Continuing Education Conference Research Articles

Identifying Practice Gaps Among Otolaryngology Providers for the Treatment of Chronic Cough.

Increasing evidence over the last decade suggests that many cases of unexplained chronic cough (UCC) have a neurogenic etiology, with laryngeal hypersensitivity (LH) being identified as a key mechanism. Official guidelines since 2015 have adopted use of neuromodulators and adjuvant speech therapy as a result, but historically implementation of guidelines is slow. Our survey aimed to investigate gaps in diagnosis and management practices of otolaryngology providers in caring for patients with UCC. Cross-sectional study. Survey. 12-item survey was distributed to 110 otolaryngology practitioners experienced in diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough at a regional otolaryngology continuing education conference. Statistical analysis included Kendall's Tau Rank Correlation to measure the ordinal association between responses to questions, and Fisher's exact test to determine if there were associations between responses and years of career experience. Fortyeligible respondents underwent subsequent analysis. There was no association between frequency of identifying LH as a primary etiology and use of neuromodulators (τ = 0.23, P = .10). However, there was a significant correlation between LH and referrals to speech therapy (τ = 0.27, P = .05). Fisher's exact test did not reveal any significant differences among any responses based on practitioner experience. Our results indicate a possible disparity in treatment of UCC with neuromodulators and the utilization of speech therapy despite guideline recommendations advocating for neuromodulators with adjuvant speech therapy. Further research with larger sample sizes and more specific inquiries is necessary to elucidate this association and control for any regional differences.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of childhood myopia among Indian optometrists: A questionnaire-based study.

To investigate the knowledge of myopia and its natural history including complications and clinical approaches for management adopted by optometrists across India. An online survey was distributed to Indian optometrists. A pre-validated questionnaire was adopted from previous literature. Respondents provided information about their demographics (gender, age, practice location, and modality), myopia knowledge, self-reported practice behaviors relating to childhood myopia, the information and evidence base used to guide their practice, and perceived extent of adult caregiver engagement in making management decisions for myopic children. A total of 302 responses were collected from different regions of the country. Most respondents demonstrated knowledge of the association between high myopia and retinal breaks, retinal detachment and primary open-angle glaucoma. Optometrists used a range of techniques to diagnose childhood myopia, with a preference for non-cycloplegic refractive measures. The most common approaches to management were single-vision distance despite most optometrists identifying orthokeratology and low-dose (0.01%) topical atropine as two potentially more effective therapeutic interventions for controlling childhood myopia progression. Almost 90% of respondents considered increasing the time spent outdoors to be beneficial for reducing the rate of myopia progression. The main sources of information used to guide clinical practice were continuing education conferences, seminars, research articles, and workshops. : Indian optometrists appear to be aware of emerging evidence and practices, but are not routinely adopting measures. Clinical guidelines, regulatory approval, and sufficient consultation time may be of value for assisting practitioners in making clinical decisions based on the current available research evidence.

Athletic Trainers' Selection Behaviors Related to Multi-Session Continuing Education Conferences

ContextContinuing education (CE) in athletic training is commonly achieved at multi-session conferences.ObjectivesTo explore athletic trainers' (ATs') planning practices at multi-session conferences regarding format types, preferred domains of athletic training practice, and ideal number of concurrent sessions.DesignCross-sectional survey with quantitative and qualitative questions.SettingWeb-basedPatients or Other Participants8660 ATs surveyedIntervention(s)We established content and face validity and piloted the tool before use. We distributed the survey via email weekly for 6 weeks. Trustworthiness of qualitative data was established with multiple-analyst triangulation and external auditing. Data were collected through a Web-based survey comprised of demographic questions and questions regarding CE choices.Main Outcome Measure(s)Quantitative data- measures of central tendency, standard deviations, and frequencies; qualitative- inductive coding method.Results908 ATs responded (response rate = 10.5%) and 767 were included in analysis. Respondents (age, y = 38 ± 11; females = 367, males = 249, missing/prefer not to answer = 151; 15 ± 11 years of clinical experience) most preferred to attend workshops (78%, n = 598/767), large-group lectures (75.9%, n = 582/767), and small-group lectures (63.5%, n = 487/767). They were motivated to select preferred session formats by learning preferences (38.4%, n = 239/623) and interest in the topic (37.4%, n = 233/623). Examination, assessment, and diagnosis was the most preferred domain (80.7%, n = 619/767). Health care administration and professional responsibility was least preferred (41.9%, n = 321/767). Practical application was the main influencer (53.4%, n = 337/631) to attend sessions. Almost half (49.7%, n = 381/671) of respondents stated that their CE selection behaviors changed depending on the number of concurrent sessions. They prioritized sessions by interest when conflicts occurred (31.4%, n = 211/671).ConclusionReducing feelings of indecision and ensuring applicable sessions for ATs is important. Multi-session conferences should include sessions that align with attendee preferences relative to domains of practice and session formats. However, attendee preferences provide faulty guidance for CE decision-making and should not be the only mechanism to drive planning.

