Certification Rates Research Articles

Strategies for expanding HACCP certification rate using an awareness survey of dairy farmers

This study was performed to provide baseline data for developing strategies for expanding the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification rate using an awareness survey of dairy farmers. A 44‐item questionnaire was used to survey randomly selected respondents comprising 84 HACCP‐certified and 75 noncertified dairy farms. The quality of raw milk in terms of bacterial and somatic cell count in HACCP‐certified farms was statistically (P < 0.05) higher compared with the milk in noncertified farms. Similarly, milk fat and milk protein were statistically (P < 0.05) superior in HACCP‐certified farms. The study finds that the practical barriers to implementing HACCP include inadequate financial assistance, incentive programmes, HACCP consulting and education, consumer awareness and knowledge about HACCP‐certified products, streamlined recording systems, and farm‐oriented mobile operations and maintenance systems. These findings can contribute to the development strategies to increase the rate of HACCP certification of dairy farms around the world.

Impacts of Dual-Income Household Rate on Suicide Mortalities in Japan.

To explore impact of enhancing social advancement of females in Japan, this study determined the effects of the dual-income household rate on suicide mortalities disaggregated by attributes of gender, age, and motives between 2009 and 2017 in Japan. This study analysed impact of dual-income household rate, other household-related factors (savings, liabilities and yearly incomes per household, minors and elderly rate per household), and social/employment factors (complete unemployment rate, employment rate, temporary male and female employment rates and certification rate of long-term care insurance) on suicide mortalities disaggregated by attributes of gender, age, and motives using hierarchical linear-regression model. Dual-income household rate was significantly/negatively related to suicide mortality of the working-age female population, but significantly/positively related to that of the elderly female population. Suicide mortalities of the working-age male population and the elderly male population were significantly/positively related to dual-income household rate. Male suicide mortalities caused by family-, health-, economy- and employment-related motives were significantly/positively related to dual-income household rate; however, the dual-income household rate was significantly/positively related to female suicide mortalities caused by family-, health-, economy- and school-related motives, but significantly/negatively related to suicide mortalities caused by romance-related motives. Dual-income households suppress social-isolation and develop economical/psychological independence of females, leading to reduced suicide mortality in working-age females. However, elderly and school-age populations, who are supported by the working-age female, suffer from isolation. Working-age males also suffer from inability to adapt from the traditional concept of work–life and work–family balances to the novel work–family balance concept adapted to dual-income households. These results suggest occurrence of new social/family problems in the 21st century due to vulnerability of traditional Japanese culture and life–working–family balance concepts as well as novel sociofamilial disturbances induced by declining birth rate and ageing population in Japan.

Career Accomplishments of Public Health Service Alumni of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: Classes of 1980-2017.

The purpose of this study was to report on the career accomplishments of Public Health Service (PHS) alumni from the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine (SOM) in several professional areas such as specialty choice, board certification rates, leadership roles, academic achievements, deployments, and length of service. This study was conducted using the data obtained from the Long-Term Career Outcomes Study Alumni Survey. The cohort included all alumni who graduated from the SOM classes of 1980-2017. We analyzed the frequency distributions of the survey items of interest of the PHS alumni. Out of the 144 PHS alumni we reached, 39 responded, yielding a 27.1% response rate. 56.0% of PHS alumni entered primary care specialties and 97.0% were board certified in their first residency trained specialty. 30.6% of PHS alumni completed residency training in a military facility. 87.2% of PHS alumni have been in a leadership role since medical school, and 67.6% of PHS alumni currently hold a leadership role. 7.7% of PHS alumni have deployed for ≥30 days to a theater of combat operations. 66.7% and 71.8% of PHS alumni engaged in medical humanitarian and volunteering missions, respectively, and 75% of PHS alumni stayed in active duty longer than their initial commitment. 71.8% of PHS alumni were published in peer-reviewed journals and 17.6% were academically affiliated with USU. Our findings suggest that PHS alumni are likely to enter primary care specialties, engage in medical volunteering and humanitarian missions, frequently remain in uniform longer than their initial active duty commitment, and are affiliated with numerous universities and medical schools throughout their career. PHS alumni appear to be successfully meeting the mission set forth by the U.S. PHS.

