted at the right audience and demonstrated to be effective. Well organized toolkits, often with a quick start guide, with tools that were easy to tailor and apply were desired. Irrespective of perceived quality, participants experienced with practice change emphasized that leadership, staff buy-in, and facilitative support was essential for intervention toolkits to be translated into changes in clinic or public -health practice. Given the emphasis on toolkits in supporting implementation and dissemination of research and clinical guidelines, studies are warranted to determine when and how toolkits are used. Funders, policy makers, researchers, and leaders in primary care and public health are encouraged to allocate resources to foster both toolkit development and implementation. Support, through practice facilitation and organizational leadership, are critical for translating knowledge from intervention toolkits into practice.

  13. Singapore Schools and Professional Learning Communities: Teacher Professional Development and School Leadership in an Asian Hierarchical System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hairon, Salleh; Dimmock, Clive

    2012-01-01

    While the literature on professional learning communities (PLCs) has proliferated, much of it derived from and contextualised in Anglo-American settings, the concept and practice of PLCs in Asian contexts of strong hierarchies have largely been ignored. Based on literature and documentary analysis, this paper investigates the systemic…

  14. In a Silent Way: Student Perceptions of Silence in Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Margaret; Tribe, Robert

    2016-01-01

    This paper explores young people's perceptions of the role and value of shared "gathered" silence in the corporate life of a school community. It draws on a small-scale qualitative investigation in a Quaker school setting. There may be particular things to learn about the practice of stillness and silence inherent in the ethos of a…

  15. Community College Policy in Hong Kong: Intention, Practices, and Consequence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Yi-Lee

    2015-01-01

    In order to increase the competitiveness of the workforce at low cost, the Hong Kong government brought in the idea of community colleges and the associate degree while keeping the same annual set quota of first-year, first-degree places at publicly-funded universities. At first glance, in doing so, the government could avoid expanding the sector…

  16. Beyond Traditional Art Education: Transformative Lifelong Learning in Community-Based Settings with Older Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawton, Pamela Harris; La Porte, Angela M.

    2013-01-01

    Quality community-based art education programs for older adults over the age of 50 should exploit the broad range of interests and cognitive abilities of participants by utilizing adult education theory, brain research, and the best practices of adult art education programs. We consider a developing paradigm on the cognitive abilities of the…

  17. Architect for Research on Gender and Community Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lester, Jaime

    2009-01-01

    A quick search in the "Community College Journal of Research and Practice" for Barbara Townsend's name produces 62 entries. A handful of those entries are the articles that Barbara has authored, but many more are articles that cite her work. Another search on the Web of Science database that tracks citations in a specific set of peer-reviewed…

  18. Immigration, Racial Profiling, and White Privilege: Community-Based Challenges and Practices for Adult Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kong, Luis J.

    2010-01-01

    In this chapter, the author will explore the significance of race from a social constructionist perspective. He will focus on immigration laws and on examples of legal cases that have set the stage for current definitions of whiteness and racial identification. A community-based transformational organizing model will be presented. The model will…

  19. Practices and Value of a Professional Learning Community in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilliard, Ann T.

    2012-01-01

    It is important for leadership teams and faculty members in higher education to create an atmosphere of trust as new and improved ideas are addressed in a professional learning community setting. Prior to the past ten years, many faculty members at the university have been accustomed to working somewhat independently in their own discipline.…

  20. "'They' Taught 'Me'": The Benefits of Early Community-Based Field Experiences in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coffey, Heather

    2010-01-01

    Research in teacher education suggests that field experiences in community settings can offer pre-service teachers a context for understanding the link between theory and practice. This paper documents the experiences of pre-service educators participating in a service-learning experience at a Children's Defense Fund Freedom School in the…

  1. Team Check-Up: Use 4 Goals to Assess a Professional Learning Community's Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moirao, Daniel R.; Morris, Susan C.; Klein, Victor; Jackson, Joyce W.

    2012-01-01

    The experiences in the school districts highlighted in this article clarify a set of broad goals that all professional learning communities can use to assess their effectiveness: (1) Culture; (2) Knowledge; (3) Practice; and (4) Achievement. These schools and districts have an ongoing commitment to all four goals. All of them have instituted…

  2. Value of a regional family practice residency training program site: perceptions of residents, nurses, and physicians.

    PubMed

    Fletcher, Sarah; Mullett, Jennifer; Beerman, Steve

    2014-09-01

    To examine the perceptions of residents, nurses, and physicians about the effect of a regional family practice residency site on the delivery of health services in the community, as well as on the community health care providers. Interviews and focus groups were conducted. Nanaimo, BC. A total of 16 residents, 15 nurses, and 20 physicians involved with the family practice residency training program at the Nanaimo site. A series of semistructured interviews and focus groups was conducted. Transcripts of interviews and focus groups were analyzed thematically by the research team. Overall, participants agreed that having a family practice residency training site in the community contributed to community life and to the delivery of health services in the following ways: increased community capacity and social capital; motivated positive relationships and attitudes in the hospital and community settings; improved communication and teamwork, as well as accessibility and understanding of the health care system; increased the standard of care; and facilitated the recruitment and retention of family physicians. This family practice residency training site was beneficial for the community it served. Future planning for distributed medical education sites should take into account the effects of these sites on the health care community and ensure that they continue to be positive influences. Further research in this area could focus on patients' perceptions of how residency programs affect their care, as well as on the effect of residency programs on wait times and workload for physicians and nurses. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

  3. NASA Center for Astronomy Education: Building a Community of Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brissenden, Gina; Prather, E.; Slater, T. F.; Greene, W. M.; Thaller, M.

    2006-12-01

    The NASA Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) is devoted to the professional development of introductory college astronomy instructors teaching at community colleges. The primary goal is building a "community of practice." Evaluation results suggest this community of practice model is effective at improving instructional practices, particularly in settings where instructors feel isolated from their peers. For community college faculty this isolation can be quite real. Many are the only astronomer, if not the only scientist, at their institution. In addition, they may be adjunct instructors who have no office, no institutional email address, nor appear in the campus directory. CAE works to prevent this sense of isolation by building both actual and virtual communities for these instructors, as well as provide actual and virtual professional development opportunities. CAE’s major effort is providing multi-tiered "Teaching Excellence Workshops" offered at national and regional venues. Ongoing support is offered through the CAE website. Instructors can learn about, and register for, upcoming workshops. They can engage in discussions about educational issues and share best practices with peers using the moderated discussion group AstroLrner@CAE. CAE also provides an updated article "This Month’s Teaching Strategy” which is a reflection on teaching strategies discussed in the workshops. Instructors can also find their peers through the online map of US community colleges offering introductory astronomy courses. Lastly, CAE Regional Teaching Exchanges facilitate local, and sustained, community building. CAE is supported by the NASA/JPL Navigator Public Engagement Program and the Spitzer Space Telescope Education and Public Outreach Program.

  4. Therapist Perspectives on Training in a Package of Evidence-Based Practice Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Served in Community Mental Health Clinics

    PubMed Central

    Drahota, Amy; Stadnick, Nicole; Brookman-Frazee, Lauren

    2012-01-01

    Therapist perspectives regarding delivery of evidence-based practice (EBP) strategies are needed to understand the feasibility of implementation in routine service settings. This qualitative study examined the perspectives of 13 therapists receiving training and delivering a package of EBPs to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in community mental health clinics. Therapists perceived the training and intervention delivery as effective at improving their clinical skills, the psychotherapy process, and child and family outcomes. Results expand parent pilot study findings, and add to the literature on training community providers and limited research on training providers to deliver EBPs to children with ASD. PMID:23086499

  5. Getting through to Difficult Kids and Parents: Uncommon Sense for Child Professionals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taffel, Ron

    Intended to enhance the work of therapists, guidance counselors, teachers, clergy, pediatricians, and others who work with children and their parents, this book sets out a wise and practical framework for more effective interventions with challenging children and resistant parents in school, community, or health care settings. The book offers…

  6. Information Provision in Emergency Settings: The Experience of Refugee Communities in Zambia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kanyengo, Brendah Kakulwa; Kanyengo, Christine Wamunyima

    2011-01-01

    This article identifies information provision services in emergency settings using Zambia as a case study by identifying innovative ways of providing library and information services. The thrust of the article is to analyze information management practices of organizations that work within refugee camps and how they take specific cognizance of the…

  7. Boundary Crossings: Using Participatory Theatre as a Site for Deepening Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kumrai, Rajni Rani; Chauhan, Vipin; Hoy, Jane

    2011-01-01

    Amongst the academic community there has been an increasing acceptance that knowledge and learning is no longer situated solely within academic settings and that workplace settings are also legitimate spaces for reflecting on practice in order to enhance professional capabilities. Learners are uniquely placed to draw on their workplace experiences…

  8. Bringing Nature into Social Work Settings: Mother Earth's Presence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gana, Carolina

    2011-01-01

    In an urban location in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, the author provides both individual and group counselling to women impacted by trauma in a community-based setting. Various modalities and theoretical frameworks that include feminism and anti-oppressive methods inform her counselling practice. The approach that the author takes in the…

  9. Developing a social enterprise through right to request.

    PubMed

    Parker, Nicola

    2010-10-01

    The 'right to request' the authority to run healthcare services was introduced by the previous government so that staff can respond to the needs of local communities by setting up social enterprises. This article explains how the right to request works in practice by describing how a social enterprise was set up in Bromley, Kent.

  10. Hypothermia in a Rural Setting: An Emergency Medicine Simulation Scenario

    PubMed Central

    Jong, Robert; Heroux, Aron; Dubrowski, Adam

    2017-01-01

    Patients presenting with hypothermia in a rural emergency department can be quite challenging to manage without significant mortality and morbidity. Standard medical school curricula do not fully prepare trainees for the unique aspects of practice in northern rural and remote communities. Training opportunities on site may provide a solution to this lack of experience. However, these communities often have limited simulation-based resources and expertise for conducting and developing simulation scenarios. In this technical report, we outline a hypothermia simulation that utilizes only basic resources and is, thus, practical for rural and remote facilities. The aim of this report is to better equip trainees, clinicians, and emergency department staff who may encounter such a scenario in their practice. While the simulation is specifically designed for medical students, resident doctors, and emergency department staff, it could also be applicable in other low-resource settings, such as military bases, search and rescue stations, and arctic travel and tourism infirmaries. PMID:29511605

  11. Southwestern Surgical Congress Jack A. Barney award competition presenters - Where are they now?

    PubMed

    Kothari, Shanu N; Kallies, Kara J

    2017-12-01

    Resident research presentations at surgical conferences may encourage future research endeavors. 2010-2016 SWSC annual meeting programs were reviewed for presenters eligible for the Jack Barney award. Award recipients from 1987 to 2016 were included. There were 100 unique presenters eligible for the Jack Barney award, and 28 unique award recipients. Thirty-six (82%) presenters currently practice in a community setting, 5 (11%) at a university hospital, 2 (5%) internationally, and 1 (2%) in a military hospital. Scholarly articles were published by 41% of presenters. Sixteen of the 28 recipients (57%) practice in community hospitals, and 9 (32%) practice in university settings; 3 are still in training. Twenty recipients (71%) published after residency. Thirty percent and 25% of presenters and recipients are SWSC members, respectively. Peer-reviewed publications were frequent among eligible presenters and award recipients. Encouraging presenters to become SWSC members provides an opportunity for improved retention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Community pharmacy as a setting for public health nutrition action: Australian nutritionists' perspectives.

    PubMed

    Maher, Judith H; Lowe, John; Hughes, Roger

    2015-07-01

    To explore public health nutritionists' perceptions of nutrition and its place in community pharmacy (CP) presently and into the future; and to explore perceived opportunities, feasibility and scope of public health nutrition (PHN) interventions in CP, with a focus on maternal and infant nutrition. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and drew on hermeneutics as the theoretical framework for analysis and interpretation. Queensland, Australia. Public health nutritionists, identified through purposive, criterion sampling, were chosen due to (i) their role as potential stakeholders, (ii) their knowledge and emphasis on nutrition and (iii) their practice experience. Opportunities for PHN action focused primarily on actions relating to early nutrient supplementation in pregnancy and breast-feeding protection and promotion. Opportunities in CP were constrained by practitioners' perception of (i) conflict between health care and commercial interests in CP, (ii) problematic practices in CP and (iii) values and motivations of practitioners and other stakeholders in the CP sector. Strategies were suggested to improve practices and enhance the setting from a PHN perspective. Participants suggested both collaborative and regulatory approaches to achieve settings-based changes, identifying the need for these to coexist for effective outcomes. Public health nutritionists suggest that opportunities for PHN action are constrained by perceived conflicted interests and that consumers need to be adequately protected from the influence of commercial interests. PHN action in this setting needs adequate reflection on evidence as well as ethics ensuring that practices are 'for the good' of mothers and infants.

  13. And young child feeding practices in different country settings.

    PubMed

    Sanghvi, Tina; Jimerson, Ann; Hajeebhoy, Nemat; Zewale, Medhanit; Nguyen, Giang Huong

    2013-09-01

    Alive & Thrive aims to increase exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. To develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies adapted to each context. We documented how three countries followed an established iterative planning process, with research steps followed by key decisions, to develop a communication strategy in each country. Secondary analysis and formative research identified the priority practices to focus on, and locally specific constraints to proper infant and young child feeding (IYCF). Communication strategies were then developed based on the social, cultural, economic, epidemiological, media use, and programmatic contexts of each country. There were widespread gaps between recommended and actual feeding practices, and these varied by country. Gaps were identified in household, community, and institutional levels of awareness and skills. Strategies were designed that would enable mothers in each specific setting to adopt practices. To improve priority behaviors, messaging and media strategies addressed the most salient behavioral determinants through face-to-face communication, social mobilization, and mass media. Trials of improved practices (TIPs), concept testing, and pretesting of materials proved useful to verify the relevance and likely effectiveness of communication messages and materials tailored for different audiences in each setting. Coordination and collaboration with multiple stakeholders from the start was important to harmonize messages and approaches, expand geographic coverage to national scale, and sustain the interventions. Our experience with designing large-scale communication strategies for behavior change confirms that systematic analysis and local planning cannot be omitted from the critical process of strategic design tailored to each context. Multiple communication channels matched to media habits in each setting can reach a substantial proportion of mothers and others who influence their IYCF practices. Preliminary data suggest that exposure to mass media plays a critical role in rapidly reaching mothers, household members, community influentials, and health workers on a large scale. Combining face-to-face interventions for mothers with social mobilization and mass media was effective in improving IYCF practices.

  14. Community-based approaches to strengthen cultural competency in nursing education and practice.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Nancy Lois Ruth; Calvillo, Evelyn Ruiz; Fongwa, Marie Ngetiko

    2007-01-01

    This article explores existing informal as well as formal approaches that address health disparities in the communities where they occur, enhancing the opportunity to strengthen the cultural competency of providers, students, and faculty. A particular focus centers on the community-based participatory research approaches that involve community members, providing opportunities to develop mutually respectful, trusting relationships through co-teaching and co-learning experiences. With community-based participatory research approaches to community involvement in place, the stage is set for partnerships between communities and schools of nursing to collaboratively design, implement, and integrate informal and formal cultural competence components in nursing curricula.

  15. Cardiology or primary care for heart failure in the community setting: process of care and clinical outcomes.

    PubMed

    Philbin, E F; Weil, H F; Erb, T A; Jenkins, P L

    1999-08-01

    Severity of illness, treatment choices, and clinical outcomes may vary with physician training. This study was performed to determine whether such differences exist among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) treated by cardiologists and by noncardiologists in the community hospital setting. Prospective cohort study. Ten acute-care community hospitals. PATIENTS, MEASUREMENTS, AND RESULTS: Two thousand four hundred fifty-four patients with CHF were identified and followed up for 6 months after hospital discharge. Patients who were not treated by a cardiologist (group I; n = 977) were compared with patients whose attending physician was a cardiologist (group II; n = 419) and patients who received consultative care from a cardiologist (group III; n = 1,058). When compared with group I patients, group II patients were more likely to receive the recommended diagnostic tests and treatment strategies, although some of these differences could be explained by variations in the case mix. Group II patients had higher hospital charges, but lower CHF readmission rates and better postdischarge quality-of-life measures. No differences in adjusted mortality rates were observed. In the community-hospital setting, the clinical practices of cardiologists are more compatible with published treatment guidelines than the clinical practices of other physicians. The benefits of cardiology specialty care include lower CHF readmission rates and better postdischarge quality-of-life measures, rather than lower mortality rates, fewer hospital charges, or shorter length of stay.

  16. Good on paper: the gap between programme theory and real-world context in Pakistan's Community Midwife programme

    PubMed Central

    Mumtaz, Z; Levay, A; Bhatti, A; Salway, S

    2015-01-01

    Objective To understand why skilled birth attendance—an acknowledged strategy for reducing maternal deaths—has been effective in some settings but is failing in Pakistan and to demonstrate the value of a theory-driven approach to evaluating implementation of maternal healthcare interventions. Design Implementation research was conducted using an institutional ethnographic approach. Setting and population National programme and local community levels in Pakistan. Methods Observations, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 38 Community Midwives (CMWs), 20 policymakers, 45 healthcare providers and 136 community members. A critical policy document review was conducted. National and local level data were brought together. Main outcomes Alignment of programme theory with real-world practice. Results Data revealed gaps between programme theory, assumptions and reality on the ground. The design of the programme failed to take into account: (1) the incongruity between the role of a midwife and dominant class and gendered norms that devalue such a role; (2) market and consumer behaviour that prevented CMWs from establishing private practices; (3) the complexity of public–private sector cooperation. Uniform deployment policies failed to consider existing provider density and geography. Conclusions Greater attention to programme theory and the ‘real-world’ setting during design of maternal health strategies is needed to achieve consistent results in different contexts. PMID:25315837

  17. Reducing rural maternal mortality and the equity gap in northern Nigeria: the public health evidence for the Community Communication Emergency Referral strategy

    PubMed Central

    Aradeon, Susan B; Doctor, Henry V

    2016-01-01

    The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) maternal mortality target risks being underachieved like its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) predecessor. The MDG skilled birth attendant (SBA) strategy proved inadequate to end preventable maternal deaths for the millions of rural women living in resource-constrained settings. This equity gap has been successfully addressed by integrating a community-based emergency obstetric care strategy into the intrapartum care SBA delivery strategy in a large scale, northern Nigerian health systems strengthening project. The Community Communication Emergency Referral (CCER) strategy catalyzes community capacity for timely evacuations to emergency obstetric care facilities instead of promoting SBA deliveries in environments where SBA availability and accessibility will remain inadequate for the near and medium term. Community Communication is an innovative, efficient, equitable, and culturally appropriate community mobilization approach that empowers low- and nonliterate community members to become the communicators. For the CCER strategy, this community mobilization approach was used to establish and maintain emergency maternal care support structures. Public health evidence demonstrates the success of integrating the CCER strategy into the SBA strategy and the practicability of this combined strategy at scale. In intervention sites, the maternal mortality ratio reduced by 16.8% from extremely high levels within 4 years. Significantly, the CCER strategy contributed to saving one-third of the lives saved in the project sites, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the SBAs and upgraded emergency obstetric care facilities. Pre- and postimplementation Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Survey results and qualitative assessments support the CCER theory of change. This theory of change rests on a set of implementation steps that rely on three innovative components: Community Communication, Rapid Imitation Practice, and CCER support structures. Innovative communication body tools and the rote learning Rapid Imitation Practice training methodology enabled low-literate volunteers to saturate their communities with informed group discussions transferring communication capacity and ownership to the discussion participants. CCER is especially efficient because virtually every timely, community referral for emergency maternal care results in a saved life, whereas on average, only one in every eight births delivered by an SBA (12%) is expected to be a delivery-associated complication requiring lifesaving care. PMID:27088844

  18. Does integration matter? A holistic model for building community resilience in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Kanta Kafle, Shesh

    2017-01-01

    This paper analyses an integrated communitybased risk reduction model adopted by the Pakistan Red Crescent. The paper analyses the model's constructs and definitions, and provides a conceptual framework and a set of practical recommendations for building community resilience. The study uses the process of outcome-based resilience index to assess the effectiveness of the approach. The results indicate that the integrated programming approach is an effective way to build community resilience as it offers a number of tangible and longlasting benefits, including effective and efficient service delivery, local ownership, sustainability of results, and improved local resilience with respect to the shock and stress associated with disaster. The paper also outlines a set of recommendations for the effective and efficient use of the model for building community resilience in Pakistan.

  19. Health Promotion Practice and Interprofessional Education in Aging: Senior Wellness Fairs.

    PubMed

    Diwan, Sadhna; Perdue, Megan; Lee, Sang E; Grossman, Brian R

    2016-01-01

    Senior wellness fairs (SWFs) offer a unique opportunity for community health promotion and interprofessional education (IPE). The authors describe and evaluate the impact of a 3-year, university-community SWF collaboration on interprofessional competencies among students across multiple professional programs. Participation in the SWF enhanced student knowledge and skills in providing health promotion information to older adults in an interprofessional, collaborative setting as indicated by mean scores on the Perceived Learning Outcomes Survey, an instrument developed for this project. Open-ended data highlighted aspects of the SWF that students found most useful (interaction with seniors, community resources, interprofessional learning, and self-awareness) and most challenging (communication barriers, limited opportunity for interaction, and physical environment). Pre- and posttest scores on the Multidisciplinary SWF Practice Learning Quiz, another instrument developed for this project, illustrated improvement in student understanding of other professions and the importance of interprofessional cooperation to promote and maintain healthy aging. Implications and suggestions for structuring learning opportunities that combine community health promotion practice and interprofessional learning are discussed.

  20. From community-based pilot testing to region-wide systems change: lessons from a local quality improvement collaborative.

    PubMed

    Keyser, Donna J; Pincus, Harold Alan

    2010-01-01

    A community-based collaborative conducted a 2-year pilot study to inform efforts for improving maternal and child health care practice and policy in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. (1) To test whether three small-scale versions of an evidence-based, systems improvement approach would be workable in local community settings and (2) to identify specific policy/infrastructure reforms for sustaining improvements. A mixed methods approach was used, including quantitative performance measurement supplemented with qualitative data about factors related to outcomes of interest, as well as key stakeholder interviews and a literature review/Internet search. Quantitative performance results varied; qualitative data revealed critical factors for the success and failure of the practices tested. Policy/infrastructure recommendations were developed to address specific practice barriers. This information was important for designing a region-wide quality improvement initiative focused on maternal depression. The processes and outcomes provide valuable insights for other communities interested in conducting similar quality improvement initiatives.

  1. At the coalface and the cutting edge: general practitioners’ accounts of the rewards of engaging with HIV medicine

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background HIV has become a chronic manageable infection in the developed world, and early and lifelong treatment has the potential to significantly reduce transmission rates in the community. A skilled and motivated HIV medical workforce will be required to achieve these health management and prevention outcomes, but concerns have been noted in a number of settings about the challenges of recruiting a new generation of clinicians to HIV medicine. Methods As part of a larger qualitative study of the HIV general practice workforce in Australia, in-depth interviews were conducted with 31 general practitioners accredited to prescribe HIV medications in community settings. A thematic analysis was conducted of the de-identified transcripts, and this paper describes and interprets accounts of the rewards of pursuing and sustaining an engagement with HIV medicine in general practice settings. Results The rewards of initially becoming involved in providing care to people living with HIV were described as interest and inspiration, community calling and right place, right time. The rewards which then supported and sustained that engagement over time were described as challenge and change, making a difference and enhanced professional identity. Participants viewed the role of primary care doctor with special expertise in HIV as occupying an ideal interface between the ‘coalface’ and the ‘cutting edge’, and offering a unique opportunity for general practitioners to feel intimately connected to both community needs and scientific change. Conclusions Approaches to recruiting and retaining the HIV medical workforce should build upon the intellectual and social rewards of this work, as well as the sense of professional belonging and connection which is imbued between both doctors and patients and across the global and national networks of HIV clinicians. Insights regarding the rewards of engaging with HIV medicine may also be useful in enhancing the prospect of general practice as a career, and strengthening retention and job satisfaction among the existing general practice workforce. PMID:23517462

  2. Coproduction of Research Questions and Research Evidence in Public Health: The Study to Prevent Teen Drinking Parties

    PubMed Central

    Wagoner, Kimberly G.; Rhodes, Scott D.; Egan, Kathleen L.; Sparks, Michael; Ellerbee, Dylan; Song, Eunyoung Y.; Debinski, Beata; Terrillion, Albert; Vining, Judi; Yang, Evelyn

    2017-01-01

    Community-based participatory research (CBPR) provides a set of principles and practices intended to foster coproduction of knowledge. However, CBPR often has shortcomings when applied to population-level policy and practice interventions, including a focus on single communities and a lack of focus on policy change. At the same time, community trials focused on policy have shortcomings, including lack of stakeholder involvement in framing research questions and modest engagement in study implementation and interpretation and dissemination of results. We describe an attempt to hybridize CBPR and community trials by creating a partnership that included a national membership organization, a coalition advisory board, intervention and delayed intervention communities, and an academic study team, which collaborated on a study of community strategies to prevent underage drinking parties. We use qualitative and quantitative data to critically assess the partnership. Areas where the partnership was effective included (1) identifying a research question with high public health significance, (2) enhancing the intervention, and (3) improving research methods. Challenges included community coalition representatives' greater focus on their own communities rather than the production of broader scientific knowledge. This model can be applied in future attempts to narrow the gap between research, policy, and practice. PMID:28695128

  3. Chronic disease management: teaching medical students to incorporate community.

    PubMed

    Dent, M Marie; Mathis, Mary W; Outland, Monita; Thomas, McKinley; Industrious, DeShawn

    2010-01-01

    As a response to the growing prevalence of chronic disease, models of chronic care have emerged as salient approaches to address dynamic health care changes and to manage the burden of suffering of these diseases. Concurrently, there has been a growing call to address chronic disease management within medical school curricula. This article describes the development and evaluation of a curricular intervention designed to prepare students to integrate patient-centered care with an understanding of the patients' community, provide care within rural settings, and experience clinical education specific to chronic disease management. Second-year medical students completed a chronic disease management project as part of a 4-week community visit in rural and/or medically underserved sites. Paired pre- and post-survey data were collected using the Community Oriented Health Care Competency Scale to assess the student's knowledge, intent to practice, and attitudes toward incorporating community-oriented primary care into future practice. Matched pre- and post-project surveys were identified for 170 respondents out of 219 students (77.6% response rate). Post-assessment items were found to be statistically different from measures collected prior to the students' entrance into the community: all knowledge questions indicated significant advancements toward community responsiveness, as did one question related to attitude and three of the intent to practice community-oriented health care questions. Community-based rotations can play a positive role in developing the competencies needed for future practice. The development of curricular opportunities designed to train future physicians on the value of incorporating models of chronic care within rural and underserved communities should remain at the forefront of medical education.

  4. A snapshot of pharmacist attitudes and behaviors surrounding the management of pediatric asthma.

    PubMed

    Elaro, Amanda; Shah, Smita; Armour, Carol L; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study is to identify the current status of pediatric asthma management in the Australian community pharmacy setting from the pharmacists' perspective. This research will allow us to identify training needs of community pharmacists. Pharmacists were recruited from the Sydney metropolitan region and asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire that elucidated information on four general domains relating to pediatric asthma management within community pharmacy. All data collected were analysed descriptively. Bivariate Pearson correlations were performed to determine whether interrelationships existed between specific domains. All 77 pharmacists completed the questionnaire. Thirty-two percent had not completed any asthma related CPD in the past year and only 25% of pharmacists reported using the national asthma guidelines in practice. Just over half of the pharmacists (54%) reported that they provide device technique demonstrations for new inhaled medicines, and 35% of pharmacists reported that they check for written asthma self-management plan possession. Although 65% of pharmacists reported confidence in communication skills, most pharmacists were not confident in setting short-/long-term goals with the patient and carer for managing asthma at home. Pharmacists believed that they are just as effective as doctors in providing asthma counseling and education. Lack of time was identified as a significant barrier. We have identified a gap between guideline recommended practices and the self-reported practices of community pharmacists. Pharmacists need more appropriate continuing education programs that can translate into improved pediatric asthma self-management practices and thus improved asthma outcomes in children. This may require an alternative approach.

  5. Exploring the organizational culture of exemplary community health center practices.

    PubMed

    Craigie, Frederic C; Hobbs, Richard F

    2004-01-01

    A 1999 precursor to this study, published in Family Medicine, suggested that the organizational culture of practices was potentially important to health care providers and patients. In this research, we examined the experiences of people working in exemplary community health center practices to explore the components and maintaining factors of positive medical organizational culture. Two exemplary practices were identified through a process of nominations and selection with respect to a presumptive definition of positive organizational culture. Interpretive categories and themes were developed through qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews, along with field observation. Categories of culture in these practices included Community Mission and Values, Leadership and Organizational Dynamics, Relationships, and Physical Space. Cultural qualities were nurtured by leadership approaches, collaborative staff meetings, and shared values about mission and workplace relationships. Staff consistently indicated that the spirit or culture in their practices was beneficial for employees, patients, and the process of clinical care. The positive organizational culture in these practices was substantially characterized and cultivated by specific values, attitudes, behaviors, and relationships of employees. Further work is indicated in approaches to assessment and intervention with organizational culture in medical settings and in evaluating associations with medical outcomes.

  6. Engaging pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) clinical staff to lead practice improvement: the PICU participatory action research project (PICU-PAR).

    PubMed

    Collet, Jean-Paul; Skippen, Peter W; Mosavianpour, Mir Kaber; Pitfield, Alexander; Chakraborty, Bubli; Hunte, Garth; Lindstrom, Ronald; Kissoon, Niranjan; McKellin, William H

    2014-01-08

    Despite considerable efforts, engaging staff to lead quality improvement activities in practice settings is a persistent challenge. At British Columbia Children's Hospital (BCCH), the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) undertook a new phase of quality improvement actions based on the Community of Practice (CoP) model with Participatory Action Research (PAR). This approach aims to mobilize the PICU 'community' as a whole with a focus on practice; namely, to create a 'community of practice' to support reflection, learning, and innovation in everyday work. An iterative two-stage PAR process using mixed methods has been developed among the PICU CoP to describe the environment (stage 1) and implement specific interventions (stage 2). Stage 1 is ethnographic description of the unit's care practice. Surveys, interviews, focus groups, and direct observations describe the clinical staff's experiences and perspectives around bedside care and quality endeavors in the PICU. Contrasts and comparisons across participants, time and activities help understanding the PICU culture and experience. Stage 2 is a succession of PAR spirals, using results from phase 1 to set up specific interventions aimed at building the staff's capability to conduct QI projects while acquiring appropriate technical skills and leadership capacity (primary outcome). Team communication, information, and interaction will be enhanced through a knowledge exchange (KE) and a wireless network of iPADs. Lack of leadership at the staff level in order to improve daily practice is a recognized challenge that faces many hospitals. We believe that the PAR approach within a highly motivated CoP is a sound method to create the social dynamic and cultural context within which clinical teams can grow, reflect, innovate and feel proud to better serve patients.

  7. Translating a Fall Prevention Intervention Into Practice: A Randomized Community Trial

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, Donna J.; Christiansen, Ann L.; Mahoney, Jane; Laud, Purushottam; Layde, Peter M.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives. We examined whether community translation of an effective evidence-based fall prevention program via standard monetary support can produce a community-wide reduction in fall injuries in older adults and evaluated whether an enhanced version with added technical support and capacity building amplified the fall reduction effect. Methods. We completed a randomized controlled community trial among adults aged 65 and older in (1) 10 control communities receiving no special resources or guidance on fall prevention, (2) 5 standard support communities receiving modest funding to implement Stepping On, and (3) 5 enhanced support communities receiving funding and technical support. The primary outcome was hospital inpatient and emergency department discharges for falls, examined with Poisson regression. Results. Compared with control communities, standard and enhanced support communities showed significantly higher community-wide reductions (9% and 8%, respectively) in fall injuries from baseline (2007–2008) to follow-up (2010–2011). No significant difference was found between enhanced and standard support communities. Conclusions. Population-based fall prevention interventions can be effective when implemented in community settings. More research is needed to identify the barriers and facilitators that influence the successful adoption and implementation of fall prevention interventions into broad community practice. PMID:25602891

  8. Translating a Fall Prevention Intervention Into Practice: A Randomized Community Trial.

    PubMed

    Guse, Clare E; Peterson, Donna J; Christiansen, Ann L; Mahoney, Jane; Laud, Purushottam; Layde, Peter M

    2015-07-01

    We examined whether community translation of an effective evidence-based fall prevention program via standard monetary support can produce a community-wide reduction in fall injuries in older adults and evaluated whether an enhanced version with added technical support and capacity building amplified the fall reduction effect. We completed a randomized controlled community trial among adults aged 65 and older in (1) 10 control communities receiving no special resources or guidance on fall prevention, (2) 5 standard support communities receiving modest funding to implement Stepping On, and (3) 5 enhanced support communities receiving funding and technical support. The primary outcome was hospital inpatient and emergency department discharges for falls, examined with Poisson regression. Compared with control communities, standard and enhanced support communities showed significantly higher community-wide reductions (9% and 8%, respectively) in fall injuries from baseline (2007-2008) to follow-up (2010-2011). No significant difference was found between enhanced and standard support communities. Population-based fall prevention interventions can be effective when implemented in community settings. More research is needed to identify the barriers and facilitators that influence the successful adoption and implementation of fall prevention interventions into broad community practice.