A Department-Sponsored, Hospital-Based Pathology Education Symposium Is a Cost-Effective Method to Provide Laboratory Staff With Highly Rated Continuing Education Experiences.

Continuing education improves the quality of medical care and is a required part of most health care professions. Although a variety of educational modules are available online or at external conferences, completion of these activities can be expensive and time-consuming. In addition, externally produced modules may have limited applicability to a local practice. To assess the ability of an economically efficient, locally produced, department-wide pathology educational seminar to efficiently meet education requirements for a large number of employees in a large health system. A multiday continuing education symposium was produced annually from 2013 through 2019 at no cost to participants. Metrics related to attendance, number of educational sessions available for registration, and participant satisfaction were tabulated, trended, and compared with similar metrics tabulated from an external continuing education conference that was offered from 2011 through 2012. The production of an internal, hospital-based educational symposium increased employee attendance (mean of 635 attendees per year versus 247 at the external program; P < .001) while reducing mean annual cost per attendee ($51 versus $140, P < .001). The number of sessions produced for the internal symposium was 39 per year on average, compared with 12 per year at the external program. Technical staff, residents, fellows, and faculty all contributed to internal educational programming, helping to build a team culture in the department. Overall employee satisfaction was 96.2%. An internal educational pathology symposium led to cost-efficient distribution of continuing education credits to a large number of technical staff, with a high degree of reported employee satisfaction.

Critical thinking skills in intensive care and medical-surgical nurses and their explaining factors

Critical thinking affects patient safety in critical situations. Nurses, in particular, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, need to develop their critical thinking skills. The present article seeks to compare the level of critical thinking in medical-surgical and ICU nurses and investigate the factors explaining it. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 medical-surgical and ICU nurses (60 per group). Data were collected using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test and analyzed in SPSS-16 using independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and the regression analysis. The mean critical thinking score was 8.68 ± 2.84 in the ICU nurses and 9.12 ± 2.99 in the medical-surgical nurses. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of the critical thinking score and the scores of its domains. The results of the regression analysis showed that demographic variables explain only 8% of the variations in critical thinking score, as only gender explains nurses' critical thinking score. The results revealed poor critical thinking scores in the nurses working in medical-surgical wards. Investigating the reasons for the poor scores obtained and using educational strategies such as PBL, conceptual map, participation in interdisciplinary rounds, the development of clinical guidelines and participation in continuing education conferences are recommended for developing critical thinking skills in nurses.

Do Speakers Fully Disclose Potential Conflicts of Interest in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery?

The complete disclosure of conflicts of interest is critical to providing objective and ethical continuing education. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the disclosed financial relationships by speakers at an annual oral and maxillofacial surgery conference. This retrospective cross-sectional study compared speakers' disclosures on the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Dental Implant Conference 2018 website to the payments reported on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database. The predictor variable was the number of companies reported by the speakers. The outcome variable was the number of relevant companies discovered on the Open Payments Database. Other variables evaluated included total dollar sum transferred and the type of speaker (oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) vs non-OMS). Companies providing payments to speakers on the Open Payments Database were deemed relevant if they had provided goods or services relevant to dental implants. Descriptive statistics were computed, and the Student t test was performed, with P<.05 considered to indicate statistical significance. A total of 43 speakers were included (32 OMSs; 74.4%). We found that 35 of the 43 speakers (81.4%) had received payments relating to dental implants on the Open Payments Database that had not been disclosed on the conference website. On average, the speakers disclosed 0.65±1.04 companies; however, 2.51±1.32 relevant companies per speaker were reported on the Open Payments Database (P<.0001). The OMS speakersdisclosed 0.47±0.95 company on the conference site but had 2.47±1.32 companies reporting payments on the Open Payments Database (P<.0001). Non-OMS speakers disclosed 1.18±1.17 companies, with 2.64±1.36 companies listed on the Open Payments Database (P=.0044). Continuing education conferences offer an avenue of knowledge transfer; however, the objectivity of the information presented could be affected by undisclosed conflicts of interest. The results from the present study have demonstrated that most speakers at an annual oral and maxillofacial surgery conference have underreported payments from companies relevant to the conference topic.