Why Some Nurses Obtain Specialty Certification and Others Do Not.

The aim of this study was to determine whether there are modifiable characteristics of nurses and hospitals associated with nurse specialty certification. Hospitals, nurses, and patients benefit from nurse specialty certification, but little actionable evidence guides administrators seeking higher hospital certification rates. This is a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of 20 454 nurses in 471 hospitals across 4 states. Rates of certified nurses varied significantly across hospitals. Higher odds of certification were associated with Magnet® recognition and better hospital work environments at the facility level, and with BSN education, unit type (most notably, oncology), older age, more years of experience, and full-time employment at the individual nurse level. Two strategies that hold promise for increasing nurse specialty certification are improving hospital work environments and preferentially hiring BSN nurses.

Regional Differences in Educational Achievement among Swedish Grade 9 Students

ABSTRACT The current article examined educational achievement at lower-secondary level in Sweden (Grade 9), using grades and national test results (NTR) as the dependent variables. Linear regressions and bivariate correlations indicated that the proportion of highly-educated individuals in each municipality was positively associated with grades and NTR and that the proportion of welfare recipients and non-natives, as well as rural location, had negative associations. In relation to two case studies with fewer observations, teacher certification rates were more strongly correlated with higher achievement measures. Overall, the NTR of Swedish as a second language (SVA) pupils lowered the overall results in most municipalities. For instance, in low-performing municipalities the native students’ NTR was virtually identical to that of the “high-performing” or “best” municipalities when SVA scores were removed. Thus, it seems misguided to highlight “successful” school municipalities whose performance is only average.

Medical School Accreditation Factors Associated With Certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG): A 10-Year International Study.

In 2024, international medical graduates seeking Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification will be required to graduate from an accredited medical school. This study's goal was to examine relationships between medical school accreditation variables and ECFMG certification for a global sample. Using ECFMG databases, the authors created a 10-year cohort (January 1, 2007-December 31, 2016) of certification applicants, defined as individuals who had attempted at least 2 examinations required for certification. The authors aggregated applicant data at the school level, excluding schools with < 80 applicants. School accreditation statuses were based on agency websites. School region, age, and time of first accreditation were included. Analyses included descriptive and bivariate statistics and multiple linear regressions adjusting for school start year and year of first accreditation. The cohort included 128,046 applicants from 1,973 medical schools across 162 countries. After excluding low-volume schools, 318 schools across 81 countries remained. These provided 99,598 applicants and 77,919 certificate holders, three-quarters of whom came from the Caribbean, South-Central Asia, and West Asia regions. Two hundred and fifty (78.6%) schools were accredited; 68 (21.4%) were not. Most ECFMG applicants (n = 84,776, 85.1%) and certificate holders (n = 68,444, 87.8%) attended accredited medical schools. Accredited schools had higher rates of ECFMG certification among graduates than nonaccredited schools in comparisons that included all schools (75.0% [standard deviation (SD) = 10.6%] vs 68.3% (SD = 15.9%), P < .001), and for countries that had both accredited and nonaccredited schools (73.9% [SD = 11.4%] vs 67.3% [SD = 16.8%], P = .023). After adjusting for age of school, longer duration of accreditation was associated with higher certification rates (P < .001). Accreditation had a positive association with ECFMG certification rates. Future studies should investigate how accreditation processes might account for higher certification rates.

Process evaluation of E-learning in continuing medical education: evidence from the China-Gates Foundation Tuberculosis Control Program