  9. The development of a network for community-based obesity prevention: the CO-OPS Collaboration

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Community-based interventions are a promising approach and an important component of a comprehensive response to obesity. In this paper we describe the Collaboration of COmmunity-based Obesity Prevention Sites (CO-OPS Collaboration) in Australia as an example of a collaborative network to enhance the quality and quantity of obesity prevention action at the community level. The core aims of the CO-OPS Collaboration are to: identify and analyse the lessons learned from a range of community-based initiatives aimed at tackling obesity, and; to identify the elements that make community-based obesity prevention initiatives successful and share the knowledge gained with other communities. Methods Key activities of the collaboration to date have included the development of a set of Best Practice Principles and knowledge translation and exchange activities to promote the application (or use) of evidence, evaluation and analysis in practice. Results The establishment of the CO-OPS Collaboration is a significant step toward strengthening action in this area, by bringing together research, practice and policy expertise to promote best practice, high quality evaluation and knowledge translation and exchange. Future development of the network should include facilitation of further evidence generation and translation drawing from process, impact and outcome evaluation of existing community-based interventions. Conclusions The lessons presented in this paper may help other networks like CO-OPS as they emerge around the globe. It is important that networks integrate with each other and share the experience of creating these networks. PMID:21349185

  10. Fellowships in Community Pharmacy Research: Experiences of Five Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy

    PubMed Central

    Snyder, Margie E.; Frail, Caitlin K.; Gernant, Stephanie A.; Bacci, Jennifer L.; Coley, Kim C.; Colip, Lauren M.; Ferreri, Stefanie P.; Hagemeier, Nicholas E.; McGivney, Melissa Somma; Rodis, Jennifer L.; Smith, Megan G.; Smith, Randall B.

    2017-01-01

    Objective To describe common facilitators, challenges, and lessons learned of five schools and colleges of pharmacy in establishing community pharmacy research fellowships. Setting Five schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States. Practice Description Schools and colleges of pharmacy with existing community partnerships identified a need and ability to develop opportunities for pharmacists to engage in advanced research training. Practice Innovation Community pharmacy fellowships, each structured as two years in length and in combination with graduate coursework, have been established at the University of Pittsburgh, Purdue University, East Tennessee State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Ohio State University. Evaluation Program directors from each of the five community pharmacy research fellowships identified common themes pertaining to program structure, outcomes, and lessons learned to assist others planning similar programs. Results Common characteristics across the programs include length of training, pre-requisites, graduate coursework, mentoring structure, and immersion into a pharmacist patient care practice. Common facilitators have been the existence of strong community pharmacy partnerships, creating a fellowship advisory team, and networking. A common challenge has been recruitment, with many programs experiencing at least one year without filling the fellowship position. All program graduates (n=4) have been successful in securing pharmacy faculty positions. Conclusion Five schools and colleges of pharmacy share similar experiences in implementing community pharmacy research fellowships. Early outcomes show promise for this training pathway in growing future pharmacist-scientists focused on community pharmacy practice. PMID:27083852

  11. Enhancing undergraduate community placements: a critical review of current literature.

    PubMed

    Dickson, Caroline A W; Morris, Gillian; Gable, Clare

    2015-04-01

    In the face of the UK-wide policy shift to increased home care, inspiring and enabling the next generation of community nurses is more urgent than ever. The quality of the pre-registration practice learning experience is highly influential on career choices at the point of qualification. Given that 50% of learning by pre-registration students takes place in practice, mentors have a crucial role to play in preparing the next generation of nurses to work in the community. This article discusses the findings of a systematic and critical literature review of pre-registration placements that was funded by the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland. The review found that students' experiences of learning in community settings are variable, and perceptions of students and mentors are misaligned in terms of what a quality placement should look like. Although there is no clear definition of what constitutes a community placement and there is some underuse of learning environments in areas such as general practice nursing, there are also a number of examples of new and imaginative placements. While these innovations provide 'whole experience' placements, they are currently lacking robust evaluation, despite their potential usefulness on a larger scale. Mentors have the opportunity to provide students with a range of learning opportunities that increase preparedness for working in the community, allowing final year students in particular greater influence over their learning experience. Students undertaking community practice learning, where they have a managed level of autonomy, are more likely to feel confident to take on community nursing roles.

  12. The Community Preceptor Crisis: Recruiting and Retaining Community-Based Faculty to Teach Medical Students-A Shared Perspective From the Alliance for Clinical Education.

    PubMed

    Christner, Jennifer G; Dallaghan, Gary Beck; Briscoe, Gregory; Casey, Petra; Fincher, Ruth Marie E; Manfred, Lynn M; Margo, Katherine I; Muscarella, Peter; Richardson, Joshua E; Safdieh, Joseph; Steiner, Beat D

    2016-01-01

    Community-based instruction is invaluable to medical students, as it provides "real-world" opportunities for observing and following patients over time while refining history taking, physical examination, differential diagnosis, and patient management skills. Community-based ambulatory settings can be more conducive to practicing these skills than highly specialized, academically based practice sites. The Association of American Medical Colleges and other national medical education organizations have expressed concern about recruitment and retention of preceptors to provide high-quality educational experiences in community-based practice sites. These concerns stem from constraints imposed by documentation in electronic health records; perceptions that student mentoring is burdensome resulting in decreased clinical productivity; and competition between allopathic, osteopathic, and international medical schools for finite resources for medical student experiences. In this Alliance for Clinical Education position statement, we provide a consensus summary of representatives from national medical education organizations in 8 specialties that offer clinical clerkships. We describe the current challenges in providing medical students with adequate community-based instruction and propose potential solutions. Our recommendations are designed to assist clerkship directors and medical school leaders overcome current challenges and ensure high-quality, community-based clinical learning opportunities for all students. They include suggesting ways to orient community clinic sites for students, explaining how students can add value to the preceptor's practice, focusing on educator skills development, recognizing preceptors who excel in their role as educators, and suggesting forms of compensation.

  13. Building community and public health nursing capacity: a synthesis report of the National Community Health Nursing Study.

    PubMed

    Underwood, Jane M; Mowat, David L; Meagher-Stewart, Donna M; Deber, Raisa B; Baumann, Andrea O; MacDonald, Mary B; Akhtar-Danesh, Noori; Schoenfeld, Bonnie M; Ciliska, Donna K; Blythe, Jennifer M; Lavoie-Tremblay, Mélanie; Ehrlich, Anne S; Knibbs, Kristin M; Munroe, Valerie J

    2009-01-01

    1) To describe the community health nursing workforce in Canada; 2) To compare, across political jurisdictions and community health sectors, what helps and hinders community nurses to work effectively; 3) To identify organizational attributes that support one community subsector--public health nurses--to practise the full scope of their competencies. Our study included an analysis of the Canadian Institute for Health Information nursing databases (1996-2007), a survey of over 13,000 community health nurses across Canada and 23 focus groups of public health policy-makers and front-line public health nurses. Over 53,000 registered and licensed practical nurses worked in community health in Canada in 2007, about 16% of the nursing workforce. Community nurses were older on average than the rest of their profession. Typical practice settings for community nurses included community health centres, home care and public health units/departments. To practise effectively, community nurses need professional confidence, good team relationships, supportive workplaces and community support. Most community nurses felt confident in their practice and relationships with other nurses and professionals, though less often with physicians. Their feelings about salary and job security were mixed, and most community nurses would like more learning opportunities, policy and practice information and chances to debrief about work. They needed their communities to do more to address social determinants of health and provide good quality resources. Public health nursing needs a combination of factors to succeed: sound government policy, supportive organizational culture and good management practices. Organizational attributes identified as supports for optimal practice include: flexibility in funding, program design and job descriptions; clear organizational vision driven by shared values and community needs; coordinated public health planning across jurisdictions; and strong leadership that openly promotes public health, values their staff's work and invests in education and training. The interchangeable and inconsistent use of titles used by community nurses and their employers makes it difficult to discern differences within this sector such as home care, public health, etc. Our studies also revealed that community nurses: thrive in workplaces where they share the vision and goals of their organization and work collaboratively in an atmosphere that supports creative, autonomous practice; work well together, but need time, flexible funding and management support to develop relationships with the community and their clients, and to build teams with other professionals; could sustain their competencies and confidence in their professional abilities with more access to continuing education, policies, evidence and debriefing sessions.

  14. Evaluation of community pharmacy service mix: evidence from the 2004 National Pharmacist Workforce Study.

    PubMed

    Doucette, William R; Kreling, David H; Schommer, Jon C; Gaither, Caroline A; Mott, David A; Pedersen, Craig A

    2006-01-01

    To describe the mix of pharmacy services being offered in different types of community pharmacy practices and to identify factors associated with a community pharmacy offering pharmacy services. Cross-sectional study. Community pharmacies (independent, chain, mass merchandiser, and supermarket pharmacies). Pharmacists practicing full-time or part-time who worked in community pharmacies and responded to the 2004 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey. Mailed survey from the 2004 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey, which included core content questions for all sampled pharmacists and supplemental surveys that included workplace questions for a selected subsample of pharmacists. Type and frequency of pharmacy services being offered in a community pharmacy, including dispensing and product-related services (e.g., specialty compounding), and pharmacist care services (e.g., immunizations, smoking cessation, health screening, medication therapy management, wellness screening, nutritional support, and disease management services). Four pharmacist care services were reported as being offered at more than 10% of community pharmacy practices: immunizations, smoking cessation, health screening, and diabetes management. The number of pharmacist care services offered at a community pharmacy was positively associated with having at least three pharmacists on duty, innovativeness of the pharmacy, status as an independent pharmacy, and status as a supermarket pharmacy. More than one half of the community pharmacy practices did not offer any of the eight pharmacist care services included in a pharmacy service index. Pharmacy services were reported at relatively few community pharmacies, and were associated with pharmacy innovativeness, pharmacist staffing levels, and pharmacy setting. Some community pharmacies are offering pharmacy services as part of their business strategy, while others are dedicated to dispensing services. Continued study of pharmacy service availability in community pharmacies is needed to improve our understanding of our capacity to deliver such services, including medication therapy management services.

  15. Establishing philanthropic funds for advanced practice scholarships.

    PubMed

    Neumann, T

    1997-01-01

    Because of decreased tuition assistance at some hospitals, experienced nurses interested in advanced roles may quit rather than stay and expand their roles. This author describes how a hospital based philanthropic community group has helped provide scholarships for nurses interested in advanced practice and how to set up a similar scholarship program that will retain these experienced and motivated nurses.

  16. Institutional Effectiveness as Process and Practice in the American Community College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manning, Terri Mulkins

    2011-01-01

    The six regional accrediting agencies in the United States have created a set of standards based on best practices in colleges and universities. The evolving perception of an effective institution is one that uses data, assessment, and evaluation results to improve programs and services and strives for a high level of institutional quality. While…

  17. Engaged Research in a University Setting: Results and Reflections on Three Decades of a Partnership to Improve Juvenile Justice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, William S., II; Petersen, Jodi; Hankins, Sean; Winslow, Maureen

    2010-01-01

    Michigan State University's Adolescent Project (MSUAP) was founded in the mid-1970s to create university-community collaboration through which innovative educational experiences would be offered, best practice intervention practices employed, and sound scientific methodology used to address the pressing social issue of juvenile delinquency. The…

  18. Clinical Practice as Natural Laboratory for Psychotherapy Research: A Guide to Case-Based Time-Series Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borckardt, Jeffrey J.; Nash, Michael R.; Murphy, Martin D.; Moore, Mark; Shaw, Darlene; O'Neil, Patrick

    2008-01-01

    Both researchers and practitioners need to know more about how laboratory treatment protocols translate to real-world practice settings and how clinical innovations can be systematically tested and communicated to a skeptical scientific community. The single-case time-series study is well suited to opening a productive discourse between practice…

  19. Feeding Practices and Styles Used by a Diverse Sample of Low-Income Parents of Preschool-age Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ventura, Alison K.; Gromis, Judy C.; Lohse, Barbara

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To describe the feeding practices and styles used by a diverse sample of low-income parents of preschool-age children. Design: Thirty- to 60-minute meetings involving a semistructured interview and 2 questionnaires administered by the interviewer. Setting: Low-income communities in Philadelphia, PA. Participants: Thirty-two parents of…

  20. Improving Success, Increasing Access: Bringing HIPs to Open Enrollment Institutions through WAC/WID

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kester, Jessica; Block, Rebecca; Karda, Margaret Reinfeld; Orndoff, Harold, III

    2016-01-01

    Today, and historically, the presence of WAC/WID programs in the community college setting remains anemic when compared to Ph.D.-granting institutions. This fact is particularly troubling considering the AAC&U's research on high-impact practices and its correlation with WAC/WID theory and practice. This article empirically investigates the…

  1. Evidence of a transnational arts and health practice methodology? A contextual framing for comparative community-based participatory arts practice in the UK and Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Raw, Anni; Mantecón, Ana Rosas

    2014-01-01

    Background This paper draws on new research exploring community-based, participatory arts practice in Northern England and Mexico City to discuss contextual influences on artists’ practice, and whether a common practice model can be identified. The international comparison is used to interrogate whether such a practice model is transnational, displaying shared characteristics that transcend contextual differences. Methods The study used multi-site ethnography to investigate the participatory practice of more than 40 artists. Participant observation and extended individual and group dialogues provided data on practice in a diverse range of art forms and settings, analysed using open coding and grounded theory principles. Results Findings locate differences in practitioners’ motivations, and perceptions of the work’s function; however, key similarities emerge across both sites, in practitioners’ workshop methodologies and crucially in their creative strategies for catalysing change. A model is presented distilling the key elements of a common practice methodology, found across the study and across art forms. Conclusions The discussion notes where divergences echo nationalities of contributors, drawing inferences about the level of influence of national context in this work, and concludes with the implications of these findings for potential international collaboration, to face challenges within the community arts and health sector globally. PMID:25729411

  2. Rural Women Family Physicians: Strategies for Successful Work-Life Balance

    PubMed Central

    Phillips, Julie; Hustedde, Carol; Bjorkman, Sarah; Prasad, Rupa; Sola, Orlando; Wendling, Andrea; Bjorkman, Kurt; Paladine, Heather

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE Women family physicians experience challenges in maintaining work-life balance while practicing in rural communities. We sought to better understand the personal and professional strategies that enable women in rural family medicine to balance work and personal demands and achieve long-term career satisfaction. METHODS Women family physicians practicing in rural communities in the United States were interviewed using a semistructured format. Interviews were recorded, professionally transcribed, and analyzed using an immersion and crystallization approach, followed by detailed coding of emergent themes. RESULTS The 25 participants described a set of strategies that facilitated successful work-life balance. First, they used reduced or flexible work hours to help achieve balance with personal roles. Second, many had supportive relationships with spouses and partners, parents, or other members of the community, which facilitated their ability to be readily available to their patients. Third, participants maintained clear boundaries around their work lives, which helped them to have adequate time for parenting, recreation, and rest. CONCLUSIONS Women family physicians can build successful careers in rural communities, but supportive employers, relationships, and patient approaches provide a foundation for this success. Educators, employers, communities, and policymakers can adapt their practices to help women family physicians thrive in rural communities. PMID:27184995

  3. Recruiting medical students to rural practice

    PubMed Central

    Jutzi, Leah; Vogt, Kelly; Drever, Erin; Nisker, Jeff

    2009-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To explore the strategies used by rural recruitment programs and their perceived influence on medical students. DESIGN Two original questionnaires delivered electronically, one to medical students and the other to recruiters in rural Ontario communities. SETTING Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS All 525 medical students enrolled in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario in London and physician recruiters in 71 rural communities in Ontario were invited to participate in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The factors that influence medical students to consider rural practice, strategies used by recruiters, and student perceptions of the ethical appropriateness of both. RESULTS The questionnaire was completed by 42.1% of medical students. Lifestyle considerations were an important influence for 93.1% of students. Themes from the qualitative analysis included the ethical appropriateness of financial considerations, economic forces, perceived disadvantages of rural practice, competition between communities, and lack of altruism. Responses were received from recruiters in 43.7% of communities; of those, 92.9% offered financial incentives to attract prospective physicians. CONCLUSION Financial and lifestyle considerations are important influences on medical students’ choice to practise in rural communities. Most medical students felt incentive programs offered by rural communities were ethically appropriate. PMID:19155375

  4. Successes and Lessons Learned From Implementing Community Health Worker Programs in Community-Based and Clinical Settings: Insights From the Gulf Coast.

    PubMed

    Sherman, Mya; Covert, Hannah; Fox, Laila; Lichtveld, Maureen

    Community health workers (CHWs) are an increasingly viable component of the American health system. While organizations may be interested in incorporating CHWs into the health care workforce, there are challenges to doing so. This study characterizes the successes and lessons learned from implementing new CHW programs in clinical and community-based settings in 4 US Gulf states. Semistructured interviews were conducted with CHWs and their supervisors. Interviews were conducted with participants in 16 community-based organizations and federally qualified health centers located in coastal counties and parishes of Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Study participants consisted of 22 CHWs and 17 CHW supervisors. Although most challenges and strategies were reported by participants working in both clinical and community-based settings, some were workplace-specific. Participants from predominantly clinical settings described the importance of strengthening organizational cohesion and coordination, whereas participants from community-based participants discussed the need for specialized training for CHWs. In both work environments, participants indicated that CHW functioning was constrained by limited organizational resources, difficulty accessing the client population, and limited knowledge regarding the CHW's scope of practice. Strategies to improve CHW functioning in both settings included investing in local partnerships, streamlining resources, prioritizing strong communication and outreach, and establishing explicit operating procedures. The majority of participants noted that challenges lessened over time. Evaluating successes and lessons learned in CHW work is critical to maximize CHWs' abilities to address clients' health needs and promote health in underserved communities. This study provides important insights into how to successfully integrate CHWs into the public health workforce.

  5. Nurses who work in rural and remote communities in Canada: a national survey.

    PubMed

    MacLeod, Martha L P; Stewart, Norma J; Kulig, Judith C; Anguish, Penny; Andrews, Mary Ellen; Banner, Davina; Garraway, Leana; Hanlon, Neil; Karunanayake, Chandima; Kilpatrick, Kelley; Koren, Irene; Kosteniuk, Julie; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Mix, Nadine; Moffitt, Pertice; Olynick, Janna; Penz, Kelly; Sluggett, Larine; Van Pelt, Linda; Wilson, Erin; Zimmer, Lela

    2017-05-23

    In Canada, as in other parts of the world, there is geographic maldistribution of the nursing workforce, and insufficient attention is paid to the strengths and needs of those providing care in rural and remote settings. In order to inform workforce planning, a national study, Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada II, was conducted with the rural and remote regulated nursing workforce (registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed or registered practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses) with the intent of informing policy and planning about improving nursing services and access to care. In this article, the study methods are described along with an examination of the characteristics of the rural and remote nursing workforce with a focus on important variations among nurse types and regions. A cross-sectional survey used a mailed questionnaire with persistent follow-up to achieve a stratified systematic sample of 3822 regulated nurses from all provinces and territories, living outside of the commuting zones of large urban centers and in the north of Canada. Rural workforce characteristics reported here suggest the persistence of key characteristics noted in a previous Canada-wide survey of rural registered nurses (2001-2002), namely the aging of the rural nursing workforce, the growth in baccalaureate education for registered nurses, and increasing casualization. Two thirds of the nurses grew up in a community of under 10 000 people. While nurses' levels of satisfaction with their nursing practice and community are generally high, significant variations were noted by nurse type. Nurses reported coming to rural communities to work for reasons of location, interest in the practice setting, and income, and staying for similar reasons. Important variations were noted by nurse type and region. The proportion of the rural nursing workforce in Canada is continuing to decline in relation to the proportion of the Canadian population in rural and remote settings. Survey results about the characteristics and practice of the various types of nurses can support workforce planning to improve nursing services and access to care.

  6. Promoting the Implementation of an Evidence-Based Intervention for Adolescent Marijuana Abuse in Community Settings: Testing the Use of Intensive Quality Assurance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henggeler, Scott W.; Sheidow, Ashli J.; Cunningham, Phillippe B.; Donohue, Bradley C.; Ford, Julian D.

    2008-01-01

    The development and evaluation of effective strategies for transporting evidence-based practices to community-based clinicians has become a research and policy priority. Using multisystemic therapy programs as a platform, an experimental design examined the capacity of an Intensive Quality Assurance (IQA) system to promote therapist implementation…

  7. Families' Experiences in Different Homeless and Highly Mobile Settings: Implications for School and Community Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Peter M.

    2015-01-01

    Family homelessness has been on the rise throughout the United States in recent years. As a result, more schools and communities than ever are challenged to serve students whose lives are touched by instability, uncertainty, and crisis. To date, there has been little inquiry into how families' particular places of homelessness might shape school…

  8. The Use of Adventure Therapy in Community-Based Mental Health: Decreases in Problem Severity among Youth Clients

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tucker, Anita R.; Javorski, Steve; Tracy, Julie; Beale, Bobbi

    2013-01-01

    Background: There is an increasing need to identify effective mental health treatment practices for children and adolescents in community-based settings, due to current mixed findings of existing interventions. This study looked at adventure therapy (AT) as a viable option to meet this need. Objective: Using a sample of 1,135 youth from a…

  9. Facemasks for the prevention of infection in healthcare and community settings.

    PubMed

    MacIntyre, C Raina; Chughtai, Abrar Ahmad

    2015-04-09

    Facemasks are recommended for diseases transmitted through droplets and respirators for respiratory aerosols, yet recommendations and terminology vary between guidelines. The concepts of droplet and airborne transmission that are entrenched in clinical practice have recently been shown to be more complex than previously thought. Several randomised clinical trials of facemasks have been conducted in community and healthcare settings, using widely varying interventions, including mixed interventions (such as masks and handwashing), and diverse outcomes. Of the nine trials of facemasks identified in community settings, in all but one, facemasks were used for respiratory protection of well people. They found that facemasks and facemasks plus hand hygiene may prevent infection in community settings, subject to early use and compliance. Two trials in healthcare workers favoured respirators for clinical respiratory illness. The use of reusable cloth masks is widespread globally, particularly in Asia, which is an important region for emerging infections, but there is no clinical research to inform their use and most policies offer no guidance on them. Health economic analyses of facemasks are scarce and the few published cost effectiveness models do not use clinical efficacy data. The lack of research on facemasks and respirators is reflected in varied and sometimes conflicting policies and guidelines. Further research should focus on examining the efficacy of facemasks against specific infectious threats such as influenza and tuberculosis, assessing the efficacy of cloth masks, investigating common practices such as reuse of masks, assessing compliance, filling in policy gaps, and obtaining cost effectiveness data using clinical efficacy estimates. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2015.

  10. Supervising for Home Safety Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) Testing Community-Based Group Delivery.

    PubMed

    Morrongiello, Barbara A; Hou, Sharon; Bell, Melissa; Walton, Kathryn; Filion, A Jordan; Haines, Jess

    2017-08-01

    The individually delivered Supervising for Home Safety (SHS) program improves caregivers' injury-related beliefs and supervision practices. The current randomized controlled trial used a group delivery in a community setting and assessed program impact, feasibility, and acceptance. Caregivers of 2-5-year-olds were randomized to receive either the SHS or an attention-matched control program. In the SHS group only, there were increases from baseline to postintervention in the following: beliefs about children's vulnerability to injury, caregiver preventability of injuries, and self-efficacy to do so; readiness for change in supervision; and watchful supervision. Face-to-face recruitment by staff at community organizations proved most successful. Caregivers' satisfaction ratings were high, as was caregiver engagement (95% completed at least seven of the nine sessions). The SHS program can be delivered to groups of caregivers in community settings, is positively received by caregivers, and produces desirable changes that can be expected to improve caregivers' home safety practices. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  11. Respecting and protecting our relationships: a community research HIV prevention program for teen fathers and mothers.

    PubMed

    Lesser, Janna; Verdugo, Robert L; Koniak-Griffin, Deborah; Tello, Jerry; Kappos, Barbara; Cumberland, William G

    2005-08-01

    This article describes a two-phase community and academic collaboration funded by the California Collaborative Research Initiative to develop and test the feasibility of an innovative HIV prevention program relevant to the needs of the population of inner-city Latino teen parenting couples and realistic for implementation in community settings. The article describes (a) the identification of special issues that needed to be addressed before formation of a productive academic-community-based organization research partnership, including integrating a dominant theoretical model used in health education with principles of practice derived from clinical experience; (b) the first phase of the project that helped to inform the development of the HIV prevention program for couples; (c) examples from the intervention pilot study (Phase 2) that illustrate both the intervention strategies and the young participants' responses to the curriculum; and (d) the feasibility of program implementation and evaluation in a community setting.

  12. Non-prescription medicines: a process for standards development and testing in community pharmacy.

    PubMed

    Benrimoj, Shalom Charlie I; Gilbert, Andrew; Quintrell, Neil; Neto, Abilio C de Almeida

    2007-08-01

    The objective of the study was to develop and test standards of practice for handling non-prescription medicines. In consultation with pharmacy registering authorities, key professional and consumer groups and selected community pharmacists, standards of practice were developed in the areas of Resource Management; Professional Practice; Pharmacy Design and Environment; and Rights and Needs of Customers. These standards defined and described minimum professional activities required in the provision of non-prescription medicines at a consistent and measurable level of practice. Seven standards were described and further defined by 20 criteria, including practice indicators. The Standards were tested in 40 community pharmacies in two States and after further adaptation, endorsed by all Australian pharmacy registering authorities and major Australian pharmacy and consumer organisations. The consultation process effectively engaged practicing pharmacists in developing standards to enable community pharmacists meet their legislative and professional responsibilities. Community pharmacies were audited against a set of standards of practice for handling non-prescription medicines developed in this project. Pharmacies were audited on the Standards at baseline, mid-intervention and post-intervention. Behavior of community pharmacists and their staff in relation to these standards was measured by conducting pseudo-patron visits to participating pharmacies. The testing process demonstrated a significant improvement in the quality of service delivered by staff in community pharmacies in the management of requests involving non-prescription medicines. The use of pseudo-patron visits, as a training tool with immediate feedback, was an acceptable and effective method of achieving changes in practice. Feedback from staff in the pharmacies regarding the pseudo-patron visits was very positive. Results demonstrated the methodology employed was effective in increasing overall compliance with the Standards from a rate of 47.4% to 70.0% (P < 0.01). This project led to a recommendation for the development and execution of a national implementation strategy.

  13. An Innovative Role for Faith Community Nursing: Palliative Care Ministry.

    PubMed

    Lentz, Judy C

    Although the specialty of palliative nursing and palliative care continues to grow in hospital and outpatient settings, a paucity of home-based palliative services remains. This article discusses a new paradigm of faith-based palliative care ministry using faith community nurses (FCNs). Under the leadership of a palliative care doula (a nurse expert in palliative care), nurses in the faith community can offer critical support to those with serious illness. Models such as this provide stimulating content for FCN practice and opportunity to broaden health ministry within faith communities.

  14. Translation of an Effective Tai Chi Intervention Into a Community-Based Falls-Prevention Program

    PubMed Central

    Li, Fuzhong; Harmer, Peter; Glasgow, Russell; Mack, Karin A.; Sleet, David; Fisher, K. John; Kohn, Melvin A.; Millet, Lisa M.; Mead, Jennifer; Xu, Junheng; Lin, Mei-Li; Yang, Tingzhong; Sutton, Beth; Tompkins, Yvaughn

    2008-01-01

    Tai Chi—Moving for Better Balance, a falls-prevention program developed from a randomized controlled trial for community-based use, was evaluated with the RE-AIM framework in 6 community centers. The program had a 100% adoption rate and 87% reach into the target older adult population. All centers implemented the intervention with good fidelity, and participants showed significant improvements in health-related outcome measures. This evidence-based tai chi program is practical to disseminate and can be effectively implemented and maintained in community settings. PMID:18511723

  15. Family medicine research capacity building: five-weekend programs in Ontario.

    PubMed

    Rosser, Walter; Godwin, Marshall; Seguin, Rachelle

    2010-03-01

    Research is not perceived as an integral part of family practice by most family physicians working in community practices. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM To assist community-based practitioners in answering research questions that emerge from their practices in order for them to gain a better understanding of research and its value. The Ontario College of Family Physicians developed a program consisting of 5 sets of weekend workshops, each 2 months apart. Two pilots of the 5-weekend program occurred between 2000 and 2003. After the pilots, thirteen 5-weekend programs were held in 2 waves by 20 facilitators, who were trained in one of two 1-day seminars. This 5-weekend program, developed and tested in Ontario, stimulates community practitioners to learn how to answer research questions emerging from their practices. A 1-day seminar is adequate to train facilitators to successfully run these programs. Evaluations by both facilitators and program participants were very positive, with many participants stating that their clinical practices were improved as a result of the program. The program has been adapted for residency training, and it has already been used internationally.

  16. ‘The dangers attending these conditions are evident’: Public Health and the Working Environment of Lancashire Textile Communities, c.1870–1939

    PubMed Central

    Greenlees, Janet

    2013-01-01

    This article examines the position of the working environment within public health priorities and as a contributor to the health of a community. Using two Lancashire textile towns (Burnley and Blackburn) as case studies and drawing on a variety of sources, it highlights how, while legislation set the industry parameters for legal enforcement of working conditions, local public health priorities were pivotal in setting codes of practice. The complexities entwined with identifying the working environment as a cause of ill health and with improving it were entangled within the local community health context. In addition, the multiple understandings of Medical Officers of Health surrounding the remit of their responsibilities impacted the local health context. These did not always parallel national regulations. Indeed, it was these local, community specific forces that set the public health agenda, determined its path and the place of the working environment within this. PMID:24771979

  17. Community knowledge, attitudes and practices in relation to tuberculosis in Cameroon.

    PubMed

    Kwedi Nolna, S; Kammogne, I D; Ndzinga, R; Afanda, B; Ntonè, R; Boum, Y; Nolna, D

    2016-09-01

    With 15 080 new cases in 2013, Cameroon is a country with high tuberculosis (TB) incidence and prevalence. Understanding the community's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) about TB is key to TB control in such endemic settings. To assess TB-related KAP in Cameroon by describing the sociodemographics of respondents, to identify barriers to seeking care and to explore attitudes and experiences of stigma and discrimination related to TB in communities. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study using structured questionnaires to assess and compare TB KAP in the entire territory. The results showed that Cameroonians have insufficient understanding of TB, numerous erroneous health assumptions and beliefs concerning TB, and erroneous information about the symptoms and mode of transmission of the disease. Negative attitudes and poor practices are obstacles to elimination and control efforts. The National Tuberculosis Control Programme should generate more effective strategies to reach the populations, paying particular attention to rural populations.

  18. Training Community Mental Health Therapists to Deliver a Package of Evidence-Based Practice Strategies for School-Age Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    Drahota, Amy; Stadnick, Nicole

    2012-01-01

    Research on moving evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention strategies to community service settings for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is urgently needed. The current pilot study addresses this need by examining the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of training therapists practicing in community mental health (CMH) clinics to deliver a package of EBP strategies aimed to reduce challenging behaviors in school-age children with ASD. Results indicate that CMH therapists participated in both initial and ongoing training, were able to deliver the intervention with fidelity, and perceived the intervention strategies as useful. Parents participated in almost all sessions with their children and remained in therapy when therapists delivered the intervention. Meaningful reductions in child problem behaviors occurred over 5 months providing promising support for the intervention. PMID:22102293

  19. Study protocol for "Study of Practices Enabling Implementation and Adaptation in the Safety Net (SPREAD-NET)": a pragmatic trial comparing implementation strategies.