Knowledge, perspectives and clinical practices of Australian optometrists in relation to childhood myopia

BackgroundThe aim was to investigate the understanding of Australian optometrists in relation to myopia, its natural history and associations with vision‐threatening ocular disease, self‐reported clinical diagnosis and management approaches for childhood myopia, engagement with adult caregivers, and utilisation of information to guide practice.MethodsAn online survey was distributed to Australian optometrists (n = 4,124). Respondents provided information about their demographics (for example, gender, age, practice location and modality), myopia knowledge, self‐reported practice behaviours relating to childhood myopia, the information and evidence base used to guide their practice, and perceived extent of adult caregiver engagement in making management decisions for myopic children.ResultsCompleted surveys were returned by 239 optometrists (six per cent completed response rate). Most respondents demonstrated knowledge of the association between high myopia and retinal breaks, retinal detachment and primary open‐angle glaucoma. Optometrists used a range of techniques to diagnose childhood myopia, with a preference for non‐cycloplegic refractive measures. The most common approaches to management were single‐vision distance and progressive addition spectacle lenses, despite most optometrists identifying orthokeratology, low‐dose (0.01%) topical atropine and soft peripheral defocus contact lenses as three potentially more effective therapeutic interventions for modifying childhood myopia progression. Almost 90 per cent of respondents considered increasing time spent outdoors to be beneficial for reducing the rate of myopia progression. The main sources of information used to guide clinical practice were continuing education conferences and events, systematic reviews, and personal experience. Respondents perceived adult caregivers to generally be involved in myopia management decisions, and considered all aspects of myopia education as important.ConclusionCurrent optometric practices reflect the inconclusive nature of several key aspects of the evidence for childhood myopia management. Australian optometrists appear aware of emerging evidence, but are not routinely adopting measures that have not yet received regulatory approval for modulating childhood myopia progression. Clinical guidelines may be of value for assisting practitioners in making clinical decisions based upon the current, best‐available research evidence.

THE SAGE SYMPOSIUM: A MODEL FOR HANDS-ON INTERACTIVE CONTINUING EDUCATION

Current graduate and postgraduate medical education has minimal geriatric and palliative care curricular requirements, leaving Continuing Education (CE) programs poised to fill a critical educational niche. The San Antonio Geriatric and Palliative Education (SAGE) Symposium was a 3 day long interprofessional CE conference for providers caring for older adults. SAGE addressed geriatric knowledge, skill, and attitude deficits in practicing providers by incorporating: 1) a community and provider based needs assessment, 2) active skills sessions culminating in a health fair, and 3) multimedia based reflective exercises. Needs Assessment (Knowledge): A video needs assessments of older adults were performed using a convenience sampling methodology in 13 non-healthcare public locations in each quadrant of the city. 23 respondents were interviewed before reaching thematic saturation with 3 main themes: geriatric syndromes, patient-provider relationships, and support. Content areas for the course were derived from the needs assessment. Skills Sessions (Skills): In addition to standard plenary sessions, multiple active breakout session taught attendees common geriatric skills. On the last day of the conference, attendees applied these skills under supervision at a senior community health fair. Reflective Exercises (Attitudes): Videos, poems, and artwork with themes on aging were displayed during conference breaks. Attendees received CE credit for electronically submitting short reflections to each multimedia piece. Reflections were compiled and reported back to the group at the end of the conference. By changing the traditional CE conference format to an interactive experience, the SAGE Symposium was able to address knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards aging in its attendees.