BackgroundE-learning is a growing phenomenon which provides a unique opportunity to address the challenges in continuing medical education (CME). The China-Gates Foundation Tuberculosis (TB) Control Program implemented online training for TB health workers in three provinces of China. We aim to evaluate the implementation of E-learning CME programs, analyse the barriers and facilitators during the implementation process, and to provide policy recommendations.MethodsRoutine monitoring data were collected through the project office from December 2017 to June 2019. In-depth interviews, focus group discussion with project management personnel, teachers, and trainees (n = 78), and staff survey (baseline n = 555, final n = 757) were conducted in selected pilot areas at the provincial, municipal, and county/district levels in the three project provinces (Zhejiang, Jilin, and Ningxia). Descriptive analysis of quantitative data summarized the participation, registration, and certification rates for training activities. Thematic approach was used for qualitative data analysis.ResultsBy the end of June 2019, the national and provincial remote training platforms had organized 98 synchronous learning activities, with an average of 173.2 people [standard deviation (SD) = 49.8] per online training session, 163.3 people (SD = 41.2) per online case discussion. In the pilot area, 64.5% of TB health workforce registered the asynchronous learning platform, and 50.1% obtained their professional certifications. Participants agreed that E-learning CME was more economical, has better content as well as more flexible work schedules. However, the project still faced challenges in terms of unmet learning needs, disorganized governance, insufficient hardware and software, unsupported environment, and lack of incentive mechanisms.ConclusionsOur results suggested that it’s feasible to conduct large scale E-learning CME activities in the three project provinces of China. Training content and format are key facilitators of the program implementation, while the matching of training supply and demand, organizational coordination, internet technology, motivations, and sustainability are key barriers.

Specialty Certification: A Path To Improving Outcomes.

Specialty Certification: A Path To Improving Outcomes.

A survival model for course-course interactions in a Massive Open Online Course platform.

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms incorporate large course catalogs from which individual students may register multiple courses. We performed a network-based analysis of student achievement, considering how course-course interactions may positively or negatively affect student success. Our data set included 378,000 users and 1,000,000 unique registration events in France Université Numérique (FUN), a national MOOC platform. We adapt reliability theory to model certificate completion rates with a Weibull survival function, following the intuition that students "survive" in a course for a certain time before stochastically dropping out. Course-course interactions are found to be well described by a single parameter for user engagement that can be estimated from a user's registration profile. User engagement, in turn, correlates with certificate rates in all courses regardless of specific content. The reliability approach is shown to capture several certificate rate patterns that are overlooked by conventional regression models. User engagement emerges as a natural metric for tracking student progress across demographics and over time.

The spread of bee diseases in the Udmurt Republic depending on territorial characteristics and climatic conditions

In the Udmurt Republic, the climate has undergone significant changes from 2015 to present day. In 2020, 4,094 apiaries were registered on the territory of the Udmurt Republic. The certification rate of apiaries remains low and averages 16.3%. The most common bee diseases, which often cause chronic distress, are varroosis, nosematosis, and acarapidosis. The number of samples for the study over 10 years has decreased by 4.9 times, which worsens the quality of diagnosis and monitoring of infections in bees. In this regard, in reality, the percentage of damage to bees by pathogens causing invasive and infectious diseases is much higher. During the last decade, bee acarapidosis and ascospherosis have been observed mainly in the northern and southern regions of the Udmurt Republic and represent a chronic problem. The maximum rise in morbidity is observed during periods with a low of honey gathering or during droughts or rainy seasons when bees visit neighboring hives. Nosematosis and varroosis are found throughout the territory of the Udmurt Republic, with the maximum increase in the extensiveness of infestation from 2012 to 2018. During this period, the weather conditions were distinguished by the most unstable deviations, both in temperature and humidity parameters in the summer and winter/spring periods.

The certification of vision impairment: A regional 21st century perspective

Certification and registration of those who are sight impaired (SI) provides commissioners, and the providers of health and social care support to those with vision loss, with quantifiable data on the extent of blindness and sight impairment within a community. In this article, we outline the results of a comprehensive review of certification/registration pathways and processes in Northern Ireland and highlight achievements to date. The Developing Eyecare Partnership (DEP) CVI Task Group established by the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) reviewed all certification/registration processes, pathways and issues that may have contributed to regional under certification/registration. This was undertaken to ensure timely certification/registration of those who may benefit from being certified as either Severely Sight Impaired (SSI) or SI, and in so doing improving patient pathways and access to services. Activity included a review of all available epidemiological data collected in the 2-year periods before and after the introduction of the new pathway (January 1, 2018). This work has resulted in changes to the terminology used in relevant Northern Ireland legislation and other documentation concerning certification/registration. It has also resulted in the creation of more timely and efficient referral pathways and improvements in the quality of information available on certification and the process. Increased awareness of the certification process by health and social care professionals has resulted in a 22.5% increase in certifications over the 2-year period, before COVID-19. Certification rates are now comparable with those from other areas of the United Kingdom. The workings of the DEP CVI group, over a 5-year period, have increased awareness about SI and SSI Certification among patients and Health and Social Care Providers and have improved the quality of local epidemiological data on vision impairment. A patient-based evaluation of the new pathway is planned for 2020.