    PubMed

    Gold, Rachel; Hollombe, Celine; Bunce, Arwen; Nelson, Christine; Davis, James V; Cowburn, Stuart; Perrin, Nancy; DeVoe, Jennifer; Mossman, Ned; Boles, Bruce; Horberg, Michael; Dearing, James W; Jaworski, Victoria; Cohen, Deborah; Smith, David

    2015-10-16

    Little research has directly compared the effectiveness of implementation strategies in any setting, and we know of no prior trials directly comparing how effectively different combinations of strategies support implementation in community health centers. This paper outlines the protocol of the Study of Practices Enabling Implementation and Adaptation in the Safety Net (SPREAD-NET), a trial designed to compare the effectiveness of several common strategies for supporting implementation of an intervention and explore contextual factors that impact the strategies' effectiveness in the community health center setting. This cluster-randomized trial compares how three increasingly hands-on implementation strategies support adoption of an evidence-based diabetes quality improvement intervention in 29 community health centers, managed by 12 healthcare organizations. The strategies are as follows: (arm 1) a toolkit, presented in paper and electronic form, which includes a training webinar; (arm 2) toolkit plus in-person training with a focus on practice change and change management strategies; and (arm 3) toolkit, in-person training, plus practice facilitation with on-site visits. We use a mixed methods approach to data collection and analysis: (i) baseline surveys on study clinic characteristics, to explore how these characteristics impact the clinics' ability to implement the tools and the effectiveness of each implementation strategy; (ii) quantitative data on change in rates of guideline-concordant prescribing; and (iii) qualitative data on the "how" and "why" underlying the quantitative results. The outcomes of interest are clinic-level results, categorized using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, within an interrupted time-series design with segmented regression models. This pragmatic trial will compare how well each implementation strategy works in "real-world" practices. Having a better understanding of how different strategies support implementation efforts could positively impact the field of implementation science, by comparing practical, generalizable methods for implementing clinical innovations in community health centers. Bridging this gap in the literature is a critical step towards the national long-term goal of effectively disseminating and implementing effective interventions into community health centers. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02325531.

  20. Teaching safety at a summer camp: evaluation of a fire safety curriculum in an urban community setting.

    PubMed

    Chavez, Audrie A; Duzinski, Sarah V; Wheeler, Tareka C; Lawson, Karla A

    2014-09-01

    To evaluate the effectiveness of the Danger Rangers Fire Safety Curriculum in increasing the fire safety knowledge of low-income, minority children in an urban community setting. Data was collected from child participants via teacher/researcher administered pre-, post-, and retention tests. A self-administered questionnaire was collected from parents pre- and post-intervention to assess fire/burn prevention practices. Paired t-tests were conducted to compare pre-, post-, and retention test mean scores by grade group. McNemar's test was used to determine if there was a change in parent-reported prevention practices following the intervention. The first/second grade group and the third grade group scored significantly higher on the post- and retention test as compared to the pre-test (p<0.0001 for all comparisons). There was no significant change in scores for the pre-k/k group after the intervention. There was a significant increase in 2 of 4 parent-reported fire/burn-related prevention practices after the intervention. Fire safety knowledge improved among first to third grade children, but not among pre-kinder and kindergarten children who participated in the intervention. This study also showed that a program targeted towards children and delivered in a classroom setting has the potential to influence familial prevention practices by proxy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  1. Study protocol for a cluster randomized trial of the Community of Voices choir intervention to promote the health and well-being of diverse older adults.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Julene K; Nápoles, Anna M; Stewart, Anita L; Max, Wendy B; Santoyo-Olsson, Jasmine; Freyre, Rachel; Allison, Theresa A; Gregorich, Steven E

    2015-10-13

    Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the United States population. There is an immediate need to identify novel, cost-effective community-based approaches that promote health and well-being for older adults, particularly those from diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Because choral singing is multi-modal (requires cognitive, physical, and psychosocial engagement), it has the potential to improve health outcomes across several dimensions to help older adults remain active and independent. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a community choir program (Community of Voices) on health and well-being and to examine its costs and cost-effectiveness in a large sample of diverse, community-dwelling older adults. In this cluster randomized controlled trial, diverse adults age 60 and older were enrolled at Administration on Aging-supported senior centers and completed baseline assessments. The senior centers were randomly assigned to either start the choir immediately (intervention group) or wait 6 months to start (control). Community of Voices is a culturally tailored choir program delivered at the senior centers by professional music conductors that reflects three components of engagement (cognitive, physical, and psychosocial). We describe the nature of the study including the cluster randomized trial study design, sampling frame, sample size calculation, methods of recruitment and assessment, and primary and secondary outcomes. The study involves conducting a randomized trial of an intervention as delivered in "real-world" settings. The choir program was designed using a novel translational approach that integrated evidence-based research on the benefits of singing for older adults, community best practices related to community choirs for older adults, and the perspective of the participating communities. The practicality and relatively low cost of the choir intervention means it can be incorporated into a variety of community settings and adapted to diverse cultures and languages. If successful, this program will be a practical and acceptable community-based approach for promoting health and well-being of older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01869179 registered 9 January 2013.

  2. Longitudinal study of infectious intestinal disease in the UK (IID2 study): incidence in the community and presenting to general practice

    PubMed Central

    Rodrigues, Laura C; Viviani, Laura; Dodds, Julie P; Evans, Meirion R; Hunter, Paul R; Gray, Jim J; Letley, Louise H; Rait, Greta; Tompkins, David S; O'Brien, Sarah J

    2011-01-01

    Objectives To estimate, overall and by organism, the incidence of infectious intestinal disease (IID) in the community, presenting to general practice (GP) and reported to national surveillance. Design Prospective, community cohort study and prospective study of GP presentation conducted between April 2008 and August 2009. Setting Eighty-eight GPs across the UK recruited from the Medical Research Council General Practice Research Framework and the Primary Care Research Networks. Participants 6836 participants registered with the 88 participating practices in the community study; 991 patients with UK-acquired IID presenting to one of 37 practices taking part in the GP presentation study. Main outcome measures IID rates in the community, presenting to GP and reported to national surveillance, overall and by organism; annual IID cases and GP consultations by organism. Results The overall rate of IID in the community was 274 cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI 254 to 296); the rate of GP consultations was 17.7 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 14.4 to 21.8). There were 147 community cases and 10 GP consultations for every case reported to national surveillance. Norovirus was the most common organism, with incidence rates of 47 community cases per 1000 person-years and 2.1 GP consultations per 1000 person-years. Campylobacter was the most common bacterial pathogen, with a rate of 9.3 cases per 1000 person-years in the community, and 1.3 GP consultations per 1000 person-years. We estimate that there are up to 17 million sporadic, community cases of IID and 1 million GP consultations annually in the UK. Of these, norovirus accounts for 3 million cases and 130 000 GP consultations, and Campylobacter is responsible for 500 000 cases and 80 000 GP consultations. Conclusions IID poses a substantial community and healthcare burden in the UK. Control efforts must focus particularly on reducing the burden due to Campylobacter and enteric viruses. PMID:21708822

  3. Making User-Generated Content Communities Work in Higher Education - The Importance of Setting Incentives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vom Brocke, Jan; White, Cynthia; Walker, Ute; Vom Brocke, Christina

    The concept of User-Generated Content (UGC) offers impressive potential for innovative learning and teaching scenarios in higher education. Examples like Wikipedia and Facebook illustrate the enormous effects of multiple users world-wide contributing to a pool of shared resources, such as videos and pictures and also lexicographical descriptions. Apart from single examples, however, the systematic use of these virtual technologies in higher education still needs further exploration. Only few examples display the successful application of UGC Communities at university scenarios. We argue that a major reason for this can be seen in the fact that the organizational dimension of setting up UGC Communities has widely been neglected so far. In particular, we indicate the need for incentive setting to actively involve students and achieve specific pedagogical objectives. We base our study on organizational theories and derive strategies for incentive setting that have been applied in a practical e-Learning scenario involving students from Germany and New Zealand.

  4. Health-promoting schools in Australia: models and measurement.

    PubMed

    Booth, M L; Samdal, O

    1997-01-01

    Schools represent a very attractive setting for health promotion. Most children and young people attend school, professional educators are in place, and most school communities are microcosms of the larger community, providing opportunities for children to develop and practice the skills necessary to support a healthy life-style. In response to this opportunity, the precepts of contemporary health promotion have been synthesised into the 'health-promoting school' model, which is guided by a holistic view of health and by the principles of equity and empowerment. Although there are different conceptions of the model, the key components are: the formal curriculum; school ethos (the social climate); the physical environment; the policies and practices of the school; school health services; and the school-home-community interaction. The health-promoting school model offers a comprehensive, systematic approach to health promotion in the school setting, which is widely accepted internationally. There have been few studies in Australia that have attempted to determine the prevalence of activities related to the model or to evaluate interventions. Unfortunately, conceptual and practical advances have far outstripped the development of research and evaluation instruments. There is an urgent need to create valid research tools to support the development and implementation of this potentially fruitful health promotion model.

  5. Urban farming activity towards sustainable wellbeing of urban dwellers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Othman, N.; Mohamad, M.; Latip, R. A.; Ariffin, M. H.

    2018-02-01

    In Malaysia, urban farming is viewed as a catalyst towards achieving the well-being of urban dwellers and natural environment. Urban farming is a strategy for Malaysia’s food and economic security, and as one of the foci in the agriculture transformation whereby urban dwellers are encouraged to participate in this activity. Previous study proved that urban farming can help to address social problems of food security, urban poverty and high living cost, also provides leisure and recreation among urban dwellers. Thus, this study investigates the best urban farming practices suitable for urban setting, environment and culture of urban dwellers. Data collection was done via questionnaire survey to urban farmers of a selected community garden in Subang Jaya, Selangor. Meanwhile, on-site observations were carried out on gardening activities and the gardens’ physical attributes. The study sample encompasses of 131 urban farmers of 22 community gardens in Subang Jaya. It was found that most of the community gardens practiced crops planting on the ground or soil base planting and dwellers in the lower income group with monthly low household income constitutes the majority (83.2%) of the respondents. Social and health benefits are the highest motivating factors for urban farmers. This study provides unprecedented insights on urban farming practices and motivations in a Malaysian setting.

  6. Religious networking organizations and social justice: an ethnographic case study.

    PubMed

    Todd, Nathan R

    2012-09-01

    The current study provides an innovative examination of how and why religious networking organizations work for social justice in their local community. Similar to a coalition or community coordinating council, religious networking organizations are formal organizations comprised of individuals from multiple religious congregations who consistently meet to organize around a common goal. Based on over a year and a half of ethnographic participation in two separate religious networking organizations focused on community betterment and social justice, this study reports on the purpose and structure of these organizations, how each used networking to create social capital, and how religion was integrated into the organizations' social justice work. Findings contribute to the growing literature on social capital, empowering community settings, and the unique role of religious settings in promoting social justice. Implications for future research and practice also are discussed.

  7. Parent perceptions of an adapted evidence-based practice for toddlers with autism in a community setting

    PubMed Central

    Stahmer, Aubyn C; Brookman-Frazee, Lauren; Rieth, Sarah R; Stoner, Julia Trigeiro; Feder, Joshua D; Searcy, Karyn; Wang, Tiffany

    2016-01-01

    Although data from parent-implemented Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions have shown positive effects on decreasing core symptoms of autism, there has been limited examination of the effectiveness of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions in community settings. In addition, parent perspectives of their involvement in parent-implemented early intervention programs have not been well studied. Using both qualitative and quantitative data to examine parent perspectives and the perceived feasibility of parent training by community providers, 13 families were followed as they received training in the Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention, Project ImPACT. Data indicate that parent training by community providers is feasible and well received, and parents find value in participating in intervention and perceive benefit for their children. Recommendations for adaptation of program elements and future research are discussed. PMID:27121242

  8. When procedures meet practice in community pharmacies: qualitative insights from pharmacists and pharmacy support staff

    PubMed Central

    Ashcroft, Darren M

    2016-01-01

    Objectives Our aim was to explore how members of community pharmacy staff perceive and experience the role of procedures within the workplace in community pharmacies. Setting Community pharmacies in England and Wales. Participants 24 community pharmacy staff including pharmacists and pharmacy support staff were interviewed regarding their view of procedures in community pharmacy. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results 3 main themes were identified. According to the ‘dissemination and creation of standard operating procedures’ theme, community pharmacy staff were required to follow a large amount of procedures as part of their work. At times, complying with all procedures was not possible. According to the ‘complying with procedures’ theme, there are several factors that influenced compliance with procedures, including work demands, the high workload and the social norm within the pharmacy. Lack of staff, pressure to hit targets and poor communication also affected how able staff felt to follow procedures. The third theme ‘procedural compliance versus using professional judgement’ highlighted tensions between the standardisation of practice and the professional autonomy of pharmacists. Pharmacists feared being unsupported by their employer for working outside of procedures, even when acting for patient benefit. Some support staff believed that strictly following procedures would keep patients and themselves safe. Dispensers described following the guidance of the pharmacist which sometimes meant working outside of procedures, but occasionally felt unable to voice concerns about not working to rule. Conclusions Organisational resilience in community pharmacy was apparent and findings from this study should help to inform policymakers and practitioners regarding factors likely to influence the implementation of procedures in community pharmacy settings. Future research should focus on exploring community pharmacy employees' intentions and attitudes towards rule-breaking behaviour and the impact this may have on patient safety. PMID:27266770

  9. Increase in Naloxone Prescriptions Dispensed in US Retail Pharmacies Since 2013.

    PubMed

    Jones, Christopher M; Lurie, Peter G; Compton, Wilson M

    2016-04-01

    Distribution of naloxone, traditionally through community-based naloxone programs, is a component of a comprehensive strategy to address the epidemic of prescription opioid and heroin overdose deaths in the United States. Recently, there has been increased focus on naloxone prescription in the outpatient setting, particularly through retail pharmacies, yet data on this practice are sparse. We found an 1170% increase in naloxone dispensing from US retail pharmacies between the fourth quarter of 2013 and the second quarter of 2015. These findings suggest that prescribing naloxone in the outpatient setting complements traditional community-based naloxone programs.

  10. Reorienting health services in the Northern Territory of Australia: a conceptual model for building health promotion capacity in the workforce.

    PubMed

    Judd, Jenni; Keleher, Helen

    2013-06-01

    Reorienting work practices to include health promotion and prevention is complex and requires specific strategies and interventions. This paper presents original research that used 'real-world' practice to demonstrate that knowledge gathered from practice is relevant for the development of practice-based evidence. The paper shows how practitioners can inform and influence improvements in health promotion practice. Practitioner-informed evidence necessarily incorporates qualitative research to capture the richness of their reflective experiences. Using a participatory action research (PAR) approach, the research question asked 'what are the core dimensions of building health promotion capacity in a primary health care workforce in a real-world setting?' PAR is a method in which the researcher operates in full collaboration with members of the organisation being studied for the purposes of achieving some kind of change, in this case to increase the amount of health promotion and prevention practice within this community health setting. The PAR process involved six reflection and action cycles over two years. Data collection processes included: survey; in-depth interviews; a training intervention; observations of practice; workplace diaries; and two nominal groups. The listen/reflect/act process enabled lessons from practice to inform future capacity-building processes. This research strengthened and supported the development of health promotion to inform 'better health' practices through respectful change processes based on research, practitioner-informed evidence, and capacity-building strategies. A conceptual model for building health promotion capacity in the primary health care workforce was informed by the PAR processes and recognised the importance of the determinants approach. Practitioner-informed evidence is the missing link in the evidence debate and provides the links between evidence and its translation to practice. New models of health promotion service delivery can be developed in community settings recognising the importance of involving practitioners themselves in these processes.

  11. In amongst the Glitter and the Squashed Blueberries: Crafting a Collaborative Lens for Children's Literacy Pedagogy in a Community Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hackett, Abigail; Pahl, Kate; Pool, Steve

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we bring together relational arts practice (Kester, 2004) with collaborative ethnography (Campbell and Lassiter, 2015) in order to propose art not as a way of teaching children literacy, but as a lens to enable researchers and practitioners to view children's literacies differently. Both relational arts practice and collaborative…

  12. Parent and Staff Expectations for Continuity of Home Practices in the Child Care Setting for Families with Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Gioia, Katey

    2009-01-01

    The use of childcare services for very young children (birth to three years) has increased dramatically in the past two decades (Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2004). This article investigates the expectations for cultural continuity of caregiving practices (with particular emphasis on sleep and feeding) between…

  13. A Correlational Study of the Relationship between TEAS V and Success in Licensed Practical Nursing Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grace, Jamila

    2017-01-01

    Practical nurses can provide quality, cost-effective care in an ever-changing health care setting which is faced with a shortage of nurses. A community college system in the southeastern area of the United States began using the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) V as part of admission criteria for nursing programs. While Assessment…

  14. Professional and Personal Factors Associated with Gerontological Practice: Implications for Training and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Kathy

    2011-01-01

    Professional practice with older adults is performed in a variety of settings and across a broad range of areas. Planning for care throughout the end of life represents an increasingly important aspect of work with older adults as a result of the nation's aging demographic and concomitant health care needs. Community-based geriatric case managers…

  15. The Use of Inappropriate Feeding Practices by Rural Parents and Their Effect on Preschoolers' Fruit and Vegetable Preferences and Intake

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bante, Holly; Elliott, Michael; Harrod, Amanda; Haire-Joshu, Debra

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To describe the frequency of inappropriate feeding practices used by parents of preschoolers and the impact on a child's preference for and intake of fruits and vegetables (FV). Design: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a telephone interview. Setting: A community-based program in rural southeastern Missouri. Participants:…

  16. Strong Communities for Children: Results of a multi-year community-based initiative to protect children from harm.

    PubMed

    McDonell, James R; Ben-Arieh, Asher; Melton, Gary B

    2015-03-01

    This article reports the evaluation results from Strong Communities for Children, a multi-year comprehensive community-based initiative to prevent child maltreatment and improve children's safety. The outcome study consisted of a survey of a random sample of caregivers of children under age 10 in the Strong Communities service area and a set of comparison communities matched at the block group level on demography. Survey data were collected in two waves 4 years apart. Data were collected on (a) perceptions of the neighborhood and neighbors (e.g., neighboring, collective efficacy), (b) perceptions of neighbors' parenting practices, (c) parental attitudes and beliefs (e.g., parental stress; parental efficacy), and (d) self-reported parenting practices. The survey data were supplemented by data on substantiated reported rates of child abuse and neglect per 1,000 children and ICD-9 coded child injuries suggesting child abuse and neglect per 1,000 children. Compared to the non-intervention sample across time, the Strong Communities samples showed significant changes in the expected direction for social support, collective efficacy, child safety in the home, observed parenting practices, parental stress, parental efficacy, self-reported parenting practices, rates of officially substantiated child maltreatment, and rates of ICD-9 coded child injuries suggesting child maltreatment. These promising results, obtained through multiple methods of evaluation, confirm that a community mobilization strategy can shift norms of parents' care for their children and neighbors' support for one another, so that young children are safer at home and in the community. Replications should be undertaken and evaluated in other communities under diverse auspices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Translation of clinical practice guidelines for childhood obesity prevention in primary care mobilizes a rural Midwest community.

    PubMed

    Gibson, S Jo

    2016-03-01

    The purpose of this project was to implement clinic system changes that support evidence-based guidelines for childhood obesity prevention. Adherence rates for prevention and screening of children in a rural Midwest primary care setting were used to measure the success of the program. Retrospective chart reviews reflected gaps in current practice and documentation. An evidence-based toolkit for childhood obesity prevention was used to implement clinic system changes for the identified gaps. The quality improvement approach proved to be effective in translating knowledge of obesity prevention guidelines into rural clinic practices with significant improvements in documentation of prevention measures that may positively impact the childhood obesity epidemic. Primary care providers, including nurse practitioners (NPs), are at the forefront of diagnosing, educating, and counseling children and families on obesity prevention and need appropriate resources and tools to deliver premier care. The program successfully demonstrated how barriers to practice, even with the unique challenges in a rural setting, can be overcome. NPs fulfill a pivotal primary care role and can provide leadership that may positively impact obesity prevention in their communities. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

  18. Voices from Left of the Dial:* Reflections of Practice-Based Researchers

    PubMed Central

    Fagnan, Lyle J.; Handley, Margaret A.; Rollins, Nancy; Mold, James

    2010-01-01

    Background Purpose Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs) provide an important approach to implementing primary care research at the community level, thus increasing the relevance and utility of research findings for routine primary care practices. PBRNs expend considerable time and energy in the recruitment, engagement, and retention of network clinicians and practices to establish this community-based primary care research laboratory. This study assessed factors motivating PBRN clinicians to participate and stay involved in practice-based research in their primary care office setting. Methods We invited practicing clinicians across the United States who are affiliated with a PBRN to share their stories regarding motivations to participate in practice-based research. Using qualitative methods, we categorized the stories into the main motivation for participation and the perceived impact of participation. Results We collected 37 stories from clinicians affiliated with 12 PBRNS located in 14 states. Motivations for participation in practice-based research included themes associated with personal satisfaction, improving local clinic-based care, and contributing to community and system level improvements. Sources of personal satisfaction corresponded to the three psychological needs postulated by Deci's and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Conclusions These PBRN clinician stories describe the values, motivations and unique paths that clinicians took as they chose to participate and stay active in a practice-based research network. Their voices have the potential to influence others to participate in practice-based research. PMID:20616286

  19. Partnerships for better mental health worldwide: WPA recommendations on best practices in working with service users and family carers

    PubMed Central

    WALLCRAFT, JAN; AMERING, MICHAELA; FREIDIN, JULIAN; DAVAR, BHARGAVI; FROGGATT, DIANE; JAFRI, HUSSAIN; JAVED, AFZAL; KATONTOKA, SYLVESTER; RAJA, SHOBA; RATAEMANE, SOLOMON; STEFFEN, SIGRID; TYANO, SAM; UNDERHILL, CHRISTPHER; WAHLBERG, HENRIK; WARNER, RICHARD; HERRMAN, HELEN

    2011-01-01

    WPA President M. Maj established the Task Force on Best Practice in Working with Service Users and Carers in 2008, chaired by H. Herrman. The Task Force had the remit to create recommendations for the international mental health community on how to develop successful partnership working. The work began with a review of literature on service user and carer involvement and partnership. This set out a range of considerations for good practice, including choice of appropriate terminology, clarifying the partnership process and identifying and reducing barriers to partnership working. Based on the literature review and on the shared knowledge in the Task Force, a set of ten recommendations for good practice was developed. These recommendations were the basis for a worldwide consultation of stakeholders with expertise as service users, families and carers, and the WPA Board and Council. The results showed a strong consensus across the international mental health community on the ten recommendations, with the strongest agreement coming from service users and carers. This general consensus gives a basis for Task Force plans to seek support for activities to promote shared work worldwide to identify best practice examples and create a resource to assist others to begin successful collaboration. PMID:21991284

  20. Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McIlvaine, J.; Sutherland, K.

    In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multi-year field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annualmore » energy savings of 15-30% and higher. This report describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the 'current best practices.' A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. Our new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.« less

  1. Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs - Central Florida

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multiyear field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annualmore » energy savings of 15%-30% and higher. This case study describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the "current best practices". A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. The new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.« less

  2. Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs, Central Florida (Fact Sheet)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None, None

    In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multi-year field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annualmore » energy savings of 15-30% and higher. This report describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the "current best practices". A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. Our new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.« less

  3. Applying Best Practices to Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McIlvaine, J.; Sutherland, K.

    In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multiyear field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annualmore » energy savings of 15%-30% and higher. This report describes Phase 2 of the work where researchers worked with a local government partner to implement and refine the "current best practices". A simulation study was conducted to characterize savings potential under three sets of conditions representing varying replacement needs for energy-related equipment and envelope components. The three scenarios apply readily to the general remodeling industry as for renovation of foreclosed homes for the affordable housing market. The new local government partner, the City of Melbourne, implemented the best practices in a community-scale renovation program that included ten homes in 2012.« less

  4. Leading Change: A Case Study of Leadership Practices from the Development of the Niagara County Community College Culinary Institute

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caton, Jazmin; Mistriner, Mark

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this case study was to evaluate the lessons learned from the development of a project that set out to revitalize an economically depressed area with an innovative approach to workforce development through partnerships. The focus was to utilize the development of the Niagara County Community College Culinary Institute as an example…

  5. Big data in pharmacy practice: current use, challenges, and the future.

    PubMed

    Ma, Carolyn; Smith, Helen Wong; Chu, Cherie; Juarez, Deborah T

    2015-01-01

    Pharmacy informatics is defined as the use and integration of data, information, knowledge, technology, and automation in the medication-use process for the purpose of improving health outcomes. The term "big data" has been coined and is often defined in three V's: volume, velocity, and variety. This paper describes three major areas in which pharmacy utilizes big data, including: 1) informed decision making (clinical pathways and clinical practice guidelines); 2) improved care delivery in health care settings such as hospitals and community pharmacy practice settings; and 3) quality performance measurement for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and medication management activities such as tracking medication adherence and medication reconciliation.

  6. Big data in pharmacy practice: current use, challenges, and the future

    PubMed Central

    Ma, Carolyn; Smith, Helen Wong; Chu, Cherie; Juarez, Deborah T

    2015-01-01

    Pharmacy informatics is defined as the use and integration of data, information, knowledge, technology, and automation in the medication-use process for the purpose of improving health outcomes. The term “big data” has been coined and is often defined in three V’s: volume, velocity, and variety. This paper describes three major areas in which pharmacy utilizes big data, including: 1) informed decision making (clinical pathways and clinical practice guidelines); 2) improved care delivery in health care settings such as hospitals and community pharmacy practice settings; and 3) quality performance measurement for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and medication management activities such as tracking medication adherence and medication reconciliation. PMID:29354523

  7. "It makes us really look inferior to outsiders": Coping with psychosocial experiences associated with the lack of access to safe water and sanitation.

    PubMed

    Bisung, Elijah; Elliott, Susan J

    2017-11-09

    This paper explores daily experiences and coping resources related to the lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation in Usoma, a lakeshore community in Western Kenya. A qualitative approach that involved 10 focus group discussions and 9 key informant interviews with community leaders, volunteers and professionals was used to explore the research objectives. Data were collected from June to August 2013. Daily practices and experiences around water and sanitation, such as water collection, open defecation and shared toilets, were a major concern to residents. In the absence of safe water, residents used social networks and support, financial resources and the nearby Lake Victoria as coping resources. Findings from this study are important for mobilizing resources in vulnerable settings as a first step towards designing community-based interventions. For public health practice, practitioners must work with - and collaborate across - sectors to enhance and strengthen social networks and cohesion, and protect the natural environment while working toward addressing water-related challenges in deprived settings.

  8. Barriers to promote cardiovascular health in community pharmacies: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Alonso-Perales, María Del Mar; Lasheras, Berta; Beitia, Guadalupe; Beltrán, Idoia; Marcos, Beatriz; Núñez-Córdoba, Jorge M

    2017-06-01

    Community pharmacists play an important role in the provision of health promotion services, and community pharmacies are considered as a potentially ideal site for cardiovascular health promotion. Information based on a systematic review of barriers to promoting cardiovascular health in community pharmacy is currently lacking. We have sought to identify the most important barriers to cardiovascular health promotion in the community pharmacy. We have systematically searched PubMed and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts for a period of 15 years from 1 April 1998 to 1 April 2013, contacted subject experts and hand-searched bibliographies. We have included peer-reviewed articles, with English abstracts in the analysis, if they reported community pharmacists' perceptions of the barriers to cardiovascular health promotion activities in a community pharmacy setting. Two reviewers have independently extracted study characteristics and data. We identified 24 studies that satisfy the eligibility criteria. The main barriers to cardiovascular health promotion in the community pharmacy included pharmacist-related factors; practice site factors; financial factors; legal factors; and patient-related factors. This review will help to provide reliable evidence for health promotion practitioners of the barriers to promoting cardiovascular health in the community pharmacy setting. This knowledge is valuable for the improvement of cardiovascular health promotion in this setting and guiding future research. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Fostering Collaborative Leadership through Playbuilding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bishop, Kathy; Weigler, Will; Lloyd, Tracey; Beare, David

    2017-01-01

    Playbuilding is one response to the search for creative ways to approach leadership and learning. Drawing upon their practical experiences within community-based, secondary school, and university settings, the authors share stories and strategies for fostering collaborative leadership through playbuilding.

  10. Adaptive Interventions and SMART Designs: Application to child behavior research in a community setting.

    PubMed

    Kidwell, Kelley M; Hyde, Luke W

    2016-09-01

    Heterogeneity between and within people necessitates the need for sequential personalized interventions to optimize individual outcomes. Personalized or adaptive interventions (AIs) are relevant for diseases and maladaptive behavioral trajectories when one intervention is not curative and success of a subsequent intervention may depend on individual characteristics or response. AIs may be applied to medical settings and to investigate best prevention, education, and community-based practices. AIs can begin with low-cost or low-burden interventions and followed with intensified or alternative interventions for those who need it most. AIs that guide practice over the course of a disease, program, or school year can be investigated through sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMARTs). To promote the use of SMARTs, we provide a hypothetical SMART in a Head Start program to address child behavior problems. We describe the advantages and limitations of SMARTs, particularly as they may be applied to the field of evaluation.

  11. Bridging research and practice: community-researcher partnerships for replicating effective interventions.

    PubMed

    Rotheram-Borus, M J; Rebchook, G M; Kelly, J A; Adams, J; Neumann, M S

    2000-01-01

    Long-term collaborations among researchers, staff and volunteers in community-based agencies, staff in institutional settings, and health advocates present challenges. Each group has different missions, procedures, attributes, and rewards. This article reviews areas of potential conflict and suggests strategies for coping with these challenges. During the replication of five effective HIV prevention interventions, strategies for maintaining mutually beneficial collaborations included selecting agencies with infrastructures that could support research-based interventions; obtaining letters of understanding that clarified roles, responsibilities, and time frames; and setting training schedules with opportunities for observing, practicing, becoming invested in, and repeatedly implementing the intervention. The process of implementing interventions highlighted educating funders of research and public health services about (a) the costs of disseminating interventions, (b) the need for innovation to new modalities and theories for delivering effective interventions, and (c) adopting strategies of marketing research and quality engineering when designing interventions.

  12. Community mental health nurses speak out: the critical relationship between emotional wellbeing and satisfying professional practice.

    PubMed

    Rose, Jayln; Glass, Nel

    2006-10-01

    The article reports on selected findings of a research study concerning emotional wellbeing and professional nursing practice (Rose 2002). It highlights the relationship between community mental health nurses' and emotional wellbeing, and their capacity to provide satisfying professional nursing practice (Rose 2002). The notion of emotional wellbeing, factors that impacted upon the participants' emotional wellbeing, and the relationship of emotional wellbeing to professional practice were revealed in the study. These findings were based on a qualitative critical feminist research inquiry and specifically, interviews with five women community mental health nurses in Australia. Whilst complex, emotional wellbeing was found to be both implicitly and explicitly linked to the participants intertwined personal and professional experiences. Four key components were identified: the nebulous notion; the stress relationship; the mind, body, spirit connection; and, inner sense of balance. In terms of emotional wellbeing and professional practice, three themes were revealed. These were: being able to speak out (or not); being autonomous (or not) and being satisfied (or not). The authors argue that the emotional wellbeing of nurses working in community mental health settings is critical to satisfying professional practice. Furthermore nursing work involves emotional work which impacts on one's emotional wellbeing and emotional wellbeing is integrally linked to professional practice. It is recommended that health organisations must be pro-active in addressing the emotional needs of nurses to ensure the delivery of health care that is aligned to professional practice. This approach will ensure nurses will feel more recognised and validated in terms of their nursing practice.

  13. Assessment of pharmacists' job satisfaction and job related stress in Amman.

    PubMed

    Al Khalidi, Doaa; Wazaify, Mayyada

    2013-10-01

    The myriad changes in pharmacy practice in Jordan have transformed the pharmacist's role to be more focused on the patient and his/her therapeutic needs than on just the traditional dispensing. This, in addition to other possible factors, is believed to have influenced pharmacists' job satisfaction and stress level in different practice settings in Jordan. This study aimed to determine the level of job satisfaction and job related stress among pharmacists in Amman. Moreover, the main causes of dissatisfaction and stress-related factors affecting pharmacists at their working positions were also explored. The study was conducted in four pharmacy practice settings: independent and chain community pharmacies as well as private and public hospital pharmacies. The study adopted the self-administered survey methodology technique using a pre-validated pre-piloted questionnaire. The questionnaire was adapted from one previously used in Northern Ireland. Data were entered into SAS database and analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi square and regression analysis. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. The level and factors affecting job satisfaction and job related stress as reported by participating pharmacists. A total of 235 registered pharmacists in Amman were involved. The pharmacists' job satisfaction was significantly affected by the type of pharmacy practice settings (P = 0.038), pharmacists' registration year (P = 0.048) and marital status (P = 0.023). Moreover, job related stress situations like patient care responsibility have been associated significantly with the type of pharmacy practice settings (P = 0.043) and pharmacists' registration year (P = 0.013). Other job stressors like long working hours, lack of advancement, promotion opportunities and poor physician pharmacists' relationship have also been reported by participants. The study concluded that community pharmacists in Amman are found to be less satisfied with their jobs than their hospital counterparts. Pharmacists' job satisfaction should be enhanced to improve pharmacists' motivation and competence. Consequently, this will improve their productivity and provision of pharmaceutical care.