Perspectives on the use of aromatherapy from clinicians attending an integrative medicine continuing education event

BackgroundThe use of essential oils is growing in the United States, but clinician attitudes, experience, and beliefs regarding their use have not previously been studied.MethodsOne hundred five of 106 clinician attendees (99.1%) of an integrative medicine continuing education conference were surveyed using an audience response system to obtain baseline information. Response frequencies of each item were reported. Nonparametric correlations were assessed comparing the statement “In the last 12 months, I have used essential oils for myself and/or my family” with the other agree/disagree statements using Spearman’s rho.ResultsA majority of participants personally used integrative medicine approaches other than aromatherapy (92.6%) and recommended them clinically (96.8%). Most had personally used essential oils (61%) and wished to offer essential oil recommendations or therapies to their patients (74.0%). Only 21.9% felt confident in their ability to counsel patients on safe use. Personal use of essential oils was highly correlated with confidence in the ability to counsel patients on safe use (Spearman coefficient 0.376, P = 0.000).ConclusionsThis study indicates that clinicians interested in integrative medicine desire to provide aromatherapy recommendations, but do not feel confident in their ability to do so.

A Continuing Education Conference About Patients With Parkinson's Disease and Their Caregivers

Background: Conferences—formal meetings for learning—are a common venue for nurses to receive continuing education. This study used multimodal strategies, such as storytelling, lecture, case presentation, and discussions, to a deliver conference presentation. Method: Seventy-five and 69 rehabilitation nurses completed pretest and posttest surveys, respectively. Using an evaluative research design, seven questions measured the change in knowledge for Parkinson's disease (PD) and PD patient caregiver's needs. Two additional questions measured the change in comfort level with both topics. Results: For knowledge questions, the mean (± SD ) number of correct questions significantly increased from 3.4 (±1.0) to 5.2 (±0.9) ( t = −10.0, p &lt; .001). Participants reported increased comfort with PD and caregivers' needs, which was also statistically significant. Conclusion: Multimodal education strategies can provide robust conference experiences and improve learning. For the successful transfer of knowledge to diverse learners, careful planning of conference content must include attention to diverse teaching strategies. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(6):270–275.

Connecting Social Work and Activism in the Arts Through Continuing Professional Education

ABSTRACTThe authors place a continuing education conference devoted to linking the arts, social practice, and social work within the context of a movement to advance arts activism. They illustrate how social workers, artists, and community arts activists can collaborate in building public awareness about serious social issues, creating alternative explanations of the causes of those issues, and producing opportunity structures for people experiencing social marginalization. By connecting arts activism and social work through the use of common values pertaining to social justice, social workers can engage the arts as a vehicle for social betterment.

Food allergy needs assessment, training curriculum, and knowledge assessment for child care

BackgroundMore than half of preschool-aged children are enrolled in child care in the United States. Roughly 8% of children between 3 and 5 years of age have a food allergy. Child care center workers (CCCWs) are important caregivers who frequently encounter food allergies, but little is known about their education and understanding of food allergy and anaphylaxis. ObjectiveTo perform a food allergy and anaphylaxis educational needs assessment, provide a training curriculum for CCCWs, and assess the effectiveness of the training curriculum. MethodsAn online educational needs assessment and live training curriculum addressing food allergy recognition, treatment, and food labeling with pretests and posttests were created, and content and face validity were obtained. A needs assessment survey was sent to centers in Dallas and Tarrant counties. The training curriculum was performed at continuing education conferences. ResultsSeventy-three workers responded to the needs assessment, with 46% reporting prior food allergy training. They reported information sources as parents (73%), self (54%), educational curricula (21%), and conferences (19%). Most believed they have a high or moderately high proficiency in food allergy management. Forty-five workers participated in the training curriculum. Total scores improved from 54% correct on the pretest to 83% correct on the posttest (P < .001). Categorical subanalysis reveals similar results, with statistically significant improvement in all areas. ConclusionCCCWs have diverse educational backgrounds and infrequently experience standardized training about food allergies. There is a significant lack of knowledge regarding food allergies and anaphylaxis. The curriculum was successful at increasing food allergy knowledge among CCCWs.

The New Normal of Military Orthopaedic and Rehabilitative Care.

The New Normal of Military Orthopaedic and Rehabilitative Care.