Minimum energy efficiency – is the energy performance certificate a suitable foundation?

PurposeClimate change is one of the most significant challenges of our time. The existing housing stock is a crucial component in achieving international and national climate change targets through energy efficiency improvements. The private rental sector incorporates some of the worst performing housing. To address this, the UK has implemented the minimum energy efficiency standard, based on the energy performance certificate rating. However, the energy performance certificate has a number of criticisms in the UK and across the EU. This viewpoints paper discusses the primary criticisms of the EPC and whether these undermine the minimum energy efficiency standard.Design/methodology/approachThis viewpoint paper draws on the recent work across academic, government and professional literature to develop a critique of the energy performance certificate and its underlying methodology as a basis on which to form the minimum energy efficiency standard.FindingsThe paper concludes that based on the current form of the energy performance certificate in the UK, the minimum energy efficiency standard is likely to unfairly advantage some landlords and penalise others. This has implications for landlords, tenants and the wider housing stock.Originality/valueThis paper presents a discussion of the new minimum energy efficiency standard based on the limitations of the energy performance certificate. It has implications for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in the private rental sector.

Comparison of Consumer’s WTP and Producer’s WTA for GAP Certified Agricultural Products

This study estimates the producer’s willingness to accept (WTA) and consumer’s willingness to pay (WTP) for GAP-certified agricultural products. We apply contingent valuation method (CVM) with producer and consumer survey data. The results suggest that the producer’s willingness to accept is turned out to be the lowest for fruits followed by grains and vegetables. On the other hand, the consumer’s willingness to pay turns out to be relatively higher in grains and fruits than fruit-vegetables and vegetables. Accordingly, the difference between WTP and WTA is the largest in fruits and the smallest in vegetables. The order of this difference is exactly the same as the GAP certification rate for each category of agricultural product. Therefore, in order to increase the rate of GAP certification, the government needs to improve consumers’ awareness and reliability regarding GAP certification. Concurrently, the production side support plan should be implemented.

Different grades and different green premiums: a cross sectional analysis of a green certification scheme

ABSTRACT Green certification is often hailed as an effective means of resolving information asymmetry by providing prospective buyers with credible proof of a property’s level of quantitative sustainability performance. These certification schemes are also considered as providing the credible identification labels needed to generate a market premium. This study analysed whether different market premiums (financial implications) exist across different ratings of the HK-BEAM certification scheme. The paper used hedonic price model (HPM) to evaluate the influence of green certification rating levels on residential property prices in Hong Kong. The results indicate, on average, that HK-BEAM certification increases price values by between 5.3% and 6.7%. Most importantly, the results indicate that significant price premium differences exist across the different ratings available for HK-BEAM certified buildings. The findings provide strong proof of the existence of a premium across ratings.

Critical Care Medicine Practice: A Pilot Survey of US Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine-Trained Physicians.