  14. Ménière's Disease: A CHEER Database Study of Local and Regional Patient Encounter and Procedure Patterns.

    PubMed

    Crowson, Matthew G; Schulz, Kristine; Parham, Kourosh; Vambutas, Andrea; Witsell, David; Lee, Walter T; Shin, Jennifer J; Pynnonen, Melissa A; Nguyen-Huynh, Anh; Ryan, Sheila E; Langman, Alan

    2016-07-01

    (1) Integrate practice-based patient encounters using the Dartmouth Atlas Medicare database to understand practice treatments for Ménière's disease (MD). (2) Describe differences in the practice patterns between academic and community providers for MD. Practice-based research database review. CHEER (Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research) network academic and community providers. MD patient data were identified with ICD-9 and CPT codes. Demographics, unique visits, and procedures per patient were tabulated. The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care was used to reference regional health care utilization. Statistical analysis included 1-way analyses of variance, bivariate linear regression, and Student's t tests, with significance set at P < .05. A total of 2071 unique patients with MD were identified from 8 academic and 10 community otolaryngology-head and neck surgery provider centers nationally. Average age was 56.5 years; 63.9% were female; and 91.4% self-reported white ethnicity. There was an average of 3.2 visits per patient. Western providers had the highest average visits per patient. Midwest providers had the highest average procedures per patient. Community providers had more visits per site and per patient than did academic providers. Academic providers had significantly more operative procedures per site (P = .0002) when compared with community providers. Health care service areas with higher total Medicare reimbursements per enrollee did not report significantly more operative procedures being performed. This is the first practice-based clinical research database study to describe MD practice patterns. We demonstrate that academic otolaryngology-head and neck surgery providers perform significantly more operative procedures than do community providers for MD, and we validate these data with an independent Medicare spending database. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

  15. Using Ecological Frameworks to Advance a Field of Research, Practice, and Policy on Aging-in-Place Initiatives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenfield, Emily A.

    2012-01-01

    Initiatives to promote aging in place have emerged rapidly in the United States across various health care settings (e.g., acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities) and broader community settings (e.g., public social service agencies). Moreover, recent federal policies include a growing number of provisions for local efforts to promote…

  16. The Effectiveness of Coursework and Onsite Coaching at Improving the Quality of Care in Infant-Toddler Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreno, Amanda J.; Green, Sheridan; Koehn, Jo

    2015-01-01

    Research Findings: This study evaluated the effectiveness of 2 professional development interventions aimed at improving the quality of care provided by caregivers in ordinary infant-toddler child care settings, both center- and home-based. In all, 183 participants in a community college course on infant-toddler theory and practice, an in-service…

  17. Completeness of breast cancer operative reports in a community care setting.

    PubMed

    Eng, Jordan Lang; Baliski, Christopher Ronald; McGahan, Colleen; Cai, Eric

    2017-10-01

    The narrative operative report represents the traditional means by which breast cancer surgery has been documented. Previous work has established that omissions occur in narrative operative reports produced in an academic setting. The goal of this study was to determine the completeness of breast cancer narrative operative reports produced in a community care setting and to explore the effect of a surgeon's case volume and years in practice on the completeness of these reports. A standardized retrospective review of operative reports produced over a consecutive 2 year period was performed using a set of procedure-specific elements identified through a review of the relevant literature and work done locally. 772 operative reports were reviewed. 45% of all elements were completely documented. A small positive trend was observed between case volume and completeness while a small negative trend was observed between years in practice and completeness. The dictated narrative report inadequately documents breast cancer surgery irrespective of the recording surgeon's volume or experience. An intervention, such as the implementation of synoptic reporting, should be considered in an effort to maximize the utility of the breast cancer operative report. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. A study of human resource competencies required to implement community rehabilitation in less resourced settings.

    PubMed

    Gilmore, Brynne; MacLachlan, Malcolm; McVeigh, Joanne; McClean, Chiedza; Carr, Stuart; Duttine, Antony; Mannan, Hasheem; McAuliffe, Eilish; Mji, Gubela; Eide, Arne H; Hem, Karl-Gerhard; Gupta, Neeru

    2017-09-22

    It is estimated that over one billion persons worldwide have some form of disability. However, there is lack of knowledge and prioritisation of how to serve the needs and provide opportunities for people with disabilities. The community-based rehabilitation (CBR) guidelines, with sufficient and sustained support, can assist in providing access to rehabilitation services, especially in less resourced settings with low resources for rehabilitation. In line with strengthening the implementation of the health-related CBR guidelines, this study aimed to determine what workforce characteristics at the community level enable quality rehabilitation services, with a focus primarily on less resourced settings. This was a two-phase review study using (1) a relevant literature review informed by realist synthesis methodology and (2) Delphi survey of the opinions of relevant stakeholders regarding the findings of the review. It focused on individuals (health professionals, lay health workers, community rehabilitation workers) providing services for persons with disabilities in less resourced settings. Thirty-three articles were included in this review. Three Delphi iterations with 19 participants were completed. Taken together, these produced 33 recommendations for developing health-related rehabilitation services. Several general principles for configuring the community rehabilitation workforce emerged: community-based initiatives can allow services to reach more vulnerable populations; the need for supportive and structured supervision at the facility level; core skills likely include case management, social protection, monitoring and record keeping, counselling skills and mechanisms for referral; community ownership; training in CBR matrix and advocacy; a tiered/teamwork system of service delivery; and training should take a rights-based approach, include practical components, and involve persons with disabilities in the delivery and planning. This research can contribute to implementing the WHO guidelines on the interaction between the health sector and CBR, particularly in the context of the Framework for Action for Strengthening Health Systems, in which human resources is one of six components. Realist syntheses can provide policy makers with detailed and practical information regarding complex health interventions, which may be valuable when planning and implementing programmes.

  19. Community pharmacists' views of the use of oral rehydration salt in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Oyetunde, Olubukola; Williams, Veronika

    2018-06-01

    Background Oral rehydration salt (ORS) is an affordable and effective intervention for the management of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), especially in children under 5 years. A knowledge/practice gap exists among community pharmacists (CPs) in Lagos, Nigeria, and in many low to middle income countries. This gap results in underutilization of ORS for diarrhoea management. Objective The objective was to explore CPs' views of the barriers and facilitators to the use of ORS in practice. Setting Community pharmacy practices, Lagos, Nigeria. Methods Qualitative methods were used to explore pharmacists' views. Recruitment of participants were mainly at zonal meetings. A total of ten CPs participated based on maximum variation and snowballing sampling. Semi-structured interviews conducted covered knowledge, experiences and contextual issues. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed and analysed using framework approach to thematic analysis. Main outcome measure Pharmacists' views of barriers and facilitators to the use of ORS. Results Barriers to the use of ORS include caregivers' expectation for an antimicrobial, which was often explicitly and specifically for metronidazole. Also, CPs seemed to doubt applicability of ORS alone, therefore, responded to caregivers' complaints about ORS, by dispensing metronidazole. These barriers appeared to have normalised metronidazole for AWD treatment in this setting. Current facilitators include the caregivers' improved awareness of ORS and access to primary health centers that often resulted in increased demand for ORS in pharmacies. Conclusion CPs' views showed that caregivers' expectations for an antimicrobial may be the main barrier to the use of ORS in their practices.

  20. Guidance for Researchers Developing and Conducting Clinical Trials in Practice-based Research Networks (PBRNs)

    PubMed Central

    Dolor, Rowena J.; Schmit, Kristine M.; Graham, Deborah G.; Fox, Chester H.; Baldwin, Laura Mae

    2015-01-01

    Background There is increased interest nationally in multicenter clinical trials to answer questions about clinical effectiveness, comparative effectiveness, and safety in real-world community settings. Primary care practice-based research networks (PBRNs), comprising community- and/or academically affiliated practices committed to improving medical care for a range of health problems, offer ideal settings for these trials, especially pragmatic clinical trials. However, many researchers are not familiar with working with PBRNs. Methods Experts in practice-based research identified solutions to challenges that researchers and PBRN personnel experience when collaborating on clinical trials in PBRNs. These were organized as frequently asked questions in a draft document presented at a 2013 Agency for Health care Research and Quality PBRN conference workshop, revised based on participant feedback, then shared with additional experts from the DARTNet Institute, Clinical Translational Science Award PBRN, and North American Primary Care Research Group PBRN workgroups for further input and modification. Results The “Toolkit for Developing and Conducting Multi-site Clinical Trials in Practice-Based Research Networks” offers guidance in the areas of recruiting and engaging practices, budgeting, project management, and communication, as well as templates and examples of tools important in developing and conducting clinical trials. Conclusion Ensuring the successful development and conduct of clinical trials in PBRNs requires a highly collaborative approach between academic research and PBRN teams. PMID:25381071

  1. The influence of power and actor relations on priority setting and resource allocation practices at the hospital level in Kenya: a case study.

    PubMed

    Barasa, Edwine W; Cleary, Susan; English, Mike; Molyneux, Sassy

    2016-09-30

    Priority setting and resource allocation in healthcare organizations often involves the balancing of competing interests and values in the context of hierarchical and politically complex settings with multiple interacting actor relationships. Despite this, few studies have examined the influence of actor and power dynamics on priority setting practices in healthcare organizations. This paper examines the influence of power relations among different actors on the implementation of priority setting and resource allocation processes in public hospitals in Kenya. We used a qualitative case study approach to examine priority setting and resource allocation practices in two public hospitals in coastal Kenya. We collected data by a combination of in-depth interviews of national level policy makers, hospital managers, and frontline practitioners in the case study hospitals (n = 72), review of documents such as hospital plans and budgets, minutes of meetings and accounting records, and non-participant observations in case study hospitals over a period of 7 months. We applied a combination of two frameworks, Norman Long's actor interface analysis and VeneKlasen and Miller's expressions of power framework to examine and interpret our findings RESULTS: The interactions of actors in the case study hospitals resulted in socially constructed interfaces between: 1) senior managers and middle level managers 2) non-clinical managers and clinicians, and 3) hospital managers and the community. Power imbalances resulted in the exclusion of middle level managers (in one of the hospitals) and clinicians and the community (in both hospitals) from decision making processes. This resulted in, amongst others, perceptions of unfairness, and reduced motivation in hospital staff. It also puts to question the legitimacy of priority setting processes in these hospitals. Designing hospital decision making structures to strengthen participation and inclusion of relevant stakeholders could improve priority setting practices. This should however, be accompanied by measures to empower stakeholders to contribute to decision making. Strengthening soft leadership skills of hospital managers could also contribute to managing the power dynamics among actors in hospital priority setting processes.

  2. MEASUREMENT ISSUES IN HOME-VISITING RESEARCH WITHIN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES.

    PubMed

    Whitesell, Nancy Rumbaugh; Bolan, Marc; Chomos, Julianna C; Heath, Debra; Miles, Jon; Salvador, Melina; Whitmore, Corrie; Barlow, Allison

    2018-05-04

    In this article, Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) grantees share strategies they have developed and adopted to address the most common barriers to effective measurement (and thus to effective evaluation) encountered in the course of implementation and evaluation of their home-visiting programs. We identify key challenges in measuring outcomes in Tribal MIECHV Programs and provide practical examples of various strategies used to address these challenges within diverse American Indian and Alaska Native cultural and contextual settings. Notably, high-quality community engagement is a consistent thread throughout these strategies and fundamental to successful measurement in these communities. These strategies and practices reflect the experiences and innovative solutions of practitioners working on the ground to deliver and evaluate intervention programs to tribal communities. They may serve as models for getting high-quality data to inform intervention while working within the constraints and requirements of program funding. The utility of these practical solutions extends beyond the Tribal MIECHV grantees and offers the potential to inform a broad array of intervention evaluation efforts in tribal and other community contexts. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  3. Building a bioinformatics community of practice through library education programs.

    PubMed

    Moore, Margaret E; Vaughan, K T L; Hayes, Barrie E

    2004-01-01

    This paper addresses the following questions:What makes the community of practice concept an intriguing framework for developing library services for bioinformatics? What is the campus context and setting? What has been the Health Sciences Library's role in bioinformatics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill? What are the Health Sciences Library's goals? What services are currently offered? How will these services be evaluated and developed? How can libraries demonstrate their value? Providing library services for an emerging community such as bioinformatics and computational biology presents special challenges for libraries including understanding needs, defining and communicating the library's role, building relationships within the community, preparing staff, and securing funding. Like many academic health sciences libraries, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library is addressing these challenges in the context of its overall mission and goals.

  4. Community nurses and self-management of blood glucose.

    PubMed

    Abbott, S; Burns, J; Gleadell, A; Gunnell, C

    2007-01-01

    Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is commonly recommended to patients with diabetes, although the rationale for this is unclear. This small research project was designed to explore the reasons why nurses working in the community recommend SMBG. Seven interviews were carried out with community nurses caring primarily for housebound patients. Those interviewed believed that a sound evidence-base supported the recommendation that patients test their blood, but not urine, for glucose levels. Though nurses believed in the importance of patient choice and empowerment, the scope for these was limited among housebound patients. There was no evidence that patients understood how to respond to test results, or that comprehensive care planning was normal practice. Although small, this study suggests that nurses working in community settings may need to update their knowledge. It also suggests that a national debate is necessary to disseminate better the evidence about SMBG, and its implications for nursing practice.

  5. Managed Care, Time Pressure, and Physician Job Satisfaction: Results from the Physician Worklife Study

    PubMed Central

    Linzer, Mark; Konrad, Thomas R; Douglas, Jeffrey; McMurray, Julia E; Pathman, Donald E; Williams, Eric S; Schwartz, Mark D; Gerrity, Martha; Scheckler, William; Bigby, JudyAnn; Rhodes, Elnora

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To assess the association between HMO practice, time pressure, and physician job satisfaction. DESIGN National random stratified sample of 5,704 primary care and specialty physicians in the United States. Surveys contained 150 items reflecting 10 facets (components) of satisfaction in addition to global satisfaction with current job, one's career and one's specialty. Linear regression–modeled satisfaction (on 1–5 scale) as a function of specialty, practice setting (solo, small group, large group, academic, or HMO), gender, ethnicity, full-time versus part-time status, and time pressure during office visits. “HMO physicians” (9% of total) were those in group or staff model HMOs with>50% of patients capitated or in managed care. RESULTS Of the 2,326 respondents, 735 (32%) were female, 607 (26%) were minority (adjusted response rate 52%). HMO physicians reported significantly higher satisfaction with autonomy and administrative issues when compared with other practice types (moderate to large effect sizes). However, physicians in many other practice settings averaged higher satisfaction than HMO physicians with resources and relationships with staff and community (small to moderate effect sizes). Small and large group practice and academic physicians had higher global job satisfaction scores than HMO physicians (P < .05), and private practice physicians had quarter to half the odds of HMO physicians of intending to leave their current practice within 2 years (P < .05). Time pressure detracted from satisfaction in 7 of 10 satisfaction facets (P < .05) and from job, career, and specialty satisfaction (P < .01). Time allotted for new patients in HMOs (31 min) was less than that allotted in solo (39 min) and academic practices (44 min), while 83% of family physicians in HMOs felt they needed more time than allotted for new patients versus 54% of family physicians in small group practices (P < .05 after Bonferroni's correction). CONCLUSIONS HMO physicians are generally less satisfied with their jobs and more likely to intend to leave their practices than physicians in many other practice settings. Our data suggest that HMO physicians' satisfaction with staff, community, resources, and the duration of new patient visits should be assessed and optimized. Whether providing more time for patient encounters would improve job satisfaction in HMOs or other practice settings remains to be determined. PMID:10940129

  6. Patient Safety: Moving the Bar in Prison Health Care Standards

    PubMed Central

    Greifinger, Robert B.; Mellow, Jeff

    2010-01-01

    Improvements in community health care quality through error reduction have been slow to transfer to correctional settings. We convened a panel of correctional experts, which recommended 60 patient safety standards focusing on such issues as creating safety cultures at organizational, supervisory, and staff levels through changes to policy and training and by ensuring staff competency, reducing medication errors, encouraging the seamless transfer of information between and within practice settings, and developing mechanisms to detect errors or near misses and to shift the emphasis from blaming staff to fixing systems. To our knowledge, this is the first published set of standards focusing on patient safety in prisons, adapted from the emerging literature on quality improvement in the community. PMID:20864714

  7. Investigating the experiences in a school-based occupational therapy program to inform community-based paediatric occupational therapy practice.

    PubMed

    Rens, Lezahn; Joosten, Annette

    2014-06-01

    A collaborative approach with teachers is required when providing community-based occupational therapy to educationally at risk children. Collaborators share common goals and interact and support each other but challenges arise in providing collaborative occupational therapy in settings outside the school environment. The aim of this study was to capture experiences of teachers and occupational therapists working within a school-based occupational therapy program to determine if their experiences could inform collaborative practice. In this pilot study, participant responses to questionnaires (n = 32) about their experiences formed the basis for focus groups and individual interviews. Two focus group were conducted, one with teachers (n = 11) and one with occupational therapy participants (n = 6). Individual interviews were conducted with the supervising occupational therapist, school principal and two leading teachers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data from closed questions, and thematic analysis using a constant comparison approach was used to analyse open ended questions, focus groups and interviews. Three main themes emerged: (i) the need for occupational therapists to spend time in the school, to explain their role, build relationships, understand classroom routines and the teacher role; (ii) occupational therapists need to not see themselves as the expert but develop equal partnerships to set collaborative goals and (iii) occupational therapists advocating for all parties to be informed throughout the occupational therapy process. The pilot study findings identified teacher and therapist experiences within the school setting that could inform improved collaborative practice with teachers and community-based occupational therapists and these findings warrant further investigation. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  8. Evaluating in political turmoil: nursing challenges in prevention programs.

    PubMed

    Laperrière, Hélène

    2007-03-01

    The concrete insertion of nurses into the context of an inquiry contributes to empirical evaluation research of health promotion programs. As interveners and concrete actors in social movements, nurses are in a privileged position to give realism to a local understanding of the political and cultural context of evaluative research. Drawing on the practice of empirical evaluation research, this paper seeks to generate new methodological approaches in a way that broadens nursing inquiries in community health nursing. It explores new ways of thinking about epistemology and knowledge production in nursing practice. For 5 months an evaluative research project adopting a participatory-action research approach was conducted with local community actors in an AIDS prevention project in Amazonas (Brazil) in a prostitution setting. An auto-ethnographic journal was used as a reflective approach for the critical analysis of nursing research activities. This paper calls for a closer relationship between scientific research settings and the sociopolitical and the sociocultural aspects of nursing practice. It increases an incorporation of popular, social and professional experiential learning and skill acquisition in embedded knowledge production.

  9. The administration of rescue medication to children with prolonged acute convulsive seizures in the community: what happens in practice?

    PubMed

    Wait, Suzanne; Lagae, Lieven; Arzimanoglou, Alexis; Beghi, Ettore; Bennett, Christine; Cross, J Helen; Mifsud, Janet; Schmidt, Dieter; Harvey, Gordon

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of a review of existing clinical and non-clinical guidance on the management of children with prolonged acute convulsive seizures (PCS) and the administration of rescue medication in community settings. Findings are based on desk- and web-based research in 6 countries. Published clinical guidelines are mostly limited to the hospital setting and offer few explicit recommendations for community settings. Non-clinical guidance on the management of medicines at school exists at the national or regional level in all 6 countries, however rescue epilepsy medication is often not mentioned specifically. Existing legal frameworks are vague and open to interpretation. As a result, whether a child receives rescue medication at school depends primarily on the availability of a willing teacher who accepts responsibility for administering it to that child during school hours. Comprehensive guidelines are clearly needed that provide practical guidance to ensure that children with PCS are treated as quickly as possible in all community settings. Recommendations for future action include: providing clearer information on PCS and rescue medication to parents and schools; putting in place an individual healthcare plan for every child with a history of PCS at his or her school; collecting more empirical data to gain a better understanding of the experience of children with PCS at school, their parents and teachers; and finally, implementing systematic training for all carers of children with PCS. The epilepsy specialist may play an important role in ensuring that these recommendations are put into place for their patients. Copyright © 2012 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Toward Treatment Integrity: Developing an Approach to Measure the Treatment Integrity of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intervention With Homeless Youth in the Community.

    PubMed

    McCay, Elizabeth; Carter, Celina; Aiello, Andria; Quesnel, Susan; Howes, Carol; Johansson, Bjorn

    2016-10-01

    The current paper discusses an approach to measuring treatment integrity of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) when implemented within two programs providing services to street-involved youth in the community. Measuring treatment integrity is a critical component of effective implementation of evidence-based interventions in clinical practice, since sound treatment integrity increases confidence in client outcomes and intervention replicability. Despite being an essential part of implementation science, few studies report on treatment integrity, with limited research addressing either measurement tools or maintenance of treatment integrity. To address the lack of available treatment integrity measures, researchers in the current study developed and piloted a treatment integrity measure which pertain to the individual and group components of DBT. A total of 20 recordings were assessed using the treatment integrity measure. Results indicate that the community agency staff (e.g. youth workers, social workers & nurses) implemented the intervention as intended; increasing confidence in the outcome variables, the staffs' training and the replicability of the intervention. This article offers one approach to addressing treatment integrity when implementing evidence-based interventions, such as DBT in a community setting, and discusses the need for effective and feasible integrity measures that can be adopted in order to strengthen mental health practice in community settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. African early childhood development curriculum and pedagogy for Turkana nomadic pastoralist communities of Kenya.

    PubMed

    Ng'asike, John T

    2014-01-01

    Western conceptions of child development and the models of early education they engender predominantly shape services for young children in the first eight years of life all over Africa. This chapter brings a reconceptualist perspective to the critique of Kenya's continuing failure to ground early childhood programs and services in local cultural conceptions, developmental values, childrearing practices, and the practical day-to-day realities of children's learning through participation and apprenticeship in the contexts of family routines, community experiences, and economic survival activities. The chapter draws on work I have conducted in nomadic pastoralist communities in Kenya. That research reveals the disconcerting reality that (a) early childhood education programs privilege Western pedagogical practices over equally effective and locally more relevant ones, and (b) local communities are increasingly resentful of an educational system that alienates their children from their cultural roots in the name of modernization. Asserting the educational value of indigenous knowledge, I present a framework for integrating that knowledge and the naturalistic learning processes in local contexts into instructional programs in formal ECE settings. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. The Mobile story: data-driven community efforts to raise graduation rates.

    PubMed

    Newell, Jeremiah; Akers, Carolyn

    2010-01-01

    Through sustained community organizing and strategic partnerships, the Mobile (Alabama) County Public School System is improving achievement and creating beat-the-odds schools that set and achieve high academic expectations despite the challenges of poverty and racial disparity. The authors chart how Mobile's Research Alliance for Multiple Pathways, funded through the U.S. Department of Labor's Multiple Pathways Blueprint Initiative, is identifying gaps in services throughout the community, analyzing the data about dropouts, benchmarking other communities, studying best practices, and mobilizing the community to expect and demand higher graduation rates. These activities are resulting in early identification of off-track students and coordination of school- and community-based reforms.

  13. Bridging the Research-to-Practice Gap in Autism Intervention: An Application of Diffusion of Innovation Theory

    PubMed Central

    Mandell, David S.

    2011-01-01

    There is growing evidence that efficacious interventions for autism are rarely adopted or successfully implemented in public mental health and education systems. We propose applying diffusion of innovation theory to further our understanding of why this is the case. We pose a practical set of questions that administrators face as they decide about the use of interventions. Using literature from autism intervention and dissemination science, we describe reasons why efficacious interventions for autism are rarely adopted, implemented, and maintained in community settings, all revolving around the perceived fit between the intervention and the needs and capacities of the setting. Finally, we suggest strategies for intervention development that may increase the probability that these interventions will be used in real-world settings. PMID:20717714

  14. Influence of newborn health messages on care-seeking practices and community health behaviors among participants in the Zambia Chlorhexidine Application Trial.

    PubMed

    Sivalogan, Kasthuri; Semrau, Katherine E A; Ashigbie, Paul G; Mwangi, Sheila; Herlihy, Julie M; Yeboah-Antwi, Kojo; Banda, Bowen; Grogan, Caroline; Biemba, Godfrey; Hamer, Davidson H

    2018-01-01

    Identifying and understanding traditional perceptions that influence newborn care practices and care-seeking behavior are crucial to developing sustainable interventions to improve neonatal health. The Zambia Chlorhexidine Application Trial (ZamCAT), a large-scale cluster randomized trial, assessed the impact of 4% chlorhexidine on neonatal mortality and omphalitis in Southern Province, Zambia. The main purpose of this post-ZamCAT qualitative study was to understand the impact of newborn care health messages on care-seeking behavior for neonates and the acceptability, knowledge, and attitudes towards chlorhexidine cord care among community members and health workers in Southern Province. Five focus group discussions and twenty-six in-depth interviews were conducted with mothers and health workers from ten health centers (5 rural and 5 peri-urban/urban). Community perceptions and local realities were identified as fundamental to care-seeking decisions and influenced individual participation in particular health-seeking behaviors. ZamCAT field monitors (data collectors) disseminated health messages at the time of recruitment at the health center and during subsequent home visits. Mothers noted that ZamCAT field monitors were effective in providing lessons and education on newborn care practices and participating mothers were able to share these messages with others in their communities. Although the study found no effect of chlorhexidine cord washes on neonatal mortality, community members had positive views towards chlorhexidine as they perceived that it reduced umbilical cord infections and was a beneficial alternative to traditional cord applications. The acceptability of health initiatives, such as chlorhexidine cord application, in community settings, is dependent on community education, understanding, and engagement. Community-based approaches, such as using community-based cadres of health workers to strengthen referrals, are an acceptable and potentially effective strategy to improve care-seeking behaviors and practices.

  15. Predicting the scope of practice of family physicians.

    PubMed

    Wong, Eric; Stewart, Moira

    2010-06-01

    To identify factors that are associated with the scope of practice of FPs and GPs who have office-based practices. Secondary univariable and multivariable analyses of cross-sectional data from the 2001 National Family Physician Workforce Survey conducted by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Canada. General community of FPs and GPs who spent most of their clinical time in office settings. Demographic characteristics and scope of practice score (SPS), which was the number of 12 selected medical services provided by office-based FPs and GPs. The multivariable model explained 35.1% of the variation in the SPS among participants. Geographic factors of provincial division and whether or not the population served was rural explained 30.5% of the variation in the SPS. Male physician sex, younger physician age, being in group practice, greater access to hospital beds, less access to specialists, main practice setting of an academic teaching unit, mixed method physician payment, additional structured postresidency training, and greater number of different types of allied health professionals in the main practice setting were also associated with higher SPSs. Geographic factors were the strongest determinants of scope of practice; physician-related factors, availability of health care resources to the main practice setting, and practice organization factors were weaker determinants. It is important to understand how and why geographic factors influence scope of practice, and whether a broad scope of practice independent of population needs benefits the population. This study supports primary care renewal efforts that use mixed payment systems, incorporate allied health care professionals into family and general practices, and foster group practices.

  16. Rural Women Family Physicians: Strategies for Successful Work-Life Balance.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Julie; Hustedde, Carol; Bjorkman, Sarah; Prasad, Rupa; Sola, Orlando; Wendling, Andrea; Bjorkman, Kurt; Paladine, Heather

    2016-05-01

    Women family physicians experience challenges in maintaining work-life balance while practicing in rural communities. We sought to better understand the personal and professional strategies that enable women in rural family medicine to balance work and personal demands and achieve long-term career satisfaction. Women family physicians practicing in rural communities in the United States were interviewed using a semistructured format. Interviews were recorded, professionally transcribed, and analyzed using an immersion and crystallization approach, followed by detailed coding of emergent themes. The 25 participants described a set of strategies that facilitated successful work-life balance. First, they used reduced or flexible work hours to help achieve balance with personal roles. Second, many had supportive relationships with spouses and partners, parents, or other members of the community, which facilitated their ability to be readily available to their patients. Third, participants maintained clear boundaries around their work lives, which helped them to have adequate time for parenting, recreation, and rest. Women family physicians can build successful careers in rural communities, but supportive employers, relationships, and patient approaches provide a foundation for this success. Educators, employers, communities, and policymakers can adapt their practices to help women family physicians thrive in rural communities. © 2016 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

  17. Building an evidence base for community health: a review of the quality of program evaluations.

    PubMed

    Jolley, Gwyn M; Lawless, Angela P; Baum, Fran E; Hurley, Catherine J; Fry, Denise

    2007-11-01

    An assessment of the quality of program evaluations conducted in South Australian community health services investigated how effective evaluation reporting is in producing an evidence base for community health. Evaluation reports were assessed by a team of reviewers. Practitioner workshops allowed an understanding of the uses of evaluation and what promotes or acts as a barrier to undertaking evaluations. Community health services do undertake a good deal of evaluation. However, reports were not generally explicit in dealing with the principles that underpin community health. Few engaged with program theory or rationale. Typically, reports were of short-term projects with uncertain futures so there may seem little point in considering issues of long-term health outcomes and transferability to other settings. The most important issue from our study is the lack of investment in applied health services research of the sort that will be required to produce the evidence for practice that policy makers desire. The current lack of evidence for community health reflects failure of the system to invest in research and evaluation that is adequately resourced and designed for complex community settings.

  18. Leveraging mobile smart devices to improve interprofessional communications in inpatient practice setting: A literature review.

    PubMed

    Aungst, Timothy Dy; Belliveau, Paul

    2015-01-01

    As mobile smart device use has increased in society, the healthcare community has begun using these devices for communication among professionals in practice settings. The purpose of this review is to describe primary literature which reports on the experiences with interprofessional healthcare communication via mobile smart devices. Based on these findings, this review also addresses how these devices may be utilized to facilitate interprofessional education (IPE) in health professions education programs. The literature search revealed limited assessments of mobile smart device use in clinical practice settings. In available reports, communication with mobile smart devices was perceived as more effective and faster among interdisciplinary members. Notable drawbacks included discrepancies in the urgency labeling of messages, increased interruptions associated with constant accessibility to team members, and professionalism breakdowns. Recently developed interprofessional competencies include an emphasis on ensuring that health profession students can effectively communicate on interprofessional teams. With the increasing reliance on mobile smart devices in the absence of robust benefit and risk assessments on their use in clinical practice settings, use of these devices may be leveraged to facilitate IPE activities in health education professions programs while simultaneously educating students on their proper use in patient care settings.

  19. Psychological well-being of adolescents with physical disabilities in Zimbabwean inclusive community settings: An exploratory study

    PubMed Central

    Maree, Jacobus G.

    2017-01-01

    Background The purpose of this study was to explore the psychological well-being of adolescents with physical disabilities living in inclusive community settings of Makonde Urban in Zimbabwe. An inclusive community is one that aims to remove exclusionary practices within the community and promote community systems that accept all people irrespective of their difference. Inclusive communities on their own are not uniquely designed for people with disabilities, but most developing countries have adopted them as a basic strategy to influence and enhance psychological well-being of people with disabilities. Methods A constructivist lived experience perspective underpinned this research, in which multiple case studies were used to interact with the participants on inclusion and psychological well-being of adolescents with physical disabilities. Purposive sampling was used to select 14 participants (9 males and 5 females). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and transcribed verbatim. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis of data sources. Results It was found that participants who were adolescents with physical disabilities living in inclusive community settings of Makonde Urban in Zimbabwe were having high levels of autonomy and choice, purpose in life, positive relations with others and good personal growth and self-acceptance. Conclusion The findings of this study should enable inclusive communities’ policy-makers and researchers to better understand the psychological well-being of adolescents with physical disabilities living in inclusive communities. PMID:29134179

  20. Community-based telemonitoring for hypertension management: practical challenges and potential solutions.

    PubMed

    Hovey, Lauren; Kaylor, Mary Beth; Alwan, Majd; Resnick, Helaine E

    2011-10-01

    Older adults residing in rural areas often lack convenient, patient-centered, community-based approaches to facilitate receipt of routine care to manage common chronic conditions. Without adequate access to appropriate disease management resources, the risk of seniors' experiencing acute events related to these common conditions increases substantially. Further, poorly managed chronic conditions are costly and place seniors at increased risk of institutionalization and permanent loss of independence. Novel, telehealth-based approaches to management of common chronic conditions like hypertension may not only improve the health of older adults, but may also lead to substantial cost savings associated with acute care episodes and institutionalization. The aim of this report is to summarize practical considerations related to operations and logistics of a unique community-based telemonitoring pilot study targeting rural seniors who utilize community-based senior centers. This article reviews the technological challenges encountered during the study and proposes solutions relevant to future research and implementation of telehealth in community-based, congregate settings.

  1. Barriers and Strategies to Engaging Our Community-Based Preceptors.

    PubMed

    Graziano, Scott C; McKenzie, Margaret L; Abbott, Jodi F; Buery-Joyner, Samantha D; Craig, LaTasha B; Dalrymple, John L; Forstein, David A; Hampton, Brittany S; Page-Ramsey, Sarah M; Pradhan, Archana; Wolf, Abigail; Hopkins, Laura

    2018-03-26

    This article, from the "To the Point" series that is prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, is a review of commonly cited barriers to recruiting and retaining community-based preceptors in undergraduate medical education and potential strategies to overcome them. Community-based preceptors have traditionally served as volunteer, nonsalaried faculty, with academic institutions relying on intrinsic teaching rewards to sustain this model. However, increasing numbers of learners, the burdens of incorporating the electronic medical record in practice, and increasing demands for clinical productivity are making recruitment and retention of community-based preceptors more challenging. General challenges to engaging preceptors, as well as those unique to women's health, are discussed. Potential solutions are reviewed, including alternative recruitment strategies, faculty development to emphasize efficient teaching practices in the ambulatory setting, offers of online educational resources, and opportunities to incorporate students in value-added roles. Through examples cited in this review, clerkship directors and medical school administrators should have a solid foundation to actively engage their community-based preceptors.