Emergency healthcare worker sleep, fatigue, and alertness behavior survey (SFAB): Development and content validation of a survey tool

BackgroundWorkplace safety is a recognized concern in emergency medical services (EMS). Ambulance crashes are common and injury rates exceed that of the general working public. Fatigue and sleepiness during shift work pose a safety risk for patients and EMS workers. Changing EMS worker behaviors and improving alertness during shift work is hampered by a lack of instruments that reliably and accurately measure multidimensional beliefs and habits that predict alertness behavior. ObjectivesWe sought to test the reliability and validity of a survey tool (the sleep, fatigue, and alertness behavior survey [SFAB]) designed to identify the cognitions of EMS workers concerning sleep, fatigue, and alertness behaviors during shift work. MethodsWe operationalized the integrative model of behavioral prediction (IMBP) and developed a pool of 97 candidate items and sub-items to measure eight domains of the IMBP. Five sleep scientists judged the content validity of each item and a convenience sample of EMS workers completed a paper-based version of the SFAB. We retained items judged content valid by five sleep scientists and performed exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and tests of reliability and internal consistency. We identified a simple factor structure for each scale and calculated means and standard deviations for each item and scale. ResultsWe received 360 completed SFAB surveys from a convenience sample of 800 EMS workers attending two regional continuing education conferences (45% participation rate). Forty-seven candidate items and sub-items/options were removed following content validation, EFA, and CFA testing. Analyses revealed a simple factor structure for seven of eight domains and a final pool of 50 items and sub-items/options. Domains include: attitudes, normative beliefs, knowledge, salience, habits, environmental constraints, and intent. EFA tests of self-efficacy items failed to identify a simple factor structure. We retained two self-efficacy items based on Spearman–Brown correlation of 0.23 (p<0.0001). ConclusionsMeasurement of sleep, fatigue, and alertness behavior among EMS workers is challenging. We describe the development and psychometric testing of a survey tool that may be useful in a variety of applications addressing sleep, fatigue, and alertness behavior among EMS workers.

MO‐C‐9A‐01: Effective Medical Physics Educational Activities: Models and Methods

Medical physics is learned in a combination of activities including classroom sessions, individual study, small‐group collaborative problem solving, and direct experience in the laboratory or clinical environment. Each type of learning activity is characterized by its effectiveness in producing the desired knowledge for the learner and the cost in terms of resources and human effort required providing it. While learning and teaching is a human activity, modern technology provides a variety of tools that can be used to enhance human performance. The class or conference room is the common setting for educational sessions in both academic institutions and continuing education conferences and programs such as those sponsored by the AAPM. A major value of a class/conference room program is efficiency by bringing a group of learners together to share in a common learning experience under the guidance of one or more experienced learning facilitators (lecturers or presenters). A major challenge is that the class/conference room is separated from the real world of medical physics. The design of an educational activity needs to take into consideration the desired outcomes with respect to what the learners should be able to do. The distinction is that of being able to apply the knowledge to perform specific physics functions rather than just knowing and being able to recall facts, and perhaps do well on written examinations. These are different types of knowledge structures within the human brain and distinctly different learning activities to develop each. Much of medical physics education, especially at the post‐graduate and continuing education level, is for the purpose of enhancing the ability of physicists and other related professionals to perform applied procedures and tasks and requires specific types of knowledge.In this session we will analyze various learning activity models, the values and limitations of each, and how they can be used in medical physics education. An example we will use is optimizing CT image quality and dose which is an important topic for medical physicists, radiologists and residents, along with technologists. The knowledge structure for this is best developed by a combination of learning activities including class/conference discussions, individual study and review, and direct observation and interaction in the clinical setting under the direction of a knowledgeable leader. The function of the human brain will be considered with respect to learning experiences that contribute to effective medical physics knowledge structures. The characteristics of various types of educational activities will be compared with respect to their effectiveness for producing desired outcomes along with their limitations. Emphasis will be given to the design of highly‐effective classroom/conference presentations, and activities will be demonstrated with an emphasis on using technology to enhance human performance of both learners and the learning facilitators.Learning Objectives: Develop and provide highly effective medical physics educational sessions. Use technology to enhance human performance in the educational process. Identify and analyze various models of educational activities Select and use educational activities that contribute value to the medical physics profession