This survey assessed satisfaction with the practice environment among physicians who have completed fellowship training in critical care medicine (CCM) as recognized by the American Board of Anesthesiology (and are members of the American Society of Anesthesiology) and evaluated the perceived effectiveness of training programs in preparing fellows for critical care practice. A cross-sectional online survey composed of 39 multiple choice and open-ended questions was administered between August and December 2018 to all members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) who self-identified as being CCM trained. The survey instrument was developed and revised in an iterative fashion by ASA committee on CCM and the Society for Education in Anesthesia (SEA). Survey results were analyzed using a mixed-method approach. Three hundred fifty-three of the 1400 anesthesiologists who self-identified to the ASA as having CCM training (25.2%) completed the survey. Most were men (72.3%), board certified in CCM (98.7%), and had practiced a median of 5 years. Half of the respondents rated their training as "excellent." A total of 70.6% described currently working in academic centers with 53.6% providing care in open surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Most anesthesiologist intensivists (75%) spend at least 25% of their clinical time providing ICU care (versus clinical anesthesia). A total of 89% of the respondents were involved in educational activities, 60% reported being in administrative leadership roles, and 37% engaged in scholarly activity. Areas of dissatisfaction included fatigue, lack of collegiality or respect, lack of research training, decreased job satisfaction, and burnout. Analysis suggested moderate levels of job satisfaction (49%), work-life balance (52%), and high levels of burnout (74%). A significant contributor to burnout was with a perception of lack of respect (P = .005) in the work environment. Burnout was not significantly associated with gender or duration of practice. Qualitative analysis of the open-ended responses also identified these 3 variables as major themes. This survey of CCM-trained anesthesiologists described a high rate of board certification, practice in academic settings, and participation in resident education. Areas of dissatisfaction with an anesthesia/critical care practice included burnout, work/life balance, and lack of respect. These results may increase recruitment of anesthesiologists into critical care and inform strategies to improve satisfaction with anesthesia critical care practice, fellowship training.

Kinerja Lingkungan dan Tingkat Pengungkapan CSR Sebelum dan Sesudah UU No 47 Tahun 2012

Environmental performance and disclosure level of CSR to the enactment of Law No.47 year 2012 is still voluntary. This means companies are not required to disclose environmental performance in the annual report. While in 2012 has been applied new law, then with enactment of the Act environmental performance should be disclosed in the annual report. This study aims to determine how much influence Law No. 47 year 2012 can improve the environmental performance and the level of CSR dsiclosure. There are two variables in this study, ie environmental performance as measured by ISO 14001 certification and CSR disclosure rate measured by GRI4. The number of sample of this study amounted to 640 companies of all companies listed on the BEI in 2008-2015. From the results of research on environmental performance and discloseure level of CSR, positively affect the implementation of Law No.47 year 2012.&#x0D;

Cross sectional analysis of scoliosis-specific information on the internet: potential for patient confusion and misinformation.

Patients and their families are increasingly turning to the internet for medical information. Most of these patients believe the information to be accurate and reliable. However, the quality and accuracy of that information on the internet is variable and unregulated. Accurate and applicable information may align patients' expectations and improve satisfaction and overall outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and accuracy of scoliosis-related information available on the internet. Cross-sectional analysis. Independent searches were conducted on the three most commonly accessed search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing) using the keyword "scoliosis". The top 30 sites from each search engine were reviewed. Each website was categorized as per its authorship and sourcing. Each site was then evaluated for accuracy, readability and with quality-assurance markers such as Health on the Net code (HONcode), DISCERN, Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) systems. The accuracy of the website was assessed by two fellowship-trained spine specialists. Website accuracy was rated on a scale of 1-4 based on the level of agreement with the information presented. Websites with greater than 75% agreement were rated 4.Finally, the sites were evaluated with a validated website distraction index and assessed for mobile friendliness. 42 unique websites were analyzed. 31% of the sites were categorized as academic (13 academic, 9 healthcare system, 12 health news outlets and 8 unspecified) and had the highest rate of physician authorship (54%). Accuracy ranged from less than 25% to more than 75% were recorded with a mean accuracy of 3 signifying 50-75% agreement. Academic sites had the highest scoliosis specific accuracy score (P < 0.05). Overall, average readability was at a 12th grade reading level. More than 90% of the sites were mobile friendly. Approximately 71% of the websites did not have HONcode certification, although health news outlets had the highest rate of certification (67%). There was a significant effect of HONcode certification on DISCERN, JAMA, grade level and reading ease. On average, HONcode certified websites had lower grade level readability with greater reading ease and higher DISCERN and JAMA scores than un-certified sites (p < 0.05). On average, health news outlets had the highest DISCERN, JAMA, and reading ease scores and were written at the lowest grade reading level but had the highest level of distraction (p < 0.05). For the iGeneration and their care-givers, the internet remains the most popular source of health-related and medical information. Despite the wide number of sources available, the quality, accuracy, pertinence and intelligibility of the information remains highly variable. As clinicians, we should direct patients to verifiable sites with regulated information and, where possible, contribute high quality information to those sites.