  2. The fair factor in matters of trust.

    PubMed

    Williams, Lauren L

    2006-01-01

    Communities are bound together by trust among their members. Trust thrives when a pervasive sense of fairness exists. Evidence suggests that trust has social, professional, and economic value for today's organizations, making it worthy of attention. Matters of trust and justice are important and timely for nurse leaders to consider given the challenge to improve practice settings in a manner that enhances nurse satisfaction. The aim of this article is to make explicit the value in building organizational justice and trust within an organization's nursing community. Nursing leadership strategies are integrated, thus offering practical guidance in creating a culture of justice, making trust explicit, and establishing trustworthiness.

  3. "I Don't Know What Literacy Is": Uncovering Hidden Literacies in a Community Library Using Ecological and Participatory Research Methodologies with Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pahl, Kate; Allan, Chloe

    2011-01-01

    This article describes an ecological study in Eastside, a particular area of Rotherham, a town in the north of England, UK. The purpose of the study was to collect information about literacy practices in a community setting, focusing on a library. The researchers used an ecological approach to data collection. The methodology included approaches…

  4. Introduction to Small Telescope Research Communities of Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Genet, Russell M.

    2016-06-01

    Communities of practice are natural, usually informal groups of people who work together. Experienced members teach new members the “ropes.” Social learning theorist Etienne Wenger’s book, Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity, defined the field. There are, in astronomy, many communities of practice. One set of communities uses relatively small telescopes to observe brighter objects such as eclipsing binaries, intrinsically variable stars, transiting exoplanets, tumbling asteroids, and the occultation of background stars by asteroids and the Moon. Advances in low cost but increasingly powerful instrumentation and automation have greatly increased the research capabilities of smaller telescopes. These often professional-amateur (pro-am) communities engage in research projects that require a large number of observers as exemplified by the American Association of Variable Star Observers. For high school and community college students with an interest in science, joining a student-centered, small telescope community of practice can be both educational and inspirational. An example is the now decade-long Astronomy Research Seminar offered by Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. Each student team is required to plan a project, obtain observations (either locally or via a remote robotic telescope), analyze their data, write a paper, and submit it for external review and publication. Well over 100 students, composed primarily of high school juniors and seniors, have been coauthors of several dozen published papers. Being published researchers has boosted these students’ educational careers with admissions to choice schools, often with scholarships. This seminar was recently expanded to serve multiple high schools with a volunteer assistant instructor at each school. The students meet regularly with their assistant instructor and also meet online with other teams and the seminar’s overall community college instructor. The seminar features a textbook, self-paced learning units, and a website sponsored by the Institute for Student Astronomical Research.

  5. Impact and management of dual relationships in metropolitan, regional and rural mental health practice.

    PubMed

    Endacott, Ruth; Wood, Anita; Judd, Fiona; Hulbert, Carol; Thomas, Ben; Grigg, Margaret

    2006-01-01

    To explore the extent and impact of professional boundary crossings in metropolitan, regional and rural mental health practice in Victoria and identify strategies mental health clinicians use to manage dual relationships. Nine geographically located focus groups consisting of mental health clinicians: four focus groups in rural settings; three in a regional city and two in a metropolitan mental health service. A total of 52 participants were interviewed. Data revealed that professional boundaries were frequently breached in regional and rural settings and on occasions these breaches had a significantly negative impact. Factors influencing the impact were: longevity of the clinician's relationship with the community, expectations of the community, exposure to community 'gossip' and size of the community. Participants reported greater stress when the boundary crossing affected their partner and/or children. Clinicians used a range of proactive and reactive strategies, such as private telephone number, avoidance of social community activities, when faced with a potential boundary crossing. The feasibility of reactive strategies depended on the service configuration: availability of an alternative case manager, requirement for either patient or clinician to travel. The greater challenges faced by rural and regional clinicians were validated by metropolitan participants with rural experience and rural participants with metropolitan experience. No single strategy is used or appropriate for managing dual relationships in rural settings. Employers and professional bodies should provide clearer guidance for clinicians both in the management of dual relationships and the distinction between boundary crossings and boundary violation. Clinicians are clearly seeking to represent and protect the patients' interests; consideration should be given by consumer groups to steps that can be taken by patients to reciprocate.

  6. Uterine artery embolization for treatment of leiomyomata: long-term outcomes from the FIBROID Registry.

    PubMed

    Goodwin, Scott C; Spies, James B; Worthington-Kirsch, Robert; Peterson, Eric; Pron, Gaylene; Li, Shuang; Myers, Evan R

    2008-01-01

    To assess long-term clinical outcomes of uterine artery embolization across a wide variety of practice settings in a large patient cohort. The Fibroid Registry for Outcomes Data (FIBROID) for Uterine Embolization was a 3-year, single-arm, prospective, multi-center longitudinal study of the short- and long-term outcomes of uterine artery embolization for leiomyomata. Two thousand one hundred twelve patients with symptomatic leiomyomata were eligible for long-term follow-up at 27 sites representing a geographically diverse set of practices, including academic centers, community hospitals, and closed-panel health maintenance organizations. At 36 months after treatment, 1,916 patients remained in the study, and of these, 1,278 patients completed the survey. The primary measures of outcome were the symptom and health-related quality-of-life scores from the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life questionnaire. Mean symptom scores improved 41.41 points (P<.001), and the quality of life scores improved 41.47 points (P<.001), both moving into the normal range for this questionnaire. The improvements were independent of practice setting. During the 3 years of the study, Kaplan-Meier estimates of hysterectomy, myomectomy, or repeat uterine artery embolization were 9.79%, 2.82%, and 1.83% of the patients, respectively. Uterine artery embolization results in a durable improvement in quality of life. These results are achievable when the procedure is performed in any experienced community or academic interventional radiology practice. III.

  7. Primary health care as a philosophical and practical framework for nursing education: rhetoric or reality?

    PubMed

    Mackey, Sandra; Hatcher, Deborah; Happell, Brenda; Cleary, Michelle

    2013-08-01

    At least three decades after primary health care (PHC) took nursing by storm it is time to re-examine the philosophical shift to a PHC framework in pre-registration nursing curricula and overview factors which may hinder or promote full integration of PHC as a course philosophy and a contemporary approach to professional practice. Whilst nurse education has traditionally focused on preparing graduates for practice in the acute care setting, there is continuing emphasis on preparing nurses for community based primary health roles, with a focus on illness prevention and health promotion. This is driven by growing evidence that health systems are not responding adequately to the needs and challenges of diverse populations, as well as economic imperatives to reduce the burden of disease associated with the growth of chronic and complex diseases and to reduce the costs associated with the provision of health care. Nursing pre-registration programs in Australia and internationally have philosophically adopted PHC as a curriculum model for preparing graduates with the necessary competencies to function effectively across a range of settings. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that when adopted as a program philosophy PHC is not always well integrated across the curriculum. In order to develop a strong and resilient contemporary nursing workforce prepared for practice in both acute and community settings, pre-registration nursing programs need to comprehensively consider and address the factors impacting on the curricula integration of PHC philosophy.

  8. Starting a nursing consultation practice.

    PubMed

    Schulmeister, L

    1999-03-01

    Because the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) role has been changed or eliminated in many hospital organizations, many CNSs in career transition are considering establishing collaborative or independent nursing consultation practices. Opportunities for consultants exist in diverse practice settings and specialties. Before starting a consultation practice, the CNS should carefully examine goals, identify resources, and begin contacting potential referral sources. He or she must also decide what form of business organization to establish and write a business plan to solidify ideas and prepare for the unexpected. Most CNS consultants rely on personal savings to cover initial business and personal expenses, and many continue working as a CNS until the consultation practice is established. Fees can be set based on community standards, what the market will bear, desired projected income, or a third-party payor's fee schedule. The consultation practice can be marketed by word of mouth, inexpensive advertising techniques such as distributing flyers and business cards, direct mall, and media advertising. In today's healthcare marketplace, opportunities abound for the CNS risk-taker interested in starting a nursing consultation practice.

  9. Talk and community: The place of reporting in a life sciences laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Swieringa, Robert Cecil

    This study investigates the routine situated communicative practice within the weekly meetings of a life sciences laboratory. The key, constitutive discourse of "reporting" is examined as an activity in which participants jointly sustain the work community of the laboratory and manage their own work within this community. This study seeks to contribute to studies of small groups by focusing upon the multifunctionality and situated nature of the meeting interactions within this enduring "bona fide" group as participants undertake multiple goals associated with their own progress and with the overlapping contexts of the setting. It also seeks to contribute to investigations of institutional talk and activity by examining "reporting" as interaction with institutional and community consequences for members of the community. This study takes a practice-oriented perspective to investigate the laboratory as a community of practice, focusing upon the "activity" of interaction as the overall unit of analysis. Ethnographic materials (involving observation, interviews, conversations, and activity logs) and discourse analysis techniques (involving audiotaping and transcriptions of meetings) were used to locate and record data within a university entomology laboratory over a two year period. Through triangulation of data, "reporting" is identified as a key discourse activity within the laboratory. As situated communicative practice within the weekly meetings, reporting is found to be compelled discourse through which interactants interactively manage one's ongoing goals and activity while temporally situating that activity within the broader stream of laboratory work. This study provides an example of how engagement in situated discursive activity provides for the coordination of individual lines of progress within the ongoing work of a community.

  10. HIV Prevention and Primary Care for Transgender Women in a Community-Based Clinic

    PubMed Central

    Melendez, Rita M.; Pinto, Rogério M.

    2012-01-01

    Male-to-female transgender individuals, or transgender women (TW), are at high risk for HIV infection and face multiple barriers to HIV care. Advocates agree that numerous factors need to be addressed concurrently to prevent HIV infection in TW, including primary health care. This article examines how a community-based clinic that offers free or low-cost care addresses the health care needs of TW. A total of 20 TW who attended a health care clinic dedicated to community-based health were interviewed regarding best practices for HIV prevention and primary care. In-depth interviews were conducted, transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Factors reported to be effective for HIV prevention and primary care included (a) access to health care in settings not dedicated to serving transgender and/or gay communities, (b) a friendly atmosphere and staff sensitivity, and (c) holistic care including hormone therapy. Community-based health care settings can be ideal locales for HIV prevention and primary care for TW. PMID:19732697

  11. Recruitment of private practices for primary care research: experience in a preventive services clinical trial.

    PubMed

    McBride, P E; Massoth, K M; Underbakke, G; Solberg, L I; Beasley, J W; Plane, M B

    1996-10-01

    Recruitment of community primary care practices for studies to improve health service delivery is important to many health care organizations. Prior studies have focused on individual physician recruitment or academic settings. This descriptive study evaluated the efficiency and utility of three different recruitment methods to encourage community practice participation in a preventive services research trial. Primary care practices in four midwestern states were recruited using different sources for initial mailings (physician lists, practice lists, and a managed care organization's primary care network) and different recruiting methods. Outcome measures included response rates, participation rates, and comparative costs of each method. Of the 86 eligible practices contacted, 52 (60%) consented to participate. Mailing to individual physicians was the most cumbersome and expensive method and had the lowest response rate. Initial contacts with practice medical directors increased the participation rate substantially, and practice recruitment meetings improved both study participation and practice-project communication. Experience with these three methods suggests that the most efficient way to recruit practices for participation in a preventive services research trial involves targeted mailings and phone calls to medical directors, followed by on-site practice meetings.

  12. 7 CFR Exhibit J to Subpart A of... - Manufactured Home Sites, Rental Projects and Subdivisions: Development, Installation and Set-Up

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... established frost line without exceeding the safe bearing capacity of the supporting soil. Set-Up. The work... architectural practices and shall provide for all utilities in a manner which allows adequate, economic, safe... residential environment which is an asset to the community in which it is located. 4. Lot Size. The size of...

  13. The compatibility of the retail setting with a patient-based practice model: reports from community pharmacists.

    PubMed

    Reutzel, T J

    1994-10-01

    The patient counselling and prospective drug utilization review mandates of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 raise the question of how compatible the retail pharmacy setting in the United States is with a patient-based model of pharmacy practice. In order to investigate this question, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed by pharmacy students to a convenience sample of pharmacists with at least one year's experience in the community setting. The questionnaire asks respondents to recall two incidents: one that caused them to gain or retain a patient or that was for some reason a source of professional satisfaction, and one that may have caused the loss of a patient or that they would handle differently if faced with the situation or problem again. The respondents practice in pharmacies in and around a large midwestern city. Data analysis showed that respondents tend to identify patient-based activities when recalling appropriate behaviours and traditional or customer-based activities when recalling inappropriate behaviours or mistakes. Patient-based activities can sometimes result in the loss of business, but they can also result in patronage gains, especially when performed in conjunction with good customer service. In summary, these pharmacists do implement a patient-based model in some situations. The patient-based and customer-based models can be complementary in that the patient can benefit from the services of an expert health professional while simultaneously being treated with the respect and 'customer knows best' attitudes indicative of the retail setting.

  14. Characteristics of good quality pharmaceutical services common to community pharmacies and dispensing general practices.

    PubMed

    Grey, Elisabeth; Harris, Michael; Rodham, Karen; Weiss, Marjorie C

    2016-10-01

    In the United Kingdom, pharmaceutical services can be delivered by both community pharmacies (CPs) and dispensing doctor practices (DPs). Both must adhere to minimum standards set out in NHS regulations; however, no common framework exists to guide quality improvement. Previous phases of this research had developed a set of characteristics indicative of good pharmaceutical service provision. To ask key stakeholders to confirm, and rank the importance of, a set of characteristics of good pharmaceutical service provision. A two-round Delphi-type survey was conducted in south-west England and was sent to participants representing three stakeholder groups: DPs, CPs and patients/lay members. Participants were asked to confirm, and rank, the importance of these characteristics as representing good quality pharmaceutical services. Thirty people were sent the first round survey; 22 participants completed both rounds. Median ratings for the 23 characteristics showed that all were seen to represent important aspects of pharmaceutical service provision. Participants' comments highlighted potential problems with the practicality of the characteristics. Characteristics relating to patient safety were deemed to be the most important and those relating to public health the least important. A set of 23 characteristics for providing good pharmaceutical services in CPs and DPs was developed and attained approval from a sample of stakeholders. With further testing and wider discussion, it is hoped that the characteristics will form the basis of a quality improvement tool for CPs and DPs. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  15. The essence of 'community' within community nursing: a district nursing perspective.

    PubMed

    McGarry, Julie

    2003-09-01

    Over the past decade or so, there has been a marked shift in the location and nature of nursing care from the hospital setting to primary and community care. The past decade has also witnessed the development of a number of policy initiatives which indicate that the drive towards the community as a key location of nursing care is set to continue. Although notions of community have been explored extensively within the literature from a number of perspectives, there is an absence of a clear definition, and more particularly for the purposes of the present study, one from a nursing perspective. This lack of conceptual clarity is further compounded when notions of community and the place of nursing within the community are considered contemporaneously. The present pilot study, which was based on semi-structured interviews with district nurses, seeks to address this deficit and explore how district nurses define the nature of their role, both in terms of providing nursing care within the community and also in terms of defining community within the context of their work. The study illuminates the principal position of the home in defining the essence of community within community nursing and notions surrounding the nature of relationships which exist within this setting. This is highlighted through the identification of emerging themes: the maintenance of personal-professional boundaries, notions of holistic care and professional definitions of community. These observations raise important questions regarding the extent to which the location of care and the taken-for-granted assumptions surrounding community-based nursing care have been translated into practice to date. This also raises key issues regarding the tensions which exist for nurses trying to balance notions of community and community-based care within the parameters of organisational and professional boundaries.

  16. Building a successful trauma practice in a community setting.

    PubMed

    Althausen, Peter L

    2011-12-01

    The development of a busy community-based trauma practice is a multifaceted endeavor that requires good clinical judgment, business acumen, interpersonal skills, and negotiation tactics. Private practice is a world in which perfect outcomes are expected and efficiency is paramount. Successful operative outcomes are dependent on solid clinical training, good preoperative planning, and communication with mentors when necessary. Private practitioners must display confidence, polite behavior, and promptness. Maintaining availability for consultation from emergency room physicians, private practice physicians, and local orthopaedic surgeons is a powerful marketing tool. Orthopaedic trauma surgery has been shown to be a profitable field for hospitals and private practitioners. However, physician success depends on a sound understanding of hospital finance, marketing skills, and knowledge of billing and coding. As the financial pressures of medical care increase, hospital negotiation will be paramount, and private practitioners must combine clinical and business skills to provide good patient care while maintaining independence and financial security.

  17. Building research capacity for evidence-informed tobacco control in Canada: a case description

    PubMed Central

    McDonald, Paul W; Viehbeck, Sarah; Robinson, Sarah J; Leatherdale, Scott T; Nykiforuk, Candace IJ; Jolin, Mari Alice

    2009-01-01

    Tobacco use remains the leading cause of death and disability in Canada. Insufficient research capacity can inhibit evidence-informed decision making for tobacco control. This paper outlines a Canadian project to build research capacity, defined as a community's ability to produce research that adequately informs practice, policy, and future research in a timely, practical manner. A key component is that individuals and teams within the community must mutually engage around common, collectively negotiated goals to address specific practices, policies or programs of research. An organizing framework, a set of activities to build strategic recruitment, productivity tools, and procedures for enhancing social capital are described. Actions are intended to facilitate better alignment between research and the priorities of policy developers and service providers, enhance the external validity of the work performed, and reduce the time required to inform policy and practice. PMID:19664224

  18. Application of systematic review methodology to the field of nutrition

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Systematic reviews represent a rigorous and transparent approach of synthesizing scientific evidence that minimizes bias. They evolved within the medical community to support development of clinical and public health practice guidelines, set research agendas and formulate scientific consensus state...

  19. Qualitative Research Practice in Adult Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willis, Peter, Ed.; Neville, Bernie, Ed.

    This collection of 20 papers is aimed at researchers, research students, and research supervisors interested in qualitative research into facilitated adult learning in the workplace, formal education programs, professional development, and community settings. "Introduction" (Willis) provides a summary of the papers. "Qualitative…

  20. The priesthood of bioethics and the return of casuistry.

    PubMed

    Wildes, K W

    1993-02-01

    Several recent attempts to develop models of moral reasoning have attempted to use some form of casuistry as a way to resolve the moral controversies of clinical ethics. One of the best known models of casuistry is that of Jonsen and Toulmin who attempt to transpose a particular model of casuistry, that of Roman Catholic confessional practice, to contemporary moral disputes. This attempt is flawed in that it fails to understand both the history of the model it seeks to transpose and the morally pluralistic context of secular, postmodern society. The practice of casuistry which Jonsen and Toulmin wish to revive is a practice set in the context of a community with a shared set of moral values and structures of moral authority. Without a set of common moral values and rankings, and a moral authority to interpret cases the casuistry of the postmodern age will be pluralistic, that is, there will be many casuistries not just one.

  1. Retainment incentives in three rural practice settings: variations in job satisfaction among staff registered nurses.

    PubMed

    Stratton, T D; Dunkin, J W; Juhl, N; Geller, J M

    1995-05-01

    Researchers have demonstrated repeatedly the importance of the relationship linking job satisfaction to employee retention. In rural areas of the country, where a persistent maldistribution of nurses continues to hamper health care delivery, the potential benefits of bolstering retention via enhancements in job satisfaction are of utmost utility to administrators and providers alike. Data were gathered from a multistate survey of registered nurses (RNs) practicing in rural hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and community/public health settings (N = 1,647; response rate = 40.3%). The investigators found that the use of tuition reimbursement corresponded significantly with increased levels of job satisfaction among nurses in all three practice environments, as did day care services for nurses in acute care settings. Also, among hospital-based RNs, level of nursing education was found to be a significant factor in the relationship between tuition reimbursement and job satisfaction, with the highest level occurring among diploma-prepared nurses.

  2. Cytotoxic chemotherapy in the home: a study of community nurses' attitudes and concerns.

    PubMed

    Gavin, Noel; How, Chris; Condliffe, Barbara; Depledge, Jane

    2004-01-01

    Cytotoxic chemotherapy initiated in a hospital setting and continued in the home is an expanding service. The evolution of such a service received a boost with the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan (Department of Health (DH), 2000a) and the NHS Manual of Cancer Service Standards (DH, 2000b). The literature claims a range of benefits of such a service including enhanced standards of care and cost savings. Effective care depends on a number of key factors including assessment, management of risk and support, i.e. appropriate policies and the availability of adequate resources. This study among community nurses reveals a number of key findings including the incremental nature of the development of policy and practice, the general acceptance that changes in community practice are inevitable and welcome where the changes enhance the care of patients, and a level of concern about the availability of appropriate resources and structures necessary for safe and effective practice.

  3. Design and Construction for Community Health Service Precision Fund Appropriation System Based on Performance Management.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xing; He, Yao; Hu, Hongpu

    2017-01-01

    Allowing for the differences in economy development, informatization degree and characteristic of population served and so on among different community health service organizations, community health service precision fund appropriation system based on performance management is designed, which can provide support for the government to appropriate financial funds scientifically and rationally for primary care. The system has the characteristic of flexibility and practicability, in which there are five subsystems including data acquisition, parameter setting, fund appropriation, statistical analysis system and user management.

  4. Home hygiene and environmental sanitation: a country situation analysis for India.

    PubMed

    Nath, K J

    2003-06-01

    Problems of the environment and of domestic hygiene are always related to poverty of population and the sanitation of settlements. Most cities and towns in developing countries, like India, are characterised by over-crowding, congestion, inadequate water supply and inadequate facilities of disposal of human excreta, waste water and solid wastes. Inadequacy of housing for most urban poor invariably leads to poor home hygiene. Personal and domestic hygiene practices cannot be improved without improving basic amenities, such as water supply, waste water disposal, solid waste management and the problems of human settlements. But even under the prevailing conditions, there is significant scope of improving hygiene practices at home to prevent infection and cross-infection. Unfortunately, in developing countries, public health concerns are usually raised on the institutional setting, such as municipal services, hospitals, environmental sanitation, etc. There is a reluctance to acknowledge the home as a setting of equal importance along with the public institutions in the chain of disease transmission in the community. Managers of home hygiene and community hygiene must act in unison to optimise return from efforts to promote public health. Current practices and perceptions of domestic and personal hygiene in Indian communities, the existing levels of environmental and peri-domestic sanitation and the 'health risk' these pose will be outlined, as well as the need for an integrated action for improving hygiene behaviour and access to safe water and sanitation.

  5. Ad hoc supervision of general practice registrars as a 'community of practice': analysis, interpretation and re-presentation.

    PubMed

    Clement, T; Brown, J; Morrison, J; Nestel, D

    2016-05-01

    General practice registrars in Australia undertake most of their vocational training in accredited general practices. They typically see patients alone from the start of their community-based training and are expected to seek timely ad hoc support from their supervisor. Such ad hoc encounters are a mechanism for ensuring patient safety, but also provide an opportunity for learning and teaching. Wenger's (Communities of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1998) social theory of learning ('communities of practice') guided a secondary analysis of audio-recordings of ad hoc encounters. Data from one encounter is re-presented as an extended sequence to maintain congruence with the theoretical perspective and enhance vicariousness. An interpretive commentary communicates key features of Wenger's theory and highlights the researchers' interpretations. We argue that one encounter can reveal universal understandings of clinical supervision and that the process of naturalistic generalisation allows readers to transfer others' experiences to their own contexts. The paper raises significant analytic, interpretive, and representational issues. We highlight that report writing is an important, but infrequently discussed, part of research design. We discuss the challenges of supporting the learning and teaching that arises from adopting a socio-cultural lens and argue that such a perspective importantly captures the complex range of issues that work-based practitioners have to grapple with. This offers a challenge to how we research and seek to influence work-based learning and teaching in health care settings.

  6. Falls Assessment Clinical Trial (FACT): design, interventions, recruitment strategies and participant characteristics.

    PubMed

    Elley, C Raina; Robertson, M Clare; Kerse, Ngaire M; Garrett, Sue; McKinlay, Eileen; Lawton, Beverley; Moriarty, Helen; Campbell, A John

    2007-07-29

    Guidelines recommend multifactorial intervention programmes to prevent falls in older adults but there are few randomised controlled trials in a real life health care setting. We describe the rationale, intervention, study design, recruitment strategies and baseline characteristics of participants in a randomised controlled trial of a multifactorial falls prevention programme in primary health care. Participants are patients from 19 primary care practices in Hutt Valley, New Zealand aged 75 years and over who have fallen in the past year and live independently. Two recruitment strategies were used - waiting room screening and practice mail-out. Intervention participants receive a community based nurse assessment of falls and fracture risk factors, home hazards, referral to appropriate community interventions, and strength and balance exercise programme. Control participants receive usual care and social visits. Outcome measures include number of falls and injuries over 12 months, balance, strength, falls efficacy, activities of daily living, quality of life, and physical activity levels. 312 participants were recruited (69% women). Of those who had fallen, 58% of people screened in the practice waiting rooms and 40% when screened by practice letter were willing to participate. Characteristics of participants recruited using the two methods are similar (p > 0.05). Mean age of all participants was 81 years (SD 5). On average participants have 7 medical conditions, take 5.5 medications (29% on psychotropics) with a median of 2 falls (interquartile range 1, 3) in the previous year. The two recruitment strategies and the community based intervention delivery were feasible and successful, identifying a high risk group with multiple falls. Recruitment in the waiting room gave higher response rates but was less efficient than practice mail-out. Testing the effectiveness of an evidence based intervention in a 'real life' setting is important.

  7. Community participation for malaria elimination in Tafea Province, Vanuatu: Part I. Maintaining motivation for prevention practices in the context of disappearing disease.

    PubMed

    Atkinson, Jo-An M; Fitzgerald, Lisa; Toaliu, Hilson; Taleo, George; Tynan, Anna; Whittaker, Maxine; Riley, Ian; Vallely, Andrew

    2010-04-12

    In the 1990s, the experience of eliminating malaria from Aneityum Island, Vanuatu is often given as evidence for the potential to eliminate malaria in the south-west Pacific. This experience, however, cannot provide a blueprint for larger islands that represent more complex social and environmental contexts. Community support was a key contributor to success in Aneityum. In the context of disappearing disease, obtaining and maintaining community participation in strategies to eliminate malaria in the rest of Tafea Province, Vanuatu will be significantly more challenging. Nine focus group discussions (FGDs), 12 key informant interviews (KIIs), three transect walks and seven participatory workshops were carried out in three villages across Tanna Island to investigate community perceptions and practices relating to malaria prevention (particularly relating to bed nets); influences on these practices including how malaria is contextualized within community health and disease priorities; and effective avenues for channelling health information. The primary protection method identified by participants was the use of bed nets, however, the frequency and motivation for their use differed between study villages on the basis of the perceived presence of malaria. Village, household and personal cleanliness were identified by participants as important for protection against malaria. Barriers and influences on bed net use included cultural beliefs and practices, travel, gender roles, seasonality of mosquito nuisance and risk perception. Health care workers and church leaders were reported to have greatest influence on malaria prevention practices. Participants preferred receiving health information through visiting community health promotion teams, health workers, church leaders and village chiefs. In low malaria transmission settings, a package for augmenting social capital and sustaining community participation for elimination will be essential and includes: 'sentinel sites' for qualitative monitoring of evolving local socio-cultural, behavioural and practical issues that impact malaria prevention and treatment; mobilizing social networks; intersectoral collaboration; integration of malaria interventions with activities addressing other community health and disease priorities; and targeted implementation of locally appropriate, multi-level, media campaigns that sustain motivation for community participation in malaria elimination.

  8. Community participation for malaria elimination in Tafea Province, Vanuatu: Part I. Maintaining motivation for prevention practices in the context of disappearing disease

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background In the 1990s, the experience of eliminating malaria from Aneityum Island, Vanuatu is often given as evidence for the potential to eliminate malaria in the south-west Pacific. This experience, however, cannot provide a blueprint for larger islands that represent more complex social and environmental contexts. Community support was a key contributor to success in Aneityum. In the context of disappearing disease, obtaining and maintaining community participation in strategies to eliminate malaria in the rest of Tafea Province, Vanuatu will be significantly more challenging. Method Nine focus group discussions (FGDs), 12 key informant interviews (KIIs), three transect walks and seven participatory workshops were carried out in three villages across Tanna Island to investigate community perceptions and practices relating to malaria prevention (particularly relating to bed nets); influences on these practices including how malaria is contextualized within community health and disease priorities; and effective avenues for channelling health information. Results The primary protection method identified by participants was the use of bed nets, however, the frequency and motivation for their use differed between study villages on the basis of the perceived presence of malaria. Village, household and personal cleanliness were identified by participants as important for protection against malaria. Barriers and influences on bed net use included cultural beliefs and practices, travel, gender roles, seasonality of mosquito nuisance and risk perception. Health care workers and church leaders were reported to have greatest influence on malaria prevention practices. Participants preferred receiving health information through visiting community health promotion teams, health workers, church leaders and village chiefs. Conclusion In low malaria transmission settings, a package for augmenting social capital and sustaining community participation for elimination will be essential and includes: 'sentinel sites' for qualitative monitoring of evolving local socio-cultural, behavioural and practical issues that impact malaria prevention and treatment; mobilizing social networks; intersectoral collaboration; integration of malaria interventions with activities addressing other community health and disease priorities; and targeted implementation of locally appropriate, multi-level, media campaigns that sustain motivation for community participation in malaria elimination. PMID:20380748

  9. Characteristics of Smartphone Applications for Nutrition Improvement in Community Settings: A Scoping Review1234

    PubMed Central

    Brimblecombe, Julie; Wycherley, Thomas Philip

    2017-01-01

    Smartphone applications are increasingly being used to support nutrition improvement in community settings. However, there is a scarcity of practical literature to support researchers and practitioners in choosing or developing health applications. This work maps the features, key content, theoretical approaches, and methods of consumer testing of applications intended for nutrition improvement in community settings. A systematic, scoping review methodology was used to map published, peer-reviewed literature reporting on applications with a specific nutrition-improvement focus intended for use in the community setting. After screening, articles were grouped into 4 categories: dietary self-monitoring trials, nutrition improvement trials, application description articles, and qualitative application development studies. For mapping, studies were also grouped into categories based on the target population and aim of the application or program. Of the 4818 titles identified from the database search, 64 articles were included. The broad categories of features found to be included in applications generally corresponded to different behavior change support strategies common to many classic behavioral change models. Key content of applications generally focused on food composition, with tailored feedback most commonly used to deliver educational content. Consumer testing before application deployment was reported in just over half of the studies. Collaboration between practitioners and application developers promotes an appropriate balance of evidence-based content and functionality. This work provides a unique resource for program development teams and practitioners seeking to use an application for nutrition improvement in community settings. PMID:28298274

  10. Characteristics of Smartphone Applications for Nutrition Improvement in Community Settings: A Scoping Review.

    PubMed

    Tonkin, Emma; Brimblecombe, Julie; Wycherley, Thomas Philip

    2017-03-01

    Smartphone applications are increasingly being used to support nutrition improvement in community settings. However, there is a scarcity of practical literature to support researchers and practitioners in choosing or developing health applications. This work maps the features, key content, theoretical approaches, and methods of consumer testing of applications intended for nutrition improvement in community settings. A systematic, scoping review methodology was used to map published, peer-reviewed literature reporting on applications with a specific nutrition-improvement focus intended for use in the community setting. After screening, articles were grouped into 4 categories: dietary self-monitoring trials, nutrition improvement trials, application description articles, and qualitative application development studies. For mapping, studies were also grouped into categories based on the target population and aim of the application or program. Of the 4818 titles identified from the database search, 64 articles were included. The broad categories of features found to be included in applications generally corresponded to different behavior change support strategies common to many classic behavioral change models. Key content of applications generally focused on food composition, with tailored feedback most commonly used to deliver educational content. Consumer testing before application deployment was reported in just over half of the studies. Collaboration between practitioners and application developers promotes an appropriate balance of evidence-based content and functionality. This work provides a unique resource for program development teams and practitioners seeking to use an application for nutrition improvement in community settings. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

  11. Methodology capture: discriminating between the "best" and the rest of community practice

    PubMed Central

    Eales, James M; Pinney, John W; Stevens, Robert D; Robertson, David L

    2008-01-01

    Background The methodologies we use both enable and help define our research. However, as experimental complexity has increased the choice of appropriate methodologies has become an increasingly difficult task. This makes it difficult to keep track of available bioinformatics software, let alone the most suitable protocols in a specific research area. To remedy this we present an approach for capturing methodology from literature in order to identify and, thus, define best practice within a field. Results Our approach is to implement data extraction techniques on the full-text of scientific articles to obtain the set of experimental protocols used by an entire scientific discipline, molecular phylogenetics. Our methodology for identifying methodologies could in principle be applied to any scientific discipline, whether or not computer-based. We find a number of issues related to the nature of best practice, as opposed to community practice. We find that there is much heterogeneity in the use of molecular phylogenetic methods and software, some of which is related to poor specification of protocols. We also find that phylogenetic practice exhibits field-specific tendencies that have increased through time, despite the generic nature of the available software. We used the practice of highly published and widely collaborative researchers ("expert" researchers) to analyse the influence of authority on community practice. We find expert authors exhibit patterns of practice common to their field and therefore act as useful field-specific practice indicators. Conclusion We have identified a structured community of phylogenetic researchers performing analyses that are customary in their own local community and significantly different from those in other areas. Best practice information can help to bridge such subtle differences by increasing communication of protocols to a wider audience. We propose that the practice of expert authors from the field of evolutionary biology is the closest to contemporary best practice in phylogenetic experimental design. Capturing best practice is, however, a complex task and should also acknowledge the differences between fields such as the specific context of the analysis. PMID:18761740

  12. Variability of community interaction networks in marine reserves and adjacent exploited areas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Montano-Moctezuma, G.; Li, H.W.; Rossignol, P.A.