An Evidence-Based Analysis of Australian Optometrists’ Dry Eye Practices

The aims of this study were to investigate the clinical practices of Australian optometrists as related to the diagnosis, quantification, and management of dry eye and to assess whether these are consistent with research evidence and current guidelines. An online survey was distributed to registered optometrists (n = 654). Respondents provided information regarding their preferred diagnostic procedures and management strategies for dry eye, practice modality, year of commencing practice, and whether they possessed an interest in dry eye. Respondents (n = 144) used multiple procedures for diagnosis. Recording patient symptoms ranked as the most important, most valuable, and most commonly used technique. The main objective tests were fluorescein-assisted tear breakup time, corneal fluorescein staining, and meibomian gland evaluation. Optometrists with an interest in dry eye more frequently used lissamine green, phenol red test, interference fringes, and tear osmolarity than nonspecialist practitioners. Dry eye treatment varied with severity. The mainstay of therapy was nonpreserved lubricants and eyelid hygiene; more practitioners recommended topical corticosteroids, systemic omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and increased dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids for moderate and severe disease, respectively. The primary sources of information used to guide practitioners' management were derived from continuing education conferences. This study indicates that although Australian optometrists use subjective and objective diagnostic tests and stratify treatment based on dry eye severity, there is a lack of uniformity regarding diagnostic testing, infrequent use of standardized grading scales, and significant variability in clinical care. These findings highlight the potential to improve the translation of dry eye research evidence and evidence-based guidelines into Australian optometric practice.

TU‐C‐116‐01: The Elements of a Highly Effective Educational Session

The class or conference room is the common setting for educational sessions in both academic institutions and continuing education conferences and programs such as those sponsored by the AAPM. A major value of a class/conference room program is one of efficiency by bringing a group of learners together to share in a common learning experience under the guidance of one or more learning facilitators (lecturers or presenters). The challenge is providing truly effective learning, especially in the field of medical physics. An effective learning activity is one which enables an individual to perform specific functions or tasks. The design of an educational activity needs to take into consideration the desired outcomes with respect to what the learners should be able to do. The distinction is that of being able to apply the knowledge to perform specific physics functions rather than just knowing and being able to recall facts, and perhaps do well on written examinations. These are two different types of knowledge structures within the human brain and distinctly different learning activities to develop each. Much of medical physics education, especially at the postgraduate and continuing education level, is for the purpose of enhancing the ability of physicists and other related professionals to perform applied procedures and tasks. An example we will use in this session is optimizing CT image quality and dose. The knowledge structure for this is best developed by observing and interacting with the physics activities that are being studied by working directly in the laboratory, clinic, or other real‐world environment under the direction of a knowable leader.The major limitation of the class/conference room is its physical separation from the applied physics activities taking place elsewhere and the limitation on one‐to‐one or small group activities. In this session we will focus on five initiatives that will consider these limitations and contribute to more effective class/conference room activities. They are:• Effective representations of the physics reality in the classroom • Development of useful knowledge structures in the human brain• Efficient utilization of class/conference room time and resources• Guided interactions, feedback, and real time assessment• Testing and verification of achievement. The function of the human brain will be considered with respect to learning experiences that contribute to effective medical physics knowledge structures. The characteristics of various types of educational activities will be compared with respect to their effectiveness for producing desired outcomes along with their limitations. The design of highly‐effective classroom/conference presentations and activities will be demonstrated with an emphasis of using technology to enhance human performance of both learners and the learning facilitators. The value and process of assessment for both the learners and facilitators/instructors during class activities will be described along with techniques to improve the use of audience response systems. There are many issues associated with the design of effective testing and question writing. This session will discuss effective test design which includes determining the best form of testing to use. Forms of testing will be discussed. Planning tests to assure reliability and effectiveness will be considered. Item writing requires knowledge of effective techniques to make sure questions are clear and unambiguous.Learning Objectives:1. Develop and provide highly effective medical physics educational sessions.2. Use technology to enhance human performance in the educational process.3. Integrate audience response systems into their presentations.4. Understand various types of testing and determine which should be used in various circumstances5. Write questions that are clear and effective

Dental hygienists’ knowledge of HIV, attitudes towards people with HIV and willingness to conduct rapid HIV testing