Transition From Military Prehospital Medicine to Civilian EMS.

Currently, there is a disconnection between veteran military medics and the civilian Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workforce. This project aimed to characterize the rate of civilian certification among military medics, both active duty and retired, and identify perceived barriers to continuing a career in EMS after military separation. The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) administered a 21-question online survey to participants. Individuals were recruited through the National Association of EMTs membership communications, Military Relations Committee members, and social media. All responses were anonymous and no identifiable information was collected. Survey questions were compiled and reported as a percentage of respondents. Free-text responses were categorized based on broad themes identified by the authors and are reported as a percentage of respondents. Results included 456 veteran and active duty respondents, of whom 304 (70.7%) had prehospital experience while in the military and 250 (58.1%) had emergency department experience. Over 60% of respondents participated in combat-related duty with 37% having at least 18months of overseas deployment. Civilian EMT certification was held by 164 (36.7%) survey participants and 170 held paramedic certification (38.1%), while 65 (14.6%) held no EMS certification. There were 119 (28.1%) respondents who stated that they did not plan to work in civilian EMS. Top selected reasons for not pursuing civilian EMS careers included: pursuing a medical career that was not prehospital (28.5%), pay disparity (18.1%), and no interest in civilian prehospital medicine (16.4%). Write in responses indicated general frustration with maintaining certification and a desire for advanced certification (AEMT, paramedic) to be supplied by the military prior to transitioning to a civilian workforce as many respondents felt their military-endowed skills and experiences were better aligned with these advanced EMS licenses. The majority of survey respondents held an EMS certification of some kind and suggests that recent efforts to supply military medics with civilian certifications have been largely successful. However, there is still a large portion that remains noncertified or expresses disinterest with entering the civilian workforce. Generally, many of those certified feel their military scope of practice exceeded civilian EMT certification and requested AEMT or paramedic licensure opportunities while still active duty military.

Progressing toward specialty certification as the National Standard for Nursing.

Nursing specialty certification is an objective measure that assures the public that nurses demonstrate the highest level of professional knowledge in their field. Many nurses do not seek specialty certification, as evidenced by low certification rates. In this creative controversy article, we build a case that progressing toward nursing specialty certification as a national standard will increase overall nursing professionalism while better preparing nurses to meet the needs of their specialty patient populations and the changing health care system.

Enquête sur la certification aux bonnes pratiques cliniques en recherche académique

Good clinical practice (GCP) is an international ethical and scientific quality standard for the design, conduct, performance, monitoring, auditing, recording, analyses and reporting of clinical trials. Before the start of a clinical trial, investigators commit to perform the research in accordance with GCPs, regulatory dispositions and protocol. The sponsors are responsible for investigators' selection and for controlling their skills. Whereas industrial sponsors systematically require a certificate of GCP training, academic sponsors seem to be less demanding. We have carried out two surveys between April and June 2018. A first questionnaire was sent to the 40 French academic directions of clinical research and innovation in order to determine their requirements about the GCP training of the investigators participating in their trials. The second questionnaire was transmitted to physicians of the "Bretagne recherche clinique hospitalière network": Rennes, Saint-Malo, Saint-Brieuc, Vannes, Lorient and Pontivy hospitals, in order to determine the GCP certification rate, and their needs in terms of clinical research training. Twenty-eight (70%) directions of clinical research answered the first survey, among which 18 (64%) required systematically the investigators' GCP certification in case of category 1 interventional studies. This rate decreased for category 2 (50%) and non-interventional category 3 (18%) studies. A total of 345 physicians answered the second survey, among which 263 (76%) had already been clinical trial investigators. However, only 29% of all physicians and 54% of those who had been principal investigator were certified for GCP training. These results support the need for large campaigns of GCP training in public hospitals.