    2008-01-01

    Regional and small-scale local oceanographic conditions can lead to high variability in community structure even among similar habitats. Communities with identical species composition can depict distinct networks due to different levels of disturbance as well as physical and biological processes. In this study we reconstruct community networks in four different areas off the Oregon Coast by matching simulated communities with observed dynamics. We compared reserves with harvested areas. Simulations suggested that different community networks, but with the same species composition, can represent each study site. Differences were found in predator-prey interactions as well as non-predatory interactions between community members. In addition, each site can be represented as a set of models, creating alternative stages among sites. The set of alternative models that characterize each study area depicts a sequence of functional responses where each specific model or interaction structure creates different species composition patterns. Different management practices, either in the past or of the present, may lead to alternative communities. Our findings suggest that management strategies should be analyzed at a community level that considers the possible consequences of shifting from one community scenario to another. This analysis provides a novel conceptual framework to assess the consequences of different management options for ecological communities. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. "You have to take action": changing knowledge and attitudes towards newborn care practices during crisis in South Sudan.

    PubMed

    Sami, Samira; Kerber, Kate; Tomczyk, Barbara; Amsalu, Ribka; Jackson, Debra; Scudder, Elaine; Dimiti, Alexander; Meyers, Janet; Kenneth, Kemish; Kenyi, Solomon; Kennedy, Caitlin E; Ackom, Kweku; Mullany, Luke C

    2017-11-01

    Highest rates of neonatal mortality occur in countries that have recently experienced conflict. International Medical Corps implemented a package of newborn interventions in June 2016, based on the Newborn health in humanitarian settings: field guide, targeting community- and facility-based health workers in displaced person camps in South Sudan. We describe health workers' knowledge and attitudes toward newborn health interventions, before and after receiving clinical training and supplies, and recommend dissemination strategies for improved uptake of newborn guidelines during crises. A mixed methods approach was utilised, including pre-post knowledge tests and in-depth interviews. Study participants were community- and facility-based health workers in two internally displaced person camps located in Juba and Malakal and two refugee camps in Maban from March to October 2016. Mean knowledge scores for newborn care practices and danger signs increased among 72 community health workers (pre-training: 5.8 [SD: 2.3] vs. post-training: 9.6 [SD: 2.1]) and 25 facility-based health workers (pre-training: 14.2 [SD: 2.7] vs. post-training: 17.4 [SD: 2.8]). Knowledge and attitudes toward key essential practices, such as the use of partograph to assess labour progress, early initiation of breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care and weighing the baby, improved among skilled birth attendants. Despite challenges in conflict-affected settings, conducting training has the potential to increase health workers' knowledge on neonatal health post-training. The humanitarian community should reinforce this knowledge with key actions to shift cultural norms that expand the care provided to women and their newborns in these contexts.

  14. The work-based predictors of job engagement and job satisfaction experienced by community health professionals.

    PubMed

    Noblet, Andrew J; Allisey, Amanda F; Nielsen, Ingrid L; Cotton, Stacey; LaMontagne, Anthony D; Page, Kathryn M

    Job engagement represents a critical resource for community-based health care agencies to achieve high levels of effectiveness. However, studies examining the organizational sources of job engagement among health care professionals have generally overlooked those workers based in community settings. This study drew on the demand-control model, in addition to stressors that are more specific to community health services (e.g., unrewarding management practices), to identify conditions that are closely associated with the engagement experienced by a community health workforce. Job satisfaction was also included as a way of assessing how the predictors of job engagement differ from those associated with other job attitudes. Health and allied health care professionals (n = 516) from two Australian community health services took part in the current investigation. Responses from the two organizations were pooled and analyzed using linear multiple regression. The analyses revealed that three working conditions were predictive of both job engagement and job satisfaction (i.e., job control, quantitative demands, and unrewarding management practices). There was some evidence of differential effects with cognitive demands being associated with job engagement, but not job satisfaction. The results provide important insights into the working conditions that, if addressed, could play key roles in building a more engaged and satisfied community health workforce. Furthermore, working conditions like job control and management practices are amenable to change and thus represent important areas where community health services could enhance the energetic and motivational resources of their employees.

  15. Assessment of patient satisfaction with pain management in small community inpatient and outpatient settings.

    PubMed

    Corizzo, C C; Baker, M C; Henkelmann, G C

    2000-09-01

    To describe patient outcomes (e.g., pain intensity and relief, satisfaction, expectations) and analgesic practices of healthcare providers for inpatients and outpatients in community hospital settings. Descriptive, correlational, and random sampling. Three community-based institutions in southeast Louisiana. 114 inpatients and outpatients with cancer-related or acute postoperative pain. Inpatients (n = 68) mostly were women and younger than 60 years of age. Outpatients (n = 46) mostly were men and older than 60 years of age. Both groups were predominantly well-educated and Caucasian. Subjects completed a modified version of the American Pain Society's Patient Satisfaction Survey. Researchers completed a chart audit tool reviewing analgesic prescriptive and administrative practices. Weak to moderately strong correlations existed for the relationships between the satisfaction variables and the pain intensity, pain relief, and expectation variables for all subjects. Satisfaction with current pain intensity was correlated most strongly with pain intensity and relief scores. Higher pain intensity and relief were related to lower satisfaction with current pain intensity. Regardless of setting or pain type, subjects experienced significant amounts of pain during a 24-hour period. Patient expectations for experiencing high levels of pain were realized, but expectations for significant pain relief were not. Institutional pain management programs that approach pain from a multidimensional perspective need to be developed. Continued education for healthcare professionals and patients is a vital part of this process.

  16. Introducing priority setting and resource allocation in home and community care programs.

    PubMed

    Urquhart, Bonnie; Mitton, Craig; Peacock, Stuart

    2008-01-01

    To use evidence from research to identify and implement priority setting and resource allocation that incorporates both ethical practices and economic principles. Program budgeting and marginal analysis (PBMA) is based on two key economic principles: opportunity cost (i.e. doing one thing instead of another) and the margin (i.e. resource allocation should result in maximum benefit for available resources). An ethical framework for priority setting and resource allocation known as Accountability for Reasonableness (A4R) focuses on making sure that resource allocations are based on a fair decision-making process. It includes the following four conditions: publicity; relevance; appeals; and enforcement. More recent literature on the topic suggests that a fifth condition, that of empowerment, should be added to the Framework. The 2007-08 operating budget for Home and Community Care, excluding the residential sector, was developed using PBMA and incorporating the A4R conditions. Recommendations developed using PBMA were forwarded to the Executive Committee, approved and implemented for the 2007-08 fiscal year operating budget. In addition there were two projects approved for approximately $200,000. PBMA is an improvement over previous practice. Managers of Home and Community Care are committed to using the process for the 2008-09 fiscal year operating budget and expanding its use to include mental health and addictions services. In addition, managers of public health prevention and promotion services are considering using the process.

  17. Linking public health nursing competencies and service-learning in a global setting.

    PubMed

    Brown, Cynthia L

    2017-09-01

    Nurse educators in baccalaureate programs are charged with addressing student competence in public health nursing practice. These educators are also responsible for creating nursing student opportunities for civic engagement and development of critical thinking skills. The IOM report (2010) on the Future of Nursing emphasizes the nurse educator's role in promoting collaborative partnerships that incorporate interdisciplinary and intraprofessional efforts to promote health. The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative approach to address public health nursing competencies and to improve the health and well-being of indigenous populations in a global setting through promotion of collaboration and service- learning principles. As part of a hybrid elective course, baccalaureate nursing students from various nursing tracks participated in a 2 week immersion experience in Belize that included preimmersion preparation. These students were to collaborate among themselves and with Belizean communities to address identified health knowledge deficits and health-related needs for school-aged children and adult populations. Students successfully collaborated in order to meet health-related needs and to engage in health promotion activities in the Toledo district of Belize. They also gained practice in developing public health nursing competencies for entry-level nursing practice. Implementation of service-learning principles provided students with opportunities for civic engagement and self-reflection. Some challenges existed from the students', faculty, and global community's perspectives. Lack of culturally appropriate and country specific health education materials was difficult for students and the community. Faculty encountered challenges in communicating and collaborating with the Belizean partners. Commonalities exist between entry-level public health nursing competencies and service-learning principles. Using service-learning principles in the development of public health experiences increases the likelihood of success in achieving these competencies. While students demonstrated intraprofessional collaboration in a global setting, these same collaborative opportunities can occur in local communities. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. The 'Silver Book' on elderly care in hospitals and community settings.

    PubMed

    Dawood, Mary

    2012-08-01

    The number of people aged 85 and over is set to increase by two-thirds in the next 20 years, making it imperative that appropriate structures are in place and guidance is available for clinicians in every setting on best practice in caring for older people over the first 24 hours of an urgent care episode. This article discusses the launch of the Silver Book, which recommends ways in which emergency admissions can be reduced and the experience of those admitted improved.

  19. Employing continuous quality improvement in community-based substance abuse programs.

    PubMed

    Chinman, Matthew; Hunter, Sarah B; Ebener, Patricia

    2012-01-01

    This article aims to describe continuous quality improvement (CQI) for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs in a community-based organization setting. CQI (e.g., plan-do-study-act cycles (PDSA)) applied in healthcare and industry was adapted for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs in a community setting. The authors assessed the resources needed, acceptability and CQI feasibility for ten programs by evaluating CQI training workshops with program staff and a series of three qualitative interviews over a nine-month implementation period with program participants. The CQI activities, PDSA cycle progress, effort, enthusiasm, benefits and challenges were examined. Results indicated that CQI was feasible and acceptable for community-based substance abuse prevention and treatment programs; however, some notable resource challenges remain. Future studies should examine CQI impact on service quality and intended program outcomes. The study was conducted on a small number of programs. It did not assess CQI impact on service quality and intended program outcomes. Practical implications- This project shows that it is feasible to adapt CQI techniques and processes for community-based programs substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. These techniques may help community-based program managers to improve service quality and achieve program outcomes. This is one of the first studies to adapt traditional CQI techniques for community-based settings delivering substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.

  20. Nurses on a mission: a professional service learning experience with the inner-city homeless.

    PubMed

    Lashley, Mary

    2007-01-01

    Nursing students can play a vital role in addressing the health care needs of the homeless. Through professional service learning experiences in community-based settings, students learn how to partner with key community leaders and agencies to meet the needs of underserved populations and provide culturally competent care to diverse populations. This article describes the development of a professional service learning experience with the homeless in which a community-academic partnership was created to meet community needs. In an era of declining health care resources, such innovative partnerships serve to reduce health disparities and improve access to care while preparing students for community-based practice with at-risk and vulnerable populations.

  1. A model of service and training: threat assessment on a community college campus.

    PubMed

    Mrad, David F; Hanigan, Antoni J S; Bateman, Joyce R

    2015-02-01

    Forensic psychological assessment for targeted violence is a growing area of practice and community need. These threat assessments are particularly challenging on community college campuses given the broad range of students and the limited internal resources. A collaborative model of partnership between a community college and the training clinic of a doctoral program in clinical psychology has been developed and implemented. The model provides needed service to the community college and rich training experiences for doctoral students in psychology. Implementation of similar partnerships in other settings may be limited by the training and experience of doctoral faculty and the openness of behavioral intervention teams to external participants.

  2. Measuring the Effectiveness of Knowledge Creation as a Means of Facilitating Evidence-Informed Practice in Early Years Settings in One London Borough

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Chris; Rogers, Sue

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines our use of knowledge-creation activity as a way of developing evidence-informed practice among a learning community of 36 early years practitioners in one London borough. It also seeks to illustrate how we approached the idea of measuring evidence use and our engagement with, and adapted use of, two separate measurement scales:…

  3. Measuring the Effectiveness of Knowledge Creation Activity as a Means to Facilitate Evidence-Informed Practice: A Study of Early Years Settings in Camden, London

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Chris; Rogers, Sue

    2015-01-01

    This paper has two key aims. First, it examines the authors' attempts to use knowledge creation activity as a way of developing evidence-informed practice amongst a learning community of 36 early years practitioners in Camden, London. Second, it illustrates how the authors approached the idea of measuring evidence use and our engagement with two…

  4. A Business Case Analysis for Implementing and Optimizing Telemedicine at Fort Irwin

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-06-15

    pharmacists and the increased 26 demand for pharmacy services especially in rural settings. For several years, community pharmacy chains have attracted...newly graduated pharmacists to larger cities offering bigger salaries and incentives creating gaps where small rural community pharmacists retired...dispense, and perform duties in the absence of a pharmacist . The PA’s authority to practice and level of supervision is granted and limited by the MTF

  5. What Does It Mean to Be a Friendly Outsider? Critical Reflection on Finding a Role as an Action Researcher with Communities Developing Renewable Energy Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Jennifer; Convery, Ian; Simmons, Eunice; Weatherall, Andrew

    2012-01-01

    This paper is a reflective account exploring the value of using action research in a relatively new context in the United Kingdom; the development of community renewable-energy projects. There is a strong rationale for using action research in this setting due to the synergies between the principles and practice of action research and localised…

  6. A constructive Indian country response to the evidence-based program mandate.

    PubMed

    Walker, R Dale; Bigelow, Douglas A

    2011-01-01

    Over the last 20 years governmental mandates for preferentially funding evidence-based "model" practices and programs has become doctrine in some legislative bodies, federal agencies, and state agencies. It was assumed that what works in small sample, controlled settings would work in all community settings, substantially improving safety, effectiveness, and value-for-money. The evidence-based "model" programs mandate has imposed immutable "core components," fidelity testing, alien programming and program developers, loss of familiar programs, and resource capacity requirements upon tribes, while infringing upon their tribal sovereignty and consultation rights. Tribal response in one state (Oregon) went through three phases: shock and rejection; proposing an alternative approach using criteria of cultural appropriateness, aspiring to evaluability; and adopting logic modeling. The state heard and accepted the argument that the tribal way of knowing is different and valid. Currently, a state-authorized tribal logic model and a review panel process are used to approve tribal best practices for state funding. This constructive response to the evidence-based program mandate elevates tribal practices in the funding and regulatory world, facilitates continuing quality improvement and evaluation, while ensuring that practices and programs remain based on local community context and culture. This article provides details of a model that could well serve tribes facing evidence-based model program mandates throughout the country.

  7. NASA Center for Astronomy Education: Building a Community of Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brissenden, Gina; Prather, E. E.; Slater, T. F.; Greene, W. M.; Thaller, M.; Alvidrez, R.

    2007-12-01

    The NASA Center for Astronomy Education (CAE) is devoted to the professional development of introductory college astronomy instructors teaching at community colleges. The primary goal is building a "community of practice." Evaluation results suggest this community of practice model is effective at improving instructional practices, particularly in settings where instructors feel isolated from their peers. For community college faculty this isolation can be quite real. Many are the only astronomer, if not the only scientist, at their institution. In addition, they may be adjunct instructors who have no office, no institutional email address, nor appear in the campus directory. CAE works to prevent this sense of isolation by building both actual and virtual communities for these instructors, as well as provide actual and virtual professional development opportunities. CAE's major effort is providing multi-tiered "Teaching Excellence Workshops" offered at national and regional venues. Recently added to our workshop offerings is a Tier II, or advanced, workshop for instructors who have attended a previous Teaching Excellence Workshop. The focus of the Tier II workshops is on implementation issues. In addition, we are now also offering a workshop exclusively for post-docs, graduates, and undergraduate students. Ongoing support is offered through the CAE website. Instructors can learn about, and register for, upcoming workshops. They can engage in discussions about educational issues and share best practices with peers using the moderated discussion group Astrolrner@CAE. CAE also provides an updated article "This Month's Teaching Strategy” which is a reflection on teaching strategies discussed in the workshops. Instructors can also find their peers through the online map of US community colleges offering introductory astronomy courses. Lastly, CAE Regional Teaching Exchanges facilitate local, and sustained, community building. CAE is supported by the NASA/JPL Navigator Public Engagement Program and the Spitzer Space Telescope Education and Public Outreach Program.

  8. Principled leadership in public health: integrating ethics into practice and management.

    PubMed

    Bernheim, Ruth Gaare; Melnick, Alan

    2008-01-01

    Public health officials frequently face ethical tensions and conflicting obligations when making decisions and managing health departments. Leadership requires an ongoing approach to ethics that focuses on two dimensions of practice: the professional relationships of officials developed over time with their communities and the ethical aspects of day-to-day public health activities. Education and competencies in ethics may be helpful in practice, by providing, at a minimum, frameworks and ethical principles to help structure analysis, discussion, and decision making in health departments and with community stakeholders. Such a "practical ethics" approach in public health practice begins with a focus on public health values and an agency mission statement and integrates ethics throughout the organization by, for example, setting performance measures based on them. Using a case in emergency preparedness, this article describes ways in which ethical frameworks and the Code of Ethics can be used as tools for education and to integrate ethics into agency activities and programs.

  9. Probing community nurses' professional basis: a situational case study in diabetic foot ulcer treatment.

    PubMed

    Schaarup, Clara; Pape-Haugaard, Louise; Jensen, Merete Hartun; Laursen, Anders Christian; Bermark, Susan; Hejlesen, Ole Kristian

    2017-03-01

    Complicated and long-lasting wound care of diabetic foot ulcers are moving from specialists in wound care at hospitals towards community nurses without specialist diabetic foot ulcer wound care knowledge. The aim of the study is to elucidate community nurses' professional basis for treating diabetic foot ulcers. A situational case study design was adopted in an archetypical Danish community nursing setting. Experience is a crucial component in the community nurses' professional basis for treating diabetic foot ulcers. Peer-to-peer training is the prevailing way to learn about diabetic foot ulcer, however, this contributes to the risk of low evidence-based practice. Finally, a frequent behaviour among the community nurses is to consult colleagues before treating the diabetic foot ulcers.

  10. Pharmacists' perspectives of the current status of pediatric asthma management in the U.S. community pharmacy setting.

    PubMed

    Elaro, Amanda; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia; Kraus, Kathleen; Farris, Karen B; Shah, Smita; Armour, Carol; Patel, Minal R

    2017-08-01

    Objective To explore community pharmacists' continuing education, counseling and communication practices, attitudes and barriers in relation to pediatric asthma management. Setting Community pharmacies in Michigan, United States. Methods Between July and September 2015 a convenience sample of community pharmacists was recruited from southeastern Michigan and asked to complete a structured, self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire elucidated information on 4 general domains relating to pharmacists' pediatric asthma management including: (1) guidelines and continuing education (CE); (2) counseling and medicines; (3) communication and self-management practices; (4) attitudes and barriers to practice. Regression analyses were conducted to determine predictors towards pharmacists' confidence/frequency of use of communication/counseling strategies. Main outcome measure Confidence in counseling skills around asthma. Results 105 pharmacists completed the study questionnaire. Fifty-four percent of pharmacists reported participating in asthma related CE in the past year. Over 70% of pharmacists reported confidence in general communication skills, while a lower portion reported confidence in engaging in higher order self-management activities that involved tailoring the regimen (58%), decision-making (50%) and setting short-term (47%) and long-term goals (47%) with the patient and caregiver for managing asthma at home. Pharmacists who reported greater use of recommended communication/self-management strategies were more likely to report confidence in implementing these communication/self-management strategies when counseling caregivers and children with asthma [Beta (B) Estimate 0.58 SE (0.08), p < 0.001]. Female pharmacists [B Estimate -2.23 SE (1.01), p < 0.05] and those who reported beliefs around doctors being the sole provider of asthma education [B Estimate -1.00 SE (0.32), p < 0.01] were less likely to report confidence in implementing communication/self-management strategies. Conclusion A pharmacists' confidence may influence their ability to implement recommended self-management counseling strategies. This study showed that community pharmacists are confident in general communication. However pharmacists are reporting lower confidence levels in counseling on higher order self-management strategies with patients. More appropriate and targeted continuing education programs for pharmacists around asthma self-management education are recommended.

  11. Arthritis in the family practice setting: associations with education and community poverty.

    PubMed

    Callahan, Leigh F; Shreffler, Jack; Mielenz, Thelma; Schoster, Britta; Kaufman, Jay S; Xiao, Changfu; Randolph, Randy; Sloane, Philip D

    2008-07-15

    To examine associations of self-reported arthritis in 25 urban and rural family practice clinics with education (individual socioeconomic status) and community poverty (community socioeconomic status). A total of 7,770 patients at 25 family practice sites across North Carolina self-reported whether they had arthritis. Education was measured as less than a high school (HS) degree, a HS degree, and more than a HS degree. The US Census 2000 block group poverty rate (percentage of households in poverty in that block group) was grouped into low, middle, and high tertiles. We assumed heterogeneity by race (non-Hispanic white and African American) for the effects of these sociodemographic variables, and therefore stratified by race. Multilevel analyses were performed using a 2-level mixed logistic model to examine the independent associations and joint effects of education and poverty with self-reported arthritis as the outcome, adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index. White participants with less than a HS degree living in block groups with high poverty had 1.55 times the odds (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.10-2.17) of reporting arthritis compared with white participants with more than a HS degree and low poverty rates. African American participants with less than a HS degree and high poverty rates had 2.06 times the odds (95% CI 1.16-3.66) of reporting arthritis compared with African American participants with more than a HS degree and low poverty rates. In the family practice setting, both disadvantaged white and African American participants showed increased odds of self-reported arthritis, with stronger associations in African Americans.

  12. Impact of a Web-Portal Intervention on Community ADHD Care and Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Epstein, Jeffery N; Kelleher, Kelly J; Baum, Rebecca; Brinkman, William B; Peugh, James; Gardner, William; Lichtenstein, Phil; Langberg, Joshua M

    2016-08-01

    The quality of care for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) delivered in community-based pediatric settings is often poor. Interventions have been developed to improve community-based ADHD care but have not demonstrated that better care results in improved patient outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine whether an ADHD quality improvement (QI) intervention for community-based pediatric practices improves patient outcomes. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in which 50 community-based pediatric primary care practices (213 providers) were randomized either to receive a technology-assisted QI intervention or to a control condition. The intervention consisted of 4 training sessions, office flow modification, guided QI, and an ADHD Internet portal to assist with treatment monitoring. ADHD treatment processes and parent- and teacher-rated ADHD symptoms over the first year of treatment were collected for 577 patients. Intent-to-treat analyses examining outcomes of all children assessed for ADHD were not significant (b = -1.97, P = .08). However, among the 373 children prescribed ADHD medication, there was a significant intervention effect (b = -2.42, P = .04) indicating greater reductions in parent ratings of ADHD symptoms after treatment among patients treated by intervention physicians compared with patients treated at control practices. There were no group differences on teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms. ADHD treatment care around medication was significantly better at intervention practices compared with control practices. A technology-assisted QI intervention improved some ADHD care quality and resulted in additional reductions in parent-rated ADHD symptoms among patients prescribed ADHD medications. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  13. Impact of an interprofessional rural health care practice education experience on students and communities.

    PubMed

    Charles, Grant; Bainbridge, Lesley; Copeman-Stewart, Kathy; Kassam, Rosemin; Tiffin, Shelly

    2008-01-01

    The Interprofessional Rural Program of British Columbia (IRPBC) was established in 2003 as a pilot program aimed at supporting the recruitment of health and human service professionals to rural communities in British Columbia, Canada. The program was designed to expose students in the health and human service professions to rural communities and to assess whether this exposure increased the likelihood of their return to work in nonurban settings once they completed their studies. The initial qualitative evaluation of IRPBC was conducted via individual interviews in the first year and written questionnaires in the second year. In general, IRPBC was perceived by the participants to have had a significant impact on the students and communities. The students who participated in it benefited not only from the chance to engage in rural practice but also from the opportunity to interact within an interprofessional context; and the communities participating in the program profited from enhanced health care and the possibility of attracting new practitioners from these students. Exposure to new ways of providing service and the impact that the introduction of teams of passionate students can have on both practitioners and small communities have greatly enriched the broader communities.

  14. Standard practices for computerized clinical decision support in community hospitals: a national survey

    PubMed Central

    McCormack, James L; Sittig, Dean F; Wright, Adam; McMullen, Carmit; Bates, David W

    2012-01-01

    Objective Computerized provider order entry (CPOE) with clinical decision support (CDS) can help hospitals improve care. Little is known about what CDS is presently in use and how it is managed, however, especially in community hospitals. This study sought to address this knowledge gap by identifying standard practices related to CDS in US community hospitals with mature CPOE systems. Materials and Methods Representatives of 34 community hospitals, each of which had over 5 years experience with CPOE, were interviewed to identify standard practices related to CDS. Data were analyzed with a mix of descriptive statistics and qualitative approaches to the identification of patterns, themes and trends. Results This broad sample of community hospitals had robust levels of CDS despite their small size and the independent nature of many of their physician staff members. The hospitals uniformly used medication alerts and order sets, had sophisticated governance procedures for CDS, and employed staff to customize CDS. Discussion The level of customization needed for most CDS before implementation was greater than expected. Customization requires skilled individuals who represent an emerging manpower need at this type of hospital. Conclusion These results bode well for robust diffusion of CDS to similar hospitals in the process of adopting CDS and suggest that national policies to promote CDS use may be successful. PMID:22707744

  15. Method meets application: on the use of earthquake scenarios in community-based disaster preparedness and response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sargeant, S.; Sorensen, M. B.

    2011-12-01

    More than 50% of the world's population now live in urban areas. In less developed countries, future urban population increase will be due to natural population growth and rural-to-urban migration. As urban growth continues, the vulnerability of those living in these areas is also increasing. This presents a wide variety of challenges for humanitarian organisations that often have more experience of disaster response in rural settings rather than planning for large urban disasters. The 2010 Haiti earthquake highlighted the vulnerability of these organisations and the communities that they seek to support. To meet this challenge, a key consideration is how scientific information can support the humanitarian sector and their working practices. Here we review the current state of earthquake scenario modelling practice, with special focus on scenarios to be used in disaster response and response planning, and present an evaluation of how the field looks set to evolve. We also review current good practice and lessons learned from previous earthquakes with respect to planning for and responding to earthquakes in urban settings in the humanitarian sector, identifying key sectoral priorities. We then investigate the interface between these two areas to investigate the use of earthquake scenarios in disaster response planning and identify potential challenges both with respect to development of scientific models and their application on the ground.

  16. Dissemination and Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices: Training and Consultation as Implementation Strategies

    PubMed Central

    Edmunds, Julie M.; Beidas, Rinad S.; Kendall, Philip C.

    2013-01-01

    To provide effective treatment for individuals with mental health needs, there is a movement to deploy evidence-based practices (EBPs) developed in research settings into community settings. Training clinicians in EBPs is often used as the primary implementation strategy in these efforts, despite evidence suggesting that training alone does not change therapist behavior. A promising implementation strategy that can be combined with training is consultation, or ongoing support. This paper reviews the literature on consultation following initial training. A model of consultation is presented as well as preliminary findings regarding effective consultation techniques. Future directions are offered. PMID:24072959

  17. Evaluation of a community transition to professional practice program for graduate registered nurses in Australia.

    PubMed

    Aggar, Christina; Gordon, Christopher J; Thomas, Tamsin H T; Wadsworth, Linda; Bloomfield, Jacqueline

    2018-03-26

    Australia has an increasing demand for a sustainable primary health care registered nursing workforce. Targeting graduate registered nurses who typically begin their nursing career in acute-care hospital settings is a potential workforce development strategy. We evaluated a graduate registered nurse Community Transition to Professional Practice Program which was designed specifically to develop and foster skills required for primary health care. The aims of this study were to evaluate graduates' intention to remain in the primary health care nursing workforce, and graduate competency, confidence and experiences of program support; these were compared with graduates undertaking the conventional acute-care transition program. Preceptor ratings of graduate competence were also measured. All of the 25 graduates (n = 12 community, n = 13 acute-care) who completed the questionnaire at 6 and 12 months intended to remain in nursing, and 55% (n = 6) of graduates in the Community Transition Program intended to remain in the primary health care nursing workforce. There were no differences in graduate experiences, including level of competence, or preceptors' perceptions of graduate competence, between acute-care and Community Transition Programs. The Community Transition to Professional Practice program represents a substantial step towards developing the primary health care health workforce by facilitating graduate nurse employment in this area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Team Physicians, Sports Medicine, and the Law: An Update.

    PubMed

    Koller, Dionne L

    2016-04-01

    The recognition of sports medicine and promulgation of practice guidelines for team physicians will push general medical malpractice standards to evolve into a more specialized standard of care for those who practice in this area. To the extent that practicing medicine in the sports context involves calculations that do not arise in typical medical practice, the sports medicine community can help elucidate those issues and create appropriate guidelines that can serve to inform athlete-patients and educate courts. Doing so will help best set the terms by which those who practice sports medicine are judged. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Culture Care Theory: a proposed practice theory guide for nurse practitioners in primary care settings.

    PubMed

    McFarland, Marilyn M; Eipperle, Marilyn K

    2008-04-01

    Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality is presented as a foundational basis for the educational preparation, primary care contextual practice, and outcomes-focused research endeavours of advanced practice nursing. Discussion emphasises the value of care and caring as the essence of advanced practice nursing through the use of three modes of care, use of the Sunrise and other enablers, and the ethnonursing method. Education, research, practice, and key concepts of the theory are connected as essential components toward the provision of culturally congruent care to meet the healthcare needs of diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities by family nurse practitioners.

  20. Marketing the interventional clinical practice to the referring community and to patients.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Timothy P; Soares, Gregory M

    2005-03-01

    If interventionalists are able to set up clinical practices and promote themselves along service lines, especially peripheral arterial disease, it is likely that they will have some market share and that market share will grow as new devices and technologies become available. The key to success will be changing the impression of the referring community that interventional radiologists are technical specialists and don't see patients. Marketing experts tell us that several impressions are required for a concept to stick with the target audience. One of the most important points that an interventionalist can make to establish themselves as a clinical specialty is high-quality work and effective communications.

  1. Resources for your career in orthopaedic traumatology: what can the OTA do for you?

    PubMed

    Mehta, Samir; Smith, Jeffrey M

    2012-09-01

    For those choosing a career in orthopaedic traumatology, several resources have been established by the Orthopaedic Trauma Association to facilitate progression from the years in training to the early years in practice. Young practitioners have access to educational programming, such as preparation for Part II of the Board Examination, web-based resources, such as on-line job postings, advocacy in health policy for the issues that will affect their ability to practice, and public relations efforts to increase their presence in the community. Ultimately, the resources set aside for the young practitioner by the Orthopaedic Trauma Association are intended to facilitate a sense of excellence, service, and community.

  2. Trying on and trying out: participatory action research as a tool for literacy and identity work in middle grades classrooms.

    PubMed

    Van Sluys, Katie

    2010-09-01

    This article explores the role of collaborative, ethnographic, participatory action research (PAR) with eighth grade students as a set of possible literacy practices for involving students with issues connected to their lives, resources, language(s), and communities. Findings are based on a year of fieldwork conducted as part of shared inquiry into one public school community's experiences with gentrification and meeting the complex needs of diverse learners. Findings bring to life the ways in which PAR facilitates the redefining of reading, writing, and research; the reconsideration of languages; the rethinking of literacy practices; and the repositioning of participants within and beyond given research endeavors.