To normalize rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in the United States, expanded rapid HIV testing initiatives are needed outside the routine medical setting. The dental setting is a logical choice as almost two-thirds of Americans regularly see a dental provider each year. This study was aimed to determine the dental hygienists' knowledge of HIV, attitudes towards people living with HIV and willingness to conduct rapid HIV testing. A national cross-sectional survey of practicing dental hygienists and senior dental hygiene students were recruited using state dental hygiene associations, email LISTSERVS, dental hygiene programmes and continuing education conferences (n = 634). The mean knowledge score was 10.5/13. High versus low test-scorers (75% of test questions or more answered correctly versus less than 75% answered correctly) did differ in their comfort level in counselling about sexual HIV prevention methods (P = 0.03) and comfort level in working with medically compromised patients (P = 0.04). Dental hygienists, with additional training in HIV prevention counseling and diagnostic testing, may be an appropriate profession to conduct rapid HIV testing.

Phenological Implications of Warming Temperatures and Extreme Climatic Events

More than 140 phenology researchers traveled from 6 continents and 21 countries to convene and deliver more than 100 oral presentations and more than 30 posters at the University of Wisconsin‐Milwaukee School of Continuing Education Conference Center in downtown Milwaukee at the second interdisciplinary international conference on phenology. The study of recurring plant and animal life‐cycle stages, phenology is especially sensitive to variation and change in the environment and climate.

Implementation of an Innovative Continuing Education Program Focused on Translation of Knowledge Into Clinical Practice

Background and Purpose. Physical therapists often struggle with integrating scientific research evidence into clinical practice and prefer attending continuing education conferences rather than reading research articles to inform clinical decision making. Strategies explicitly focused on knowledge translation may enhance the likelihood that information from continuing education will lead to practice change behaviors. The purpose of this case report is to describe the implementation of a continuing education program that emphasized knowledge translation for physical therapists.Case Description. The unique aspects of the course included 3 separate sessions, utilizing a workshop format with handson practice opportunities, explicit instruction on facilitating practice behavior change, online follow-up discussion board and resources, and group discussions on case-based application of course content.Outcomes. Eight physical therapists participated in the course, and 5 completed a follow-up survey. Data suggested that most participants demonstrated some improvement in knowledge and practice-related behaviors.Discussion. Evidence suggests that physical therapists rely heavily on continuing education to keep up to date in professional practice. Consideration of factors that are likely to enhance the application of knowledge from continuing education into clinical practice should improve the effectiveness of these activities and ideally lead to improved patient outcomes.Keywords: Continuing education, Knowledge translation.BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEThe creation of research evidence occurs as a result of structured processes for investigating facts and theories and should support optimal clinical decision making.1 The current definition of evidence-based practice (EBP) states that practitioners should integrate the evidence with clinical experience, patient values, and clinical circumstances into an optimal clinical decision for an individual patient.2,3 Evidence-based practice implies that physical therapists continually seek out and find the best research evidence to guide clinical decisions and analyze the strength and quality of that evidence. This may lead to a change in behavior by the clinician, such as implementing a new measure or intervention on a consistent basis. Recent evidence suggests that physical therapists have a positive attitude about the concept of EBP and the importance of research evidence for the profession.4,5Despite the positive attitude, multiple barriers limit the use of evidence by physical therapists that results in practice change.4'10 Berwick et al6 categorized these barriers into practitioner, organization, and research categories. At the practitioner level, many clinicians report difficulty accessing and interpreting the evidence that does exist.11,12 Clinicians may lack essential skills relative to using technology to complete literature, database searches, and statistical analysis and research processes.8,1119 Physical therapists who have been in practice longer than 15 years have been reported to be less familiar with online databases and less likely to have received formal training in critical appraisal of research than physical therapists who have been in practice for less than 15 years.12 Time constraints are almost universally identified as a primary limiting factor, both for reading research and for implementing new ideas on the job.11'13,17,20'23 Clinicians also cite pressures of today's health care environment and administrators' emphasis on productivity as inhibiting their ability to gather, read, interpret, and apply scientific information into daily practice.8,11'13,18,20Additional barriers are related to the organization or setting, and to perceptions about the research evidence. For example, practitioners in settings not affiliated with teaching or research institutions report barriers to accessing relevant scientific evidence.11 Clinicians also often face difficulties in implementing changes in practice, perhaps due to resistance from other health care providers or lack of institutional support. …