  3. Use of technology for note taking and therapeutic alliance.

    PubMed

    Wiarda, Nicholas R; McMinn, Mark R; Peterson, Mary A; Gregor, Joel A

    2014-09-01

    Is psychotherapeutic alliance helped or harmed by using an iPad or computer during an intake session? Two studies are reported where psychotherapists use one of three different technologies in semistructured initial interviews: paper and pen, iPad, or a computer. The studies were conducted at a Primary Care Clinic and a Community Mental Health Clinic to provide a broader context to account for recent behavioral health integration into medical settings in addition to a traditional psychotherapy setting. The Primary Care Study consisted of 60 participants from a behavioral health service at a primary care clinic. The Community Mental Health Study involved 55 participants from a community mental health clinic in semirural Oregon. No differences were found for the three technologies in either study. Practice and training implications are offered. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. Creating healthier graduates, campuses and communities: Why Australia needs to invest in health promoting universities.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Patricia; Saheb, Rowena; Howse, Eloise

    2018-05-13

    Higher education is an important and influential setting for embedding health promotion principles and practice. Universities have a responsibility to their communities and more broadly as leaders in society. Settings-based health promotion is an effective method for increasing healthy environments and an organisational culture that supports health. "Healthy Universities" and the Okanagan Charter aim to embed health within the university structure through committed policies and programs. Collaboration across Australia can support this sector-wide adoption. Leadership is required from Australian universities to invest in health promotion. This is the time for higher education in Australia to consider its role in shaping the health of its local and global communities. © 2018 The Authors. Health Promotion Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association.

  5. Democratic Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Apple, Michael W., Ed.; Beane, James A., Ed.

    This book illustrates how educators in four U.S. communities committed themselves to preparing students for the democratic way of life. In four narratives, educators directly involved in four different school-reform efforts describe how they initiated demographic practices in their educational settings. The four schools serve as reminders that…

  6. 'It's different from my culture; they're very different': Providing community-based, 'culturally competent' palliative care for South Asian people in the UK.

    PubMed

    Owens, Alastair; Randhawa, Gurch

    2004-09-01

    This article investigates the challenges faced by those trying to develop 'culturally competent' palliative care for South Asian cancer patients in Luton, UK. It discusses the findings of a phenomenological study of service providers' attitudes to and experiences of caring for South Asian patients. Ten semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with a range of staff who work in home and community-based palliative care settings, including nurses, community liaison personnel and representatives of non-statutory organisations. The authors begin by considering how these service providers construct ideas of cultural difference and how these relate to philosophies of palliative care. They then examine attempts to deal with cultural diversity in everyday practice, focusing in particular on the social context of care in the home. The paper considers the ways in which staff attempt to incorporate the cultural needs of patients, family, kin and community. Rather than criticising current working practices, the authors highlight the complexity of delivering culturally competent services from the perspective of those working directly with patients. In doing so, they contribute to ongoing debates about the development of anti-discriminatory practice in health and social care.

  7. Reaching out to Ebola victims: Coercion, persuasion or an appeal for self-sacrifice?

    PubMed

    Calain, Philippe; Poncin, Marc

    2015-12-01

    The 2014-2015 Ebola crisis in West Africa has highlighted the practical limits of upholding human rights and common ethical principles when applying emergency public-health measures. The role of medical teams in the implementation of quarantine and isolation has been equivocal, particularly when such measures are opposed by communities who are coerced by the temporary suspension of civil liberties. In their encounters with Ebola victims, outreach teams face moral dilemmas, where the boundaries are unclear between coercion, persuasion and appeals for self-sacrifice. For those teams, we propose a set of practical recommendations aimed at respecting the autonomy of epidemic victims and easing tensions within communities. We recognize that some of these recommendations are progressively achievable, depending on the specific stage or setting of an outbreak. Yet with the increasing availability of experimental treatments and research interventions, weighing patients' autonomy against the common good will become an even more pressing ethical obligation. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  8. Adaptive Interventions and SMART Designs: Application to child behavior research in a community setting

    PubMed Central

    Kidwell, Kelley M.; Hyde, Luke W.

    2016-01-01

    Heterogeneity between and within people necessitates the need for sequential personalized interventions to optimize individual outcomes. Personalized or adaptive interventions (AIs) are relevant for diseases and maladaptive behavioral trajectories when one intervention is not curative and success of a subsequent intervention may depend on individual characteristics or response. AIs may be applied to medical settings and to investigate best prevention, education, and community-based practices. AIs can begin with low-cost or low-burden interventions and followed with intensified or alternative interventions for those who need it most. AIs that guide practice over the course of a disease, program, or school year can be investigated through sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMARTs). To promote the use of SMARTs, we provide a hypothetical SMART in a Head Start program to address child behavior problems. We describe the advantages and limitations of SMARTs, particularly as they may be applied to the field of evaluation. PMID:28239254

  9. Strengthening the rural dietetics workforce: examining early effects of the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program on recruitment and retention.

    PubMed

    Hill, Mary Ellen; Raftis, Denise; Wakewich, Pamela

    2017-01-01

    As with other allied health professions, recruitment and retention of dietitians to positions in rural and isolated positions is challenging. The aim of this study was to examine the early effects of the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship Program (NODIP) on recruitment and retention of dietitians to rural and northern dietetics practice. The program is unique in being the only postgraduate dietetics internship program in Canada that actively selects candidates who have a desire to live and work in northern and rural areas. Objectives of the survey were to track the early career experiences of the first five cohorts (2008-2012) of NODIP graduates, with an emphasis on employment in underserviced rural and northern areas of Ontario. NODIP graduates (62) were invited to complete a 27-item, self-administered, mailed questionnaire approximately 22 months after graduation. The survey, reflecting issues identified in the rural allied health and dietetics literature, documented their work history, practice locations, employment settings, roles, future career intentions and rural background. Aggregated data were analyzed descriptively to assess their early work experiences, with a focus on their acceptance of positions in rural and northern communities. Items also assessed professional and personal factors influencing their most recent decisions concerning practice locations. Three-quarters of graduates chose organizations serving rural or northern communities for their first employment positions and two-thirds were practicing in rural and underserviced areas when surveyed. Most worked as clinical, community health or public health dietitians, in diverse settings including clinics, hospitals and diabetes care programs. Although most had found permanent positions, working for more than one employer at a time was not uncommon. Factors affecting practice choices included prior awareness of employers, prospects for full-time employment, flexible working conditions, access to interprofessional practice and continuing education, as well as community and family concerns. Intentions to remain in current positions were also shaped by a mixture of professional and personal considerations. Some would relocate in search of opportunities for specialization; a few would leave due to dissatisfaction with employment conditions and disinterest in work; others would move due to personal and family commitments. This study provides early evidence that the NODIP distributed and community-engaged learning model has been very successful in its goal of augmenting the rural and northern dietetics workforce, with a majority of graduates accepting and remaining in rural positions during their first 2 years of practice. Whether graduates remain in rural practice, however, depends on a number of other factors, including career aspirations, availability of professional supports and personal commitments. This suggests that additional supports, above and beyond the NODIP internship, may be needed to encourage graduate dietitians to stay in rural and northern practice locations over the longer term.

  10. Rural Oregon community perspectives: introducing community-based participatory research into a community health coalition.

    PubMed

    Young-Lorion, Julia; Davis, Melinda M; Kirks, Nancy; Hsu, Anna; Slater, Jana Kay; Rollins, Nancy; Aromaa, Susan; McGinnis, Paul

    2013-01-01

    The Community Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP) model has supported community health development in more than 100 communities nationally. In 2011, four rural Oregon CHIPs collaborated with investigators from the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN), a component of the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI), to obtain training on research methods, develop and implement pilot research studies on childhood obesity, and explore matches with academic partners. This article summarizes the experiences of the Lincoln County CHIP, established in 2003, as it transitioned from CHIP to Community Health Improvement and Research Partnership (CHIRP). Our story and lessons learned may inform rural community-based health coalitions and academicians who are engaged in or considering Community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships. Utilizing existing infrastructure and relationships in community and academic settings provides an ideal starting point for rural, bidirectional research partnerships.

  11. Provider-Based Research Networks Demonstrate Greater Hospice Use for Minority Patients With Lung Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Penn, Dolly C.; Stitzenberg, Karyn B.; Cobran, Ewan K.; Godley, Paul A.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) and Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program (MBCCOP) are provider-based research networks (PBRN) that improve minority enrollment in cancer-focused clinical trials. We hypothesized that affiliation with a PBRN may also mitigate racial differences in hospice enrollment for patients with lung cancer. Methods: We used the SEER-Medicare data, linked to the National Cancer Institute's CCOP program data, to identify all patients (≥ age 65 years) with lung cancer, diagnosed from 2001 to 2007. We defined clinical treatment settings as CCOP, MBCCOP, academic, or community-affiliated and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine factors associated with hospice enrollment. Results: Forty-one thousand eight hundred eighty-five (55.1%) patients with lung cancer enrolled in hospice before death. Approximately 55% of CCOP, 57% of MBCCOP, 57% of academic, and 52% of community patients enrolled. Patients who were more likely to enroll were female (odds ratio [OR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.31 to 1.40); ≥ age 79 years (OR, 1.11; 95%CI, 1.06 to 1.16); white; lived in more educated areas; had minimal comorbidities; and had distant disease. Asian and black patients in academic (41.1% and 50.4%, respectively) and community practices (35.2% and 43.4%, respectively) were less likely to enroll in hospice compared with white patients (academic, 58.8%; community, 53.1%). However, hospice enrollment was equivalent for black and white patients in MBCCOP (59.5% v 57.2%) and CCOP (52.2% v 56.3%) practices. Conclusion: Minority patients with lung cancer receiving treatment in cancer-focused PBRN- affiliated practices have greater hospice enrollment than those treated in academic and community practices. PMID:24781367

  12. Implementing chronic disease self-management in community settings: lessons from Australian demonstration projects.

    PubMed

    Francis, Caitlin F; Feyer, Anne-Marie; Smith, Ben J

    2007-11-01

    The evaluation of the Sharing Health Care Initiative addressed the translation of different models of chronic disease self-management into health and community service contexts in Australia. Across seven projects, four intervention models were adopted: (1) the Stanford Chronic Disease Self Management course; (2) generic disease management planning, training and support; (3) tailored disease management planning, training and support, and; (4) telephone coaching. Targeted recruitment through support groups and patient lists was most successful for reaching high-needs clients. Projects with well developed organisational structures and health system networks demonstrated more effective implementation. Engagement of GPs in recruitment and client support was limited. Future self-management programs will require flexible delivery methods in the primary health care setting, involving practice nurses or the equivalent. After 12 months there was little evidence of potential sustainability, although structures such as consumer resource centres and client support clubs were established in some locations. Only one project was able to use Medicare chronic disease-related items to integrate self-management support into routine general practice. Participants in all projects showed improvements in self-management practices, but those receiving Model 3, flexible and tailored support, and Model 4, telephone coaching, reported the greatest benefits.

  13. General practice recruitment for people at risk of schizophrenia: the Buckingham experience.

    PubMed

    Falloon, I R

    2000-11-01

    The process of detecting people at high risk of schizophrenia from a community sample is a major challenge for prevention of psychotic disorders. The aim of this paper is to describe early detection procedures that can be implemented in primary care settings. A selected literature review is supplemented by experiences and data obtained during the Buckingham Integrated Mental Health Care Project. General medical practitioners have been favoured as the agents most likely to prove helpful in detecting the key risk factors that predict the onset of schizophrenic disorders, as well as in recognising the earliest signs and symptoms of these conditions. However, the practical problems of screening for multiple and subtle risk factors in general practice are substantial, and general practitioners (GPs) often have difficulty recognising the earliest signs of a psychotic episode. A range of strategies to assist GPs detect early signs of psychosis in their patients are considered. It is feasible to implement primary care setting early detection procedures for people at risk of schizophrenia. Implementation is aided by the use of a brief screening questionnaire, training sessions and case supervision; and increased collaboration with mental health services and other community agencies.

  14. Faculty mentorship: support for nurse practitioner students and staff within the rural community health setting.

    PubMed

    Hanson, C M; Hilde, E

    1989-01-01

    As pointed out in the introduction, there are certain practical concepts within our base of nursing knowledge that can only be taught through experience. Many things are easier to teach by example. As we turn back the clock in nursing, we can see how Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, and Lillian Wald were role models to their nursing peers in their era. They taught nursing by example, by role modeling their clinical expertise. Today, this model is still effective and faculty mentoring of nurse practitioner students and CHNs in a compassionate and collegial leadership results in higher quality of health care for our nation's needy clients and their families. But greater yet are the opportunities for flexible nurse practitioner faculty practice and personal interactions on many levels for nursing faculty who wish to share their expertise. Mentorship by nurse practitioner faculty for nurse practitioner students and CHNs in a rural clinical setting has revealed many positive aspects in providing quality care for rural clients and growth for nurses. Exposure to the rural community health system helps us, as nurses, to identify the many strengths it possesses for innovative rural nursing practice.

  15. Comparison of Colonoscopy Quality Measures Across Various Practice Settings and the Impact of Performance Scorecards.

    PubMed

    Inra, Jennifer A; Nayor, Jennifer; Rosenblatt, Margery; Mutinga, Muthoka; Reddy, Sarathchandra I; Syngal, Sapna; Kastrinos, Fay

    2017-04-01

    Quality performance measures for screening colonoscopy vary among endoscopists. The impact of practice setting is unknown. We aimed to (1) compare screening colonoscopy performance measures among three different US practice settings; (2) evaluate factors associated with adenoma detection; and (3) assess a scorecard intervention on performance metrics. This multi-center prospective study compared patient, endoscopist, and colonoscopy characteristics performed at a tertiary care hospital (TCH), community-based hospital (CBH), and private practice group (PPG). Withdrawal times (WT), cecal intubation, and adenoma detection rates (ADR) were compared by site at baseline and 12 weeks following scorecard distribution. Generalized linear mixed models identified factors associated with adenoma detection. Twenty-eight endoscopists performed colonoscopies on 1987 asymptomatic, average-risk individuals ≥50 years. Endoscopist and patient characteristics were similar across sites. The PPG screened more men (TCH: 42.8%, CBH: 45.0%, PPG: 54.2%; p < 0.0001). Preparation quality varied with good/excellent results in 70.6, 88.3, and 92% of TCH, CBH, and PPG cases, respectively (p < 0.0001). Male ADRs, cecal intubation, and WT exceeded recommended benchmarks despite variable results at each site; female ADRs were <15% at the PPG which screened the fewest females. Performance remained unchanged following scorecard distribution. Adenoma detection was associated with increasing patient age, male gender, WT, adequate preparation, but not practice setting. Each practice performed high-quality screening colonoscopy. Scorecards did not improve performance metrics. Preparation quality varies among practice settings and can be modified to improve adenoma detection.

  16. Developing a research agenda for cardiovascular disease prevention in high-risk rural communities.

    PubMed

    Melvin, Cathy L; Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Kumanyika, Shiriki K; Pratt, Charlotte A; Nelson, Cheryl; Walker, Evelyn R; Ammerman, Alice; Ayala, Guadalupe X; Best, Lyle G; Cherrington, Andrea L; Economos, Christina D; Green, Lawrence W; Harman, Jane; Hooker, Steven P; Murray, David M; Perri, Michael G; Ricketts, Thomas C

    2013-06-01

    The National Institutes of Health convened a workshop to engage researchers and practitioners in dialogue on research issues viewed as either unique or of particular relevance to rural areas, key content areas needed to inform policy and practice in rural settings, and ways rural contexts may influence study design, implementation, assessment of outcomes, and dissemination. Our purpose was to develop a research agenda to address the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related risk factors among populations living in rural areas. Complementary presentations used theoretical and methodological principles to describe research and practice examples from rural settings. Participants created a comprehensive CVD research agenda that identified themes and challenges, and provided 21 recommendations to guide research, practice, and programs in rural areas.

  17. Developing a Research Agenda for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in High-Risk Rural Communities

    PubMed Central

    Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Kumanyika, Shiriki K.; Pratt, Charlotte A.; Nelson, Cheryl; Walker, Evelyn R.; Ammerman, Alice; Ayala, Guadalupe X.; Best, Lyle G.; Cherrington, Andrea L.; Economos, Christina D.; Green, Lawrence W.; Harman, Jane; Hooker, Steven P.; Murray, David M.; Perri, Michael G.; Ricketts, Thomas C.

    2013-01-01

    The National Institutes of Health convened a workshop to engage researchers and practitioners in dialogue on research issues viewed as either unique or of particular relevance to rural areas, key content areas needed to inform policy and practice in rural settings, and ways rural contexts may influence study design, implementation, assessment of outcomes, and dissemination. Our purpose was to develop a research agenda to address the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related risk factors among populations living in rural areas. Complementary presentations used theoretical and methodological principles to describe research and practice examples from rural settings. Participants created a comprehensive CVD research agenda that identified themes and challenges, and provided 21 recommendations to guide research, practice, and programs in rural areas. PMID:23597371

  18. Do Moral Communities Play a Role in Criminal Sentencing? Evidence From Pennsylvania

    PubMed Central

    Ulmer, Jeffery T.; Bader, Christopher; Gault, Martha

    2014-01-01

    Religion and social control have been a sociological concern since Durkheim and Weber, and the relationship between religion and punishment has long been the subject of speculation. However, surprisingly little empirical research exists on the role of religion or religious context in criminal justice, and almost no research on the role of religious context on actual sentencing practices. We conceptualize the potential relationships between religious context and sentencing severity by drawing from the focal concerns and court community perspectives in the sentencing literature and moral communities theory developed by Rodney Stark. We suspect that Christian moral communities might shape notions of perceived blameworthiness for court community actors. Such moral communities might also affect notions of community protection – affecting perceptions of dangerousness, or perhaps rehabilitation, and might influence practical constraints/consequences (e.g., local political ramifications of harsh or lenient sentences). We examine these questions using a set of hierarchical models using sentencing data from Pennsylvania county courts and data on the religious composition of Pennsylvania counties from the Associated Religion Data Archives. We find that county Christian religious homogeneity increases the likelihood of incarceration. In addition, Christian homogeneity as well as the prevalence of civically engaged denominations in a county condition the effects of important legally relevant determinants of incarceration. Furthermore, we find evidence that Christian homogeneity activates the effect of local Republican electoral dominance on incarceration. We argue that Christian homogeneity effects sentencing practices primarily through local political processes that shape the election of judges and prosecutors PMID:25035522

  19. Do Moral Communities Play a Role in Criminal Sentencing? Evidence From Pennsylvania.

    PubMed

    Ulmer, Jeffery T; Bader, Christopher; Gault, Martha

    2008-01-01

    Religion and social control have been a sociological concern since Durkheim and Weber, and the relationship between religion and punishment has long been the subject of speculation. However, surprisingly little empirical research exists on the role of religion or religious context in criminal justice, and almost no research on the role of religious context on actual sentencing practices. We conceptualize the potential relationships between religious context and sentencing severity by drawing from the focal concerns and court community perspectives in the sentencing literature and moral communities theory developed by Rodney Stark. We suspect that Christian moral communities might shape notions of perceived blameworthiness for court community actors. Such moral communities might also affect notions of community protection - affecting perceptions of dangerousness, or perhaps rehabilitation, and might influence practical constraints/consequences (e.g., local political ramifications of harsh or lenient sentences). We examine these questions using a set of hierarchical models using sentencing data from Pennsylvania county courts and data on the religious composition of Pennsylvania counties from the Associated Religion Data Archives. We find that county Christian religious homogeneity increases the likelihood of incarceration. In addition, Christian homogeneity as well as the prevalence of civically engaged denominations in a county condition the effects of important legally relevant determinants of incarceration. Furthermore, we find evidence that Christian homogeneity activates the effect of local Republican electoral dominance on incarceration. We argue that Christian homogeneity effects sentencing practices primarily through local political processes that shape the election of judges and prosecutors.

  20. Closing the chasm between research and practice: evidence of and for change.

    PubMed

    Green, Lawrence W

    2014-04-01

    The usual remedy suggested for bridging the science-to-practice gap is to improve the efficiency of disseminating the evidence-based practices to practitioners. This reflection on the gap takes the position that it is the relevance and fit of the evidence with the majority of practices that limit its applicability and application in health promotion and related behavioural, community and population-level interventions where variations in context, values and norms make uniform interventions inappropriate. To make the evidence more relevant and actionable to practice settings and populations will require reforms at many points in the research-to-practice pipeline. These points in the pipeline are described and remedies for them suggested.

  1. Nursing students' perceptions of community care and other areas of nursing practice - A review of the literature.

    PubMed

    van Iersel, Margriet; Latour, Corine H M; de Vos, Rien; Kirschner, Paul A; Scholte Op Reimer, Wilma J M

    2016-09-01

    To review recent literature on student nurses' perceptions of different areas of nursing practice, in particular community care. Healthcare is changing from care delivery in institutional settings to care to patients in their own homes. Problematic is that nursing students do not see community care as an attractive line of work, and their perceptions of community care do not reflect the realities of the profession. Understanding the factors influencing the perception of the professional field is important to positively influence students' willingness to see community nursing as a future profession. Literature search with accompanying narrative synthesis of primary research. ERIC(®), PsycInfo(®), Pubmed(®), and CINAHL(®) (2004-2014) databases using the search terms: 'nursing student', 'student nurse', 'community care', 'community nurse', 'image', 'attitude', and 'perception'. After screening 522 retrieved article titles with abstracts, the number of articles was reduced based upon specified inclusion/exclusion criteria leading to inclusion of 34. Evaluation of the references in those articles yielded an additional 5 articles. A narrative synthesis of those articles was created to uncover students' perception of community care, other areas of professional practice, and the factors influencing those perceptions. 39 articles were selected. Results show that many nursing students begin their education with a lay person's conception of the profession, shaped by media representations. Work placements in different settings offer clinical experience that helps students orient themselves towards a future profession. Students prefer hospitals as a place of work, because of the acute nature and technologically advanced level of care offered there. Few students perceive mental health and elderly care as appealing. Perceptions of community care can vary widely, the most prevalent view being that it is unattractive because of its chronic care profile, with little technical skill, untrained workers, and a high workload. However, another view is that it offers challenging and meaningful work because of the variety of caregiving roles and the opportunity to work independently. Few nursing students choose community nursing as a future profession. They have a limited and often mistaken view of community care, and they underestimate the field's complexity because it is less visible than in the environment of acute care. Providing students with specific curricular content and employing a structured approach to preparation for work placement could help build a more positive perception of community care, leading to more students seeing/choosing community care as a desirable field of work. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Good on paper: the gap between programme theory and real-world context in Pakistan's Community Midwife programme.

    PubMed

    Mumtaz, Z; Levay, A; Bhatti, A; Salway, S

    2015-01-01

    To understand why skilled birth attendance-an acknowledged strategy for reducing maternal deaths-has been effective in some settings but is failing in Pakistan and to demonstrate the value of a theory-driven approach to evaluating implementation of maternal healthcare interventions. Implementation research was conducted using an institutional ethnographic approach. National programme and local community levels in Pakistan. Observations, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 38 Community Midwives (CMWs), 20 policymakers, 45 healthcare providers and 136 community members. A critical policy document review was conducted. National and local level data were brought together. Alignment of programme theory with real-world practice. Data revealed gaps between programme theory, assumptions and reality on the ground. The design of the programme failed to take into account: (1) the incongruity between the role of a midwife and dominant class and gendered norms that devalue such a role; (2) market and consumer behaviour that prevented CMWs from establishing private practices; (3) the complexity of public-private sector cooperation. Uniform deployment policies failed to consider existing provider density and geography. Greater attention to programme theory and the 'real-world' setting during design of maternal health strategies is needed to achieve consistent results in different contexts. © 2014 The Authors. BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  3. A comparison of surgical assisting in a prepaid group practice and a community hospital.

    PubMed

    Lewit, E M; Bentkover, J D; Bentkover, S H; Watkins, R N; Hughes, E F

    1980-09-01

    Previous studies of the work loads and time utilization of general surgeons in two different practice settings suggested that paraprofessional surgical assistants (SAs) could reduce surgeon assisting time and perhaps increase productivity. In order to further assess the potential advantage of using SAs as surgical assistants, the present study examines assisting patterns in a prepaid group practice where SAs are used and in a community hospital where only physicians are available to assist. In the prepaid group practice, 87 per cent of general surgical procedures were performed with an assistant; in the c ommunity hospital, 67 per cent of general surgical procedures were performed with an assistant. General practitioners also were found to assist in the community hospital; family practice residents, medical students and "others" also assisted in prepaid group. In both settings, the propensity to use an assistant was positively correlated with operative complexity. On operations of greatest complexity, surgeons were most likely to act as first assistants. The use of SAs was not usually associated with operative sessions longer than when surgeons assisted, except on operations of high complexity. In the prepaid group, SAs also frequently assisted on orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery and obstetrics-gynecology, only occasionally on otolaryngology and plastic surgery, and never on ophthalmology. It appears that in organizations such as a prepaid group practice, where mechanisms for sharing resources exist and incentives are provided to minimize the total cost of surgery, the utilization of SAs might be associated with cost savings. At present, organizational and financial barriers exist to the introduction of paraprofessionals as surgical assistants. It is difficult to advocate the modification of these barriers to facilitate the training and large-scale introduction of this new group of paraprofessionals in the current surgical market where there may already be an excess supply of surgeons.

  4. Comparison of cigarette smoking knowledge, attitudes, and practices among staff in perinatal and other substance abuse treatment settings.

    PubMed

    Miller-Thomas, Tonya; Leoutsakos, Jeannie-Marie S; Terplan, Mishka; Brigham, Emily P; Chisolm, Margaret S

    2014-01-01

    Despite the high prevalence and known morbidity and mortality caused by cigarette smoking, 60% to 70% of substance abuse treatment programs lack smoking cessation counseling or fail to offer pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation, including those programs designed to meet the needs of drug-dependent pregnant patients. Previous studies of staff knowledge, attitudes, and practices (S-KAP) at general substance abuse/HIV treatment programs have suggested that staff may contribute to the deficiency in smoking cessation treatment in these settings. It is not known whether similar deficiencies exist at perinatal substance abuse treatment programs. This study compared cigarette S-KAP in perinatal substance abuse (n = 41) and general substance abuse/HIV treatment (Veterans Affairs [VA] medical center, hospital-, and community-based) workforce samples (n = 335). Significant differences were seen between the 2 groups on all measures, but perinatal staff compared favorably to general staff only on measures of barriers to smoking cessation services. Perinatal staff compared unfavorably on all other measures: knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, self-efficacy, and smoking cessation practices. Pair-wise comparisons of knowledge and beliefs/attitudes revealed a significant difference between perinatal and VA staff; of self-efficacy, between perinatal and staff at all other settings; and of smoking cessation practices, between perinatal and VA and community-based staff. These results-showing deficiencies of perinatal staff on most S-KAP measures-are concerning and suggest that identifying gaps in and improving S-KAP in perinatal substance abuse programs is urgently needed, for which the VA may provide an efficacious model.

  5. General practitioners as educators in adolescent health: a training evaluation.

    PubMed

    Van de Mortel, Thea; Bird, Jennifer; Chown, Peter; Trigger, Robert; Ahern, Christine

    2016-03-22

    General practitioners play an important role in the primary care of adolescents in both community and clinical settings. Yet studies show that GPs can lack confidence, skills and knowledge in adolescent health. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an innovative training intervention on medical participants' knowledge and confidence as adolescent health educators in a school setting. 15 general practitioners, 12 general practice registrars and 18 medical students participated in an adolescent health education workshop followed by field experience in health education sessions in secondary schools. The mixed method design included a pre and post intervention survey and focus group interviews. Mean scores on the Confidence to Teach scale increased significantly (3.34 ± 0.51 to 4.09 ± 0.33) (p < .001) as did confidence to communicate with adolescents (3.64 ± 0.48 to 4.19 ± 0.33) (p < .001). Mean knowledge scores increased significantly (7.00 ± 1.22 to 8.98 ± 1.11) (p < .001). Participants highlighted the value of learning about adolescent health issues and generic teaching skills especially lesson planning and design, practicing experiential teaching strategies and finding the 'sweet spot' when communicating with adolescents. Some participants reported that these skills would transfer to the practice setting. An applied training intervention that uses evidence-based, experiential teaching strategies and focuses on developing knowledge and practical teaching skills appropriate for the health education of adolescents can enhance knowledge and confidence to engage in community-based adolescent health education.

  6. A Path to Planetary Protection Requirements for Human Exploration: A Literature Review and Systems Engineering Approach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, James E.; Conley, Cassie; Siegel, Bette

    2015-01-01

    As systems, technologies, and plans for the human exploration of Mars and other destinations beyond low Earth orbit begin to coalesce, it is imperative that frequent and early consideration is given to how planetary protection practices and policy will be upheld. While the development of formal planetary protection requirements for future human space systems and operations may still be a few years from fruition, guidance to appropriately influence mission and system design will be needed soon to avoid costly design and operational changes. The path to constructing such requirements is a journey that espouses key systems engineering practices of understanding shared goals, objectives and concerns, identifying key stakeholders, and iterating a draft requirement set to gain community consensus. This paper traces through each of these practices, beginning with a literature review of nearly three decades of publications addressing planetary protection concerns with respect to human exploration. Key goals, objectives and concerns, particularly with respect to notional requirements, required studies and research, and technology development needs have been compiled and categorized to provide a current 'state of knowledge'. This information, combined with the identification of key stakeholders in upholding planetary protection concerns for human missions, has yielded a draft requirement set that might feed future iteration among space system designers, exploration scientists, and the mission operations community. Combining the information collected with a proposed forward path will hopefully yield a mutually agreeable set of timely, verifiable, and practical requirements for human space exploration that will uphold international commitment to planetary protection.

  7. Text Recycling in Scientific Writing.

    PubMed

    Moskovitz, Cary

    2018-03-15

    Text recycling, often called "self-plagiarism", is the practice of reusing textual material from one's prior documents in a new work. The practice presents a complex set of ethical and practical challenges to the scientific community, many of which have not been addressed in prior discourse on the subject. This essay identifies and discusses these factors in a systematic fashion, concluding with a new definition of text recycling that takes these factors into account. Topics include terminology, what is not text recycling, factors affecting judgements about the appropriateness of text recycling, and visual materials.

  8. Development of the International Guidelines for Home Health Nursing.

    PubMed

    Narayan, Mary; Farris, Cindy; Harris, Marilyn D; Hiong, Fong Yoke

    2017-10-01

    Throughout the world, healthcare is increasingly being provided in home and community-based settings. There is a growing awareness that the most effective, least costly, patient-preferred setting is patients' home. Thus, home healthcare nursing is a growing nursing specialty, requiring a unique set of nursing knowledge and skills. Unlike many other nursing specialties, home healthcare nursing has few professional organizations to develop or support its practice. This article describes how an international network of home healthcare nurses developed international guidelines for home healthcare nurses throughout the world. It outlines how the guidelines for home healthcare nursing practice were developed, how an international panel of reviewers was recruited, and the process they used for reaching a consensus. It also describes the plan for nurses to contribute to future updates to the guidelines.

  9. HIV Testing and Treatment with Correctional Populations: People, Not Prisoners

    PubMed Central

    Seal, David Wyatt; Eldridge, Gloria D.; Zack, Barry; Sosman, James

    2014-01-01

    Institutional policies, practices, and norms can impede the delivery of ethical standard-of-care treatment for people with HIV in correctional settings. In this commentary, we focus on the fundamental issues that must be addressed to create an ethical environment in which best medical practices can be implemented when working with correctional populations. Thus, we consider ethical issues related to access to services, patient privacy, confidentiality, informed consent for testing and treatment, and issues related to the provision of services in an institutional setting in which maintenance of security is the primary mission. Medical providers must understand and navigate the dehumanization inherent in most correctional settings, competing life demands for incarcerated individuals, power dynamics within the correctional system, and the needs of family and significant others who remain in the community. PMID:20693739

  10. Improving patient safety culture in general practice: an interview study

    PubMed Central

    Verbakel, Natasha J; de Bont, Antoinette A; Verheij, Theo JM; Wagner, Cordula; Zwart, Dorien LM

    2015-01-01

    Background When improving patient safety a positive safety culture is key. As little is known about improving patient safety culture in primary care, this study examined whether administering a culture questionnaire with or without a complementary workshop could be used as an intervention for improving safety culture. Aim To gain insight into how two interventions affected patient safety culture in everyday practice. Design and setting After conducting a randomised control trial of two interventions, this was a qualitative study conducted in 30 general practices to aid interpretation of the previous quantitative findings. Method Interviews were conducted at practice locations (n = 27) with 24 GPs and 24 practice nurses. The theory of communities of practice — in particular, its concepts of a domain, a community, and a practice — was used to interpret the findings by examining which elements were or were not present in the participating practices. Results Communal awareness of the problem was only raised after getting together and discussing patient safety. The combination of a questionnaire and workshop enhanced the interaction of team members and nourished team feelings. This shared experience also helped them to understand and develop tools and language for daily practice. Conclusion In order for patient safety culture to improve, the safety culture questionnaire was more successful when accompanied by a practice workshop. Initial discussion and negotiation of shared goals during the workshop fuelled feelings of coherence and belonging to a community wishing to learn about enhancing patient safety. Team meetings and day-to-day interactions enhanced further liaison and sharing, making patient safety a common and conscious goal. PMID:26622035

  11. Health knowledge and health practices in Makeni, Sierra Leone: a community-based household survey.

    PubMed

    Abdelmalak, Mena J; Ahmed, Bilaal S; Mehta, Khanjan

    2016-05-01

    We characterize health knowledge and practices in urban and rural Makeni, Sierra Leone, drawing comparisons between areas served by community health workers (CHWs) with those that are not. We also inquire about causes of infant and maternal mortality and how they are understood in the local context. Our objective was to provide a baseline understanding of health knowledge and practices in Makeni during the implementation of a CHW program. We conducted 100 household interviews in Makeni City and rural villages in the surrounding area. We compared data between urban and rural areas to identify differences in health knowledge and practices. Our sample size covered 855 individuals. Insecticide treated bednet ownership was lower in urban settings compared to rural populations (58% vs 94%; p<.001). With regards to maternal mortality, most respondents indicated 'no clinic' (lack of clinical care or skipped antenatal care visits) as the primary cause (n=35), followed by bleeding (n=17), 'lack of blood' (anemia) (n=11) and 'will of God' (n=11). This initial survey of health knowledge and practices in rural and urban Makeni, Sierra Leone, highlights some simple opportunities for community health promotion, health education programming and behavioral interventions. Findings will inform future iterations of a CHW training module for community health education. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Effect of preventive dentistry training program for caregivers in community facilities on caregiver and client behavior and client oral hygiene.

    PubMed

    Glassman, Paul; Miller, Christine Ernst

    2006-01-01

    The influx of persons with developmental disabilities into community-based programs has required the development, expansion and improved integration of community-based services. The role of caregivers in these community settings has become pivotal. However, with regard to daily activities, oral hygiene is often a low priority. Few attempts have been made to study caregiver participation in oral disease prevention and practices. This study evaluated the effects of an indirect training program, where caregivers were trained but the ultimate effects were demonstrated in adult clients. In addition, these effects were demonstrated in community care settings. A multiple baseline design, across three group homes, included 11 adult clients with developmental disabilities. This study evaluated the effects of training, instruction to use training and coaching on the presence of caregivers during oral hygiene sessions, the duration of toothbrushing and plaque scores of the clients. The results of this investigation demonstrated that there was an increase in caregiver presence and duration of brushing with a concurrent decrease in plaque scores. Caregivers responding to social validation questionnaires believed that 8 out of 11 clients had increased skills. This study demonstrates that caregiver training, combined with specific instructions to use training information and coaching of caregivers, can have a positive impact on the oral health of individuals with developmental disabilities living in community settings.

  13. Predicting school sense of community: students' perceptions at two Catholic universities.

    PubMed

    Bottom, Todd L; Ferrari, Joseph R; Matteo, Elizabeth; Todd, Nathan R

    2013-01-01

    Understanding the factors that predict sense of community (SOC) among college students has important implications for higher education policy and practice. The present study determined whether perceptions of inclusion and religious pluralism across 2,199 university students' (1,442 women, 757 men; M age = 23.42, SD =7.84) at two Catholic universities predicted levels of school sense of community (SSOC). As expected, results indicated that perceptions of both inclusion and religious pluralism significantly predicted SSOC. However, mixed results were found regarding the interaction of university setting with inclusion and religious pluralism. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.

  14. Mental Health Collaborative Care and Its Role in Primary Care Settings

    PubMed Central

    Goodrich, David E.; Kilbourne, Amy M.; Nord, Kristina M.; Bauer, Mark S.

    2013-01-01

    Collaborative care models (CCMs) provide a pragmatic strategy to deliver integrated mental health and medical care for persons with mental health conditions served in primary care settings. CCMs are team-based intervention to enact system-level redesign by improving patient care through organizational leadership support, provider decision support, and clinical information systems as well as engaging patients in their care through self-management support and linkages to community resources. The model is also a cost-efficient strategy for primary care practices to improve outcomes for a range of mental health conditions across populations and settings. CCMs can help achieve integrated care aims under healthcare reform yet organizational and financial issues may affect adoption into routine primary care. Notably, successful implementation of CCMs in routine care will require alignment of financial incentives to support systems redesign investments, reimbursements for mental health providers, and adaptation across different practice settings and infrastructure to offer all CCM components. PMID:23881714

  15. A primer on standards setting as it applies to surgical education and credentialing.

    PubMed

    Cendan, Juan; Wier, Daryl; Behrns, Kevin

    2013-07-01

    Surgical technological advances in the past three decades have led to dramatic reductions in the morbidity associated with abdominal procedures and permanently altered the surgical practice landscape. Significant changes continue apace including surgical robotics, natural orifice-based surgery, and single-incision approaches. These disruptive technologies have on occasion been injurious to patients, and high-stakes assessment before adoption of new technologies would be reasonable. We reviewed the drivers for well-established psychometric techniques available for the standards-setting process. We present a series of examples that are relevant in the surgical domain including standards setting for knowledge and skills assessments. Defensible standards for knowledge and procedural skills will likely become part of surgical clinical practice. Understanding the methodology for determining standards should position the surgical community to assist in the process and lead within their clinical settings as standards are considered that may affect patient safety and physician credentialing.

  16. Mental health collaborative care and its role in primary care settings.

    PubMed

    Goodrich, David E; Kilbourne, Amy M; Nord, Kristina M; Bauer, Mark S

    2013-08-01

    Collaborative care models (CCMs) provide a pragmatic strategy to deliver integrated mental health and medical care for persons with mental health conditions served in primary care settings. CCMs are team-based intervention to enact system-level redesign by improving patient care through organizational leadership support, provider decision support, and clinical information systems, as well as engaging patients in their care through self-management support and linkages to community resources. The model is also a cost-efficient strategy for primary care practices to improve outcomes for a range of mental health conditions across populations and settings. CCMs can help achieve integrated care aims underhealth care reform yet organizational and financial issues may affect adoption into routine primary care. Notably, successful implementation of CCMs in routine care will require alignment of financial incentives to support systems redesign investments, reimbursements for mental health providers, and adaptation across different practice settings and infrastructure to offer all CCM components.

  17. The Scope of Practice of Occupational Therapy in U.S. Criminal Justice Settings.

    PubMed

    Muñoz, Jaime P; Moreton, Emily M; Sitterly, Audra M

    2016-09-01

    In the past 40 years, prison populations in the U.S. have nearly quadrupled while funding for rehabilitation, education and other programmes has been cut. Despite accounting for a small fraction of the world's population more than 20% of the worlds incarcerated population is in the U.S. and the rate of recidivism remains alarmingly high. Occupational therapists have the capability to play a significant role in addressing the needs of persons within the criminal justice system. However, the profession has been slow to delineate of the role occupational therapy within criminal justice settings. This study sought to provide a descriptive analysis of current occupational therapy roles and practices within the U.S. criminal justice system. Using survey research methods, the researchers collected data from respondents (N = 45; Response Rate + 51.7%) to establish a baseline of the scope of practices employed by occupational therapists working in the U.S. criminal justice system. U.S. practitioners work within institutional and community based criminal justice settings. Primary practice models, assessments and group interventions were catalogued. Respondents strongly valued the creation of networking to build the professions' presence within criminal justice settings. Occupational therapy in the criminal justice system remains an emerging practice arena. Understanding the current scope of practice in the U.S. and creating a mechanism for collaboration may help increase the depth, breadth and overall growth of the profession's role in these settings. The sampling method does not guarantee a representative sample of the population and is limited to practice within the United States. Survey design may not have allowed for respondents to fully describe their practice experiences. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Setting Healthcare Priorities at the Macro and Meso Levels: A Framework for Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Barasa, Edwine W.; Molyneux, Sassy; English, Mike; Cleary, Susan

    2015-01-01

    Background: Priority setting in healthcare is a key determinant of health system performance. However, there is no widely accepted priority setting evaluation framework. We reviewed literature with the aim of developing and proposing a framework for the evaluation of macro and meso level healthcare priority setting practices. Methods: We systematically searched Econlit, PubMed, CINAHL, and EBSCOhost databases and supplemented this with searches in Google Scholar, relevant websites and reference lists of relevant papers. A total of 31 papers on evaluation of priority setting were identified. These were supplemented by broader theoretical literature related to evaluation of priority setting. A conceptual review of selected papers was undertaken. Results: Based on a synthesis of the selected literature, we propose an evaluative framework that requires that priority setting practices at the macro and meso levels of the health system meet the following conditions: (1) Priority setting decisions should incorporate both efficiency and equity considerations as well as the following outcomes; (a) Stakeholder satisfaction, (b) Stakeholder understanding, (c) Shifted priorities (reallocation of resources), and (d) Implementation of decisions. (2) Priority setting processes should also meet the procedural conditions of (a) Stakeholder engagement, (b) Stakeholder empowerment, (c) Transparency, (d) Use of evidence, (e) Revisions, (f) Enforcement, and (g) Being grounded on community values. Conclusion: Available frameworks for the evaluation of priority setting are mostly grounded on procedural requirements, while few have included outcome requirements. There is, however, increasing recognition of the need to incorporate both consequential and procedural considerations in priority setting practices. In this review, we adapt an integrative approach to develop and propose a framework for the evaluation of priority setting practices at the macro and meso levels that draws from these complementary schools of thought. PMID:26673332

  19. Setting Healthcare Priorities at the Macro and Meso Levels: A Framework for Evaluation.

    PubMed

    Barasa, Edwine W; Molyneux, Sassy; English, Mike; Cleary, Susan

    2015-09-16

    Priority setting in healthcare is a key determinant of health system performance. However, there is no widely accepted priority setting evaluation framework. We reviewed literature with the aim of developing and proposing a framework for the evaluation of macro and meso level healthcare priority setting practices. We systematically searched Econlit, PubMed, CINAHL, and EBSCOhost databases and supplemented this with searches in Google Scholar, relevant websites and reference lists of relevant papers. A total of 31 papers on evaluation of priority setting were identified. These were supplemented by broader theoretical literature related to evaluation of priority setting. A conceptual review of selected papers was undertaken. Based on a synthesis of the selected literature, we propose an evaluative framework that requires that priority setting practices at the macro and meso levels of the health system meet the following conditions: (1) Priority setting decisions should incorporate both efficiency and equity considerations as well as the following outcomes; (a) Stakeholder satisfaction, (b) Stakeholder understanding, (c) Shifted priorities (reallocation of resources), and (d) Implementation of decisions. (2) Priority setting processes should also meet the procedural conditions of (a) Stakeholder engagement, (b) Stakeholder empowerment, (c) Transparency, (d) Use of evidence, (e) Revisions, (f) Enforcement, and (g) Being grounded on community values. Available frameworks for the evaluation of priority setting are mostly grounded on procedural requirements, while few have included outcome requirements. There is, however, increasing recognition of the need to incorporate both consequential and procedural considerations in priority setting practices. In this review, we adapt an integrative approach to develop and propose a framework for the evaluation of priority setting practices at the macro and meso levels that draws from these complementary schools of thought. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

  20. Indigenous Ways of Knowing: Implications for Participatory Research and Community

    PubMed Central

    Cochran, Patricia A. L.; Marshall, Catherine A.; Garcia-Downing, Carmen; Kendall, Elizabeth; Cook, Doris; McCubbin, Laurie; Gover, Reva Mariah S.

    2008-01-01

    Researchers have a responsibility to cause no harm, but research has been a source of distress for indigenous people because of inappropriate methods and practices. The way researchers acquire knowledge in indigenous communities may be as critical for eliminating health disparities as the actual knowledge that is gained about a particular health problem. Researchers working with indigenous communities must continue to resolve conflict between the values of the academic setting and those of the community. It is important to consider the ways of knowing that exist in indigenous communities when developing research methods. Challenges to research partnerships include how to distribute the benefits of the research findings when academic or external needs contrast with the need to protect indigenous knowledge. PMID:18048800

  1. Supporting the Whole Child through Coordinated Policies, Processes, and Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray, Sharon D.; Hurley, James; Ahmed, Shannon R.

    2015-01-01

    Background: The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model provides a framework for promoting greater alignment, integration, and collaboration between health and education across the school setting and improving students' cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. By providing a learning environment that ensures each…

  2. Creating Conditions for Professional Practice in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kepner, Henry S., Jr.; Nelson, Robert W.

    Educators should know the components of the school situation before they enter the profession. To establish a work setting conducive to professional development, the educator must work within the community, the school district organization, the school itself, the teaching program, and professional development activities. These components should…

  3. Responsibility and Reciprocity: Social Organization of Mazahua Learning Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paradise, Ruth; de Haan, Mariette

    2009-01-01

    This article describes Mazahua children's participation in learning interactions that take place when they collaborate with more knowledgeable others in everyday activities in family and community settings. During these interactions they coordinate their actions with those of other participants, switching between the roles of "knowledgeable…

  4. Effective Literacy Instruction for Students with Moderate or Severe Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Copeland, Susan R.; Keefe, Elizabeth B.

    2007-01-01

    For students with moderate or severe disabilities, developing literacy skills is a critical component of successful communication, employment, and community participation. Finally, educators have a practical, concise guidebook for helping these students meet NCLB's academic standards for literacy. Appropriate for use in all settings, including…

  5. Building Consensus on Community Standards for Reproducible Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lehnert, K. A.; Nielsen, R. L.

    2015-12-01

    As geochemists, the traditional model by which standard methods for generating, presenting, and using data have been generated relied on input from the community, the results of seminal studies, a variety of authoritative bodies, and has required a great deal of time. The rate of technological and related policy change has accelerated to the point that this historical model does not satisfy the needs of the community, publishers, or funders. The development of a new mechanism for building consensus raises a number of questions: Which aspects of our data are the focus of reproducibility standards? Who sets the standards? How do we subdivide the development of the consensus? We propose an open, transparent, and inclusive approach to the development of data and reproducibility standards that is organized around specific sub-disciplines and driven by the community of practitioners in those sub-disciplines. It should involve editors, program managers, and representatives of domain data facilities as well as professional societies, but avoid any single group to be the final authority. A successful example of this model is the Editors Roundtable, a cross section of editors, funders, and data facility managers that discussed and agreed on leading practices for the reporting of geochemical data in publications, including accessibility and format of the data, data quality information, and metadata and identifiers for samples (Goldstein et al., 2014). We argue that development of data and reproducibility standards needs to heavily rely on representatives from the community of practitioners to set priorities and provide perspective. Groups of editors, practicing scientists, and other stakeholders would be assigned the task of reviewing existing practices and recommending changes as deemed necessary. They would weigh the costs and benefits of changing the standards for that community, propose appropriate tools to facilitate those changes, work through the professional societies, gain community support, collect suggestions/edits, and ultimately approval and implementation through the journals. Domain data facilities such as the Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance (IEDA) can facilitate this process and support the groups. Goldstein et al. (2014): EarthChem Library. http://dx.doi.org/10.1594/IEDA/100426

  6. "Birth Control can Easily Take a Back Seat": Challenges Providing IUDs in Community Health Care Settings.

    PubMed

    Biggs, M Antonia; Kaller, Shelly; Harper, Cynthia C; Freedman, Lori; Mays, Aisha R

    2018-01-01

    To assess community health centers' (CHCs) capacity to offer streamlined intrauterine devices (IUDs) services. Prior to implementing a contraceptive training project, we surveyed health care staff (N=97) from 11 CHC sites that offer IUDs onsite. Twenty interviews with clinicians explored more deeply their challenges offering IUDs in the CHC setting. Most practices required multiple visits for IUD placement, most (66%) clinician survey respondents had placed an IUD and 19% had placed an IUD as emergency contraception. Need for screening tests, scheduling challenges, pressures to meet patient quotas, and lack of priority given to women's health hindered streamlined IUD provision. Although access to IUDs has increased, significant barriers to provision in CHC settings persist. Clinic policies may need to address a variety of system and provider-level barriers to meet the needs of patients.

  7. The role of culture in substance abuse treatment programs for American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

    PubMed

    Legha, Rupinder Kaur; Novins, Douglas

    2012-07-01

    Culture figures prominently in discussions regarding the etiology of alcohol and substance abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, and a substantial body of literature suggests that it is critical to developing meaningful treatment interventions. However, no study has characterized how programs integrate culture into their services. Furthermore, reports regarding the associated challenges are limited. Twenty key informant interviews with administrators and 15 focus groups with clinicians were conducted in 18 alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs serving AI/AN communities. Transcripts were coded to identify relevant themes. Substance abuse treatment programs for AI/AN communities are integrating culture into their services in two discrete ways: by implementing specific cultural practices and by adapting Western treatment models. More important, however, are the fundamental principles that shape these programs and their interactions with the people and communities they serve. These foundational beliefs and values, defined in this study as the core cultural constructs that validate and incorporate AI/AN experience and world view, include an emphasis on community and family, meaningful relationships with and respect for clients, a homelike atmosphere within the program setting, and an “open door” policy for clients. The primary challenges for integrating these cultural practices include AI/AN communities' cultural diversity and limited socioeconomic resources to design and implement these practices. The prominence of foundational beliefs and values is striking and suggests a broader definition of culture when designing services. This definition of foundational beliefs and values should help other diverse communities culturally adapt their substance abuse interventions in more meaningful ways.

  8. Residential therapeutic communities in the mainstream: diversity and issues.

    PubMed

    De Leon, G

    1995-01-01

    Not all residential drug abuse treatment programs are therapeutic communities (TCs), not all TCs are in residential settings, and not all programs that call themselves TCs employ the same social and psychological models of treatment. The term "therapeutic community" is widely used to represent a distinct approach in almost any setting, including community residences, hospital wards, prisons, and homeless shelters. One effect of this labeling has been to cloud understanding of the TC as a drug abuse treatment approach, how well it works, where it works best, and for which clients it is most appropriate. This article attempts to further a general understanding of residential TCs. Distinctions are drawn between residential drug abuse treatment and residential TCs. The diversity of programs within the TC modality is described in terms of modifications of the model and applications to special populations; and the essential elements of the TC program model are briefly outlined. Finally, movement into the mainstream has surfaced issues for the TC in terms of policy and practice, several of which are highlighted.

  9. Building community resilience: what can the United States learn from experiences in other countries?

    PubMed

    Moore, Melinda; Chandra, Anita; Feeney, Kevin C

    2013-06-01

    Community resilience (CR) is emerging as a major public policy priority within disaster management and is one of two key pillars of the December 2009 US National Health Security Strategy. However, there is no clear agreement on what key elements constitute CR. We examined exemplary practices from international disaster management to validate the elements of CR, as suggested by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), to potentially identify new elements and to identify practices that could be emulated or adapted to help build CR. We extracted detailed information relevant to CR from unpublished case studies we had developed previously, describing exemplary practices from international natural disasters occurring between 1985 and 2005. We then mapped specific practices against the five elements of CR suggested by HSPD-21. We identified 49 relevant exemplary practices from 11 natural disasters in 10 countries (earthquakes in Mexico, India, and Iran; volcanic eruption in Philippines; hurricanes in Honduras and Cuba; floods in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Mozambique; tsunami in Indian Ocean countries; and typhoon in Vietnam). Of these, 35 mapped well against the five elements of CR: community education, community empowerment, practice, social networks, and familiarity with local services; 15 additional practices were related to physical security and economic security. The five HSPD-21 CR elements and two additional ones we identified were closely related to one another; social networks were especially important to CR. While each disaster is unique, the elements of CR appear to be broadly applicable across countries and disaster settings. Our descriptive study provides retrospective empirical evidence that helps validate, and adds to, the elements of CR suggested by HSPD-21. It also generates hypotheses about factors contributing to CR that can be tested in future analytic or experimental research.

  10. An Australian investigation of emotional work, emotional well-being and professional practice: an emancipatory inquiry.

    PubMed

    Rose, Jayln; Glass, Nel

    2010-05-01

    This study set out to explore the relationship between emotional work, emotional well-being and professional practice of generalist community health nurses who provided palliative care to clients living at home. Research suggests that palliative care practice is emotionally demanding and at times challenging. Whilst nurses find their palliative practice a source of job satisfaction the associated stresses can impact on nurses emotional well-being. A qualitative emancipatory methodology informed this study. Semi-structured interviews/storytelling and reflective journaling were the two methods applied. Sixteen community health nurses including the researcher participated. Thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. The concept of emotional well-being is associated with nurses' feelings of being balanced or out of balance. There is a pervasive interconnectedness between emotional work, emotional well-being and professional practice that is influenced by factors such as organisational and workplace issues; communication with health professionals, professional boundaries; education and professional development. Three major interwoven themes emerged highlighting that palliative care provision was demanding and rewarding, yet dependent on the nurse's comfortability within practice. Self-care is also important to the generalist nurses and strategies to enhance well-being include healthy lifestyle choices, debriefing, self-validation, assertiveness and emotional support. Emotional well-being is complex and multifaceted. The value of emotional well-being to professional practice is important. Palliative care provision is associated with demands, rewards and comfortability. It is essential that attention be given to the experiences of generalist community health nurses who engage in palliative care provision. As the demand for community palliative care increases, the issues that limit and enhance the emotional well-being of generalist palliative care nurses' become critical. The findings have international relevance to generalist and specialist palliative care nurses, academics and researchers alike.

  11. Medication safety knowledge, attitudes and practices among community pharmacists in Lebanon.

    PubMed

    Hajj, Aline; Hallit, Souheil; Ramia, Elsy; Salameh, Pascale

    2018-01-01

    The effectiveness of a national post-marketing surveillance program depends directly on the active participation of all health professionals. There is no current comprehensive and active pharmacovigilance program available in Lebanon. To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among community pharmacists in Lebanon with respect to potential pharmacovigilance and adverse-drug-reaction reporting in Lebanon. A cross-sectional descriptive study, using a self-administered KAP questionnaire and conducted between March and July 2016, included 1857 pharmacists practicing in community settings. Statistical analysis included χ 2 test for dichotomous or multinomial qualitative variables, and Wilcoxon test for quantitative variables with non-homogeneous variances or non-normal distribution. The majority of responders had good knowledge concerning the concept and purpose of pharmacovigilance as well as adverse drug reactions (how to report these/the importance of reporting adverse events/the definition of an adverse event and pharmacovigilance). Concerning community pharmacists' attitudes and practice towards pharmacovigilance, the majority described having a positive attitude towards their role in adverse drug reaction reporting and this activity was even seen as one of their core duties. The questionnaire revealed a lack of practice and training regarding pharmacovigilance. Nonetheless, the pharmacists agreed on the Order of Pharmacists in Lebanon and the Ministry of Health's role in promoting this practice and helping them be more involved in reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The pharmacists thought that they are well positioned regarding patient-safety practice in their pharmacies and the results were not statistically different between pharmacy employers and employees. Lebanese pharmacists have the required knowledge and positive attitude to start reporting ADRs, were aware of ADRs occurring with various medicines post-marketing, yet were currently not able to disseminate this information widely or to record it centrally, emphasizing the importance of establishing a national ADR reporting system.

  12. Social work and the house of Islam: orienting practitioners to the beliefs and values of Muslims in the United States.

    PubMed

    Hodge, David R

    2005-04-01

    Despite the media attention focused on the Islamic community after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Muslims remain one of the most misunderstood populations in the United States. Few articles have appeared in the social work literature orienting practitioners to the Islamic community, and much of the mainstream media coverage misrepresents the population. This article reviews the basic beliefs, practices, and values that commonly characterize, or inform, the House of Islam in the United States. The organizations that embody and sustain the Muslim communities that constitute the House of Islam are profiled, and areas of possible value conflicts are examined. The article concludes by offering suggestions for integrating the article's themes into practice settings. Particular attention is given to enhancing cultural competence and to suggestions for spiritual assessment and interventions.

  13. Use of evidence-based assessments for childhood anxiety disorders within a regional medical system.

    PubMed

    Sattler, Adam F; Ale, Chelsea M; Nguyen, Kristin; Gregg, Melissa S; Geske, Jennifer R; Whiteside, Stephen P H

    2016-11-01

    Anxiety disorders represent a common and serious threat to mental health in children and adolescents. To effectively treat anxiety in children, clinicians must conduct accurate assessment of patients' symptoms. However, despite the importance of assessment in the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders, the literature lacks a thorough analysis of the practices used by clinicians' when evaluating such disorders in community settings. Thus, the current study examines the quality of assessment for childhood anxiety disorders in a large regional health system. The results suggest that clinicians often provide non-specific diagnoses, infrequently document symptoms according to diagnostic criteria, and rarely administer rating scales and structured diagnostic interviews. Relatedly, diagnostic agreement across practice settings was low. Finally, the quality of assessment differed according to the setting in which the assessment was conducted and the complexity of the patient's symptomatology. These results highlight the need to develop and disseminate clinically feasible evidence-based assessment practices that can be implemented within resource-constrained service settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Exploring the Benefits of Respite Services to Family Caregivers: Methodological Issues and Current Findings

    PubMed Central

    Zarit, Steven H.; Liu, Yin; Bangerter, Lauren R.; Rovine, Michael J.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives There is growing emphasis on empirical validation of the efficacy of community-based services for older people and their families, but research on services such as respite care faces methodological challenges that have limited the growth of outcome studies. We identify problems associated with the usual research approaches for studying respite care, with the goal of stimulating use of novel and more appropriate research designs that can lead to improved studies of community-based services. Method Using the concept of research validity, we evaluate the methodological approaches in the current literature on respite services, including adult day services, in-home respite and overnight respite. Results Although randomized control trials (RCTs) are possible in community settings, validity is compromised by practical limitations of randomization and other problems. Quasi-experimental and interrupted time series designs offer comparable validity to RCTs and can be implemented effectively in community settings. Conclusion An emphasis on RCTs by funders and researchers is not supported by scientific evidence. Alternative designs can lead to development of a valid body of research on community services such as respite. PMID:26729467

  15. Exploring the benefits of respite services to family caregivers: methodological issues and current findings.

    PubMed

    Zarit, Steven H; Bangerter, Lauren R; Liu, Yin; Rovine, Michael J

    2017-03-01

    There is growing emphasis on empirical validation of the efficacy of community-based services for older people and their families, but research on services such as respite care faces methodological challenges that have limited the growth of outcome studies. We identify problems associated with the usual research approaches for studying respite care, with the goal of stimulating use of novel and more appropriate research designs that can lead to improved studies of community-based services. Using the concept of research validity, we evaluate the methodological approaches in the current literature on respite services, including adult day services, in-home respite and overnight respite. Although randomized control trials (RCTs) are possible in community settings, validity is compromised by practical limitations of randomization and other problems. Quasi-experimental and interrupted time series designs offer comparable validity to RCTs and can be implemented effectively in community settings. An emphasis on RCTs by funders and researchers is not supported by scientific evidence. Alternative designs can lead to development of a valid body of research on community services such as respite.

  16. Are community-based pharmacists underused in the care of persons living with HIV? A need for structural and policy changes

    PubMed Central

    Kibicho, Jennifer; Pinkerton, Steven D.; Owczarzak, Jill; Mkandawire–Valhmu, Lucy; Kako, Peninnah M.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To describe community pharmacists' perceptions on their current role in direct patient care services, an expanded role for pharmacists in providing patient care services, and changes needed to optimally use pharmacists' expertise to provide high-quality direct patient care services to people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Four Midwestern cities in the United States in August through October 2009. Participants 28 community-based pharmacists practicing in 17 pharmacies. Interventions Interviews. Main Outcome Measures Opinions of participants about roles of specialty and nonspecialty pharmacists in caring for patients living with human immunodeficiency virus infections. Results Pharmacists noted that although challenges in our health care system characterized by inaccessible health professionals presented opportunities for a greater pharmacist role, there were missed opportunities for greater level of patient care services in many community-based nonspecialty settings. Many pharmacists in semispecialty and nonspecialty pharmacies expressed a desire for an expanded role in patient care congruent with their pharmacy education and training. Conclusion Structural-level policy changes needed to transform community-based pharmacy settings to patient-centered medical homes include recognizing pharmacists as important players in the multidisciplinary health care team, extending the health information exchange highway to include pharmacist-generated electronic therapeutic records, and realigning financial incentives. Comprehensive policy initiatives are needed to optimize the use of highly trained pharmacists in enhancing the quality of health care to an ever-growing number of Americans with chronic conditions who access care in community-based pharmacy settings. PMID:25575148

  17. Creating a new rural pharmacy workforce: Development and implementation of the Rural Pharmacy Health Initiative.

    PubMed

    Scott, Mollie Ashe; Kiser, Stephanie; Park, Irene; Grandy, Rebecca; Joyner, Pamela U

    2017-12-01

    An innovative certificate program aimed at expanding the rural pharmacy workforce, increasing the number of pharmacists with expertise in rural practice, and improving healthcare outcomes in rural North Carolina is described. Predicted shortages of primary care physicians and closures of critical access hospitals are expected to worsen existing health disparities. Experiential education in schools and colleges of pharmacy primarily takes place in academic medical centers and, unlike experiential education in medical schools, rarely emphasizes the provision of patient care in rural U.S. communities, where chronic diseases are prevalent and many residents struggle with poverty and poor access to healthcare. To help address these issues, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy developed the 3-year Rural Pharmacy Health Certificate program. The program curriculum includes 4 seminar courses, interprofessional education and interaction with medical students, embedding of each pharmacy student into a specific rural community for the duration of training, longitudinal ambulatory care practice experiences, community engagement initiatives, leadership training, development and implementation of a population health project, and 5 pharmacy practice experiences in rural settings. The Rural Pharmacy Health Certificate program at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy seeks to transform rural pharmacy practice by creating a pipeline of rural pharmacy leaders and teaching a unique skillset that will be beneficial to healthcare systems, communities, and patients. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Constructing "Packages" of Evidence-Based Programs to Prevent Youth Violence: Processes and Illustrative Examples From the CDC's Youth Violence Prevention Centers.

    PubMed

    Kingston, Beverly; Bacallao, Martica; Smokowski, Paul; Sullivan, Terri; Sutherland, Kevin

    2016-04-01

    This paper describes the strategic efforts of six National Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention (YVPC), funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to work in partnership with local communities to create comprehensive evidence-based program packages to prevent youth violence. Key components of a comprehensive evidence-based approach are defined and examples are provided from a variety of community settings (rural and urban) across the nation that illustrate attempts to respond to the unique needs of the communities while maintaining a focus on evidence-based programming and practices. At each YVPC site, the process of selecting prevention and intervention programs addressed the following factors: (1) community capacity, (2) researcher and community roles in selecting programs, (3) use of data in decision-making related to program selection, and (4) reach, resources, and dosage. We describe systemic barriers to these efforts, lessons learned, and opportunities for policy and practice. Although adopting an evidence-based comprehensive approach requires significant upfront resources and investment, it offers great potential for preventing youth violence and promoting the successful development of children, families and communities.

  19. The private-practice perspective of the manpower crisis in radiology: greener pastures?

    PubMed

    Swayne, Lawrence C

    2004-11-01

    Rising consumer expectations and a rapidly aging population point to a long-term shortage of all physicians, including radiologists. While attention has been drawn to the escalating manpower crisis in academic radiology departments, the private-practice perspective has been generally overlooked. Although clinical workloads and income are higher in private practice, studies have shown higher satisfaction levels (likely because of a greater variety of work) among academic radiologists. As the distinction between community and teaching hospitals has become increasingly blurred, there is now considerable overlap in the skill sets, sources of job satisfaction, and stresses that are encountered in both practice settings. Perhaps more than at any time in the recent past, diagnostic radiologists in academic and private practice share more in common than any perceived differences. Both groups must work together in concert with the ACR to address the growing manpower shortage, as well as the other challenges that confront diagnostic radiology at the beginning of the 21st century.

  20. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists on generic medicines in Qatar.

    PubMed

    Awaisu, Ahmed; Kheir, Nadir; Ibrahim, Mohamed Izham Mohamed; El-Hajj, Maguy; Hazi, Huda; Khudair, Nada; Barazi, Raja

    2014-04-01

    The practice of generic medicines prescribing, dispensing and substitution in developing countries has been controversial among healthcare professionals, particularly due to issues on quality, safety and efficacy. These controversies are as a result of inter-country differences in policies and laws as well as individualized knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists pertaining to generic medicines. This study primarily aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists in Qatar towards generic medicines. Community pharmacy settings throughout the State of Qatar. A cross-sectional study using a pretested paper-based survey was conducted among a random sample of community pharmacists in Qatar. The data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS(®) version 20. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were applied. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of generic medicines pertaining to regulatory standards, safety, efficacy, quality, and future policies. Results A total of 160 surveys were distributed to community pharmacists of which 118 were returned (response rate, 74 %). The mean total score of generic medicines knowledge among the pharmacists was 6.8 ± 1.6 (maximum possible score was 10). Years of practice as well as place of obtaining academic degree did not influence knowledge score. Approximately 72 % of the pharmacists supported generic substitution for brand name drugs in all cases where a generic medicine is available and the majority (93 %) agreed that pharmacists should be given generic substitution right. Nearly 61 % of the pharmacists considered lack of proven bioequivalence to original brands as an important barrier for selecting generic medicines and 55 % rated "lack of policy for directing the practice of generic medicine" as an important barrier. In order to enhance the quality use of and to promote the practice of generic medicines in Qatar, an educational program should be implemented. A national generic medicine policy and guidelines are warranted in the State of Qatar.

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