Continuing Education Courses Research Articles

Study tours as strategy in building multi-level public health system transformation in Ukraine (UA)

Abstract With 14 million Ukrainians in need of psychological aid (UNDP) and a strained health system, UA urgently requires mental health and psychological support services (MHPSS). As a TA partner on the USAID funded Public Health System Recovery and Resilience project in UA, the Philadelphia (PHL) team supports capacity building for population-based MHPSS at the community level with a study tour strategy. Such approaches apply to other countries interested in remodeling public health systems. The strategy aims to advance community based MHPSS through in person tours in PHL with remote follow up to stimulate vision, exchange ideas and accelerate action among governmental, community, and academic partners. The study tours presented overviews on health policy, system development, program services delivered to children and adults, community interventions, and workforce development of professionals and paraprofessionals. All included the foundational principles of trauma-informed practice. The June 2023 tour hosted 11 decision makers and regional officials who embraced the vision for system development and endorsed further engagement. The December 2023 tour hosted 13 practitioners and coordinators of health and social services to observe community programs. Results include development of PHL NGOs and UA social service hub partnerships to implement train the trainer programs for peers/people with lived experience and for mural arts programs to promote community engagement and empowerment. The September 2024 tour involves university partners from nursing, social work and psychology and PHL counterparts to strengthen curricula to include mental health competencies, support faculty development with potential for collaborative research and student exchange, and design post-graduate continuing education courses for upskilling the incumbent workforce. Study tours and direct exchange are an effective strategy for capacity building for MHPSS in Ukraine to address population health needs. Key messages • The sequenced study tour strategy affects distinct levels of change makers in UA. The results are governmental buy-in, partnerships for programmatic development, and academic advancement. • The study tour model promotes systematic change and offers solutions to MHPSS workforce shortages through information exchange, relationship building, and capacity development.

Impact of a Registered Dietitian Led Diabetes Nutrition Continuing Education Course on Primary Care Provider's Knowledge, Attitude, and Clinical Practice

Impact of a Registered Dietitian Led Diabetes Nutrition Continuing Education Course on Primary Care Provider's Knowledge, Attitude, and Clinical Practice

Pediatric Dentists' Practice Patterns in the Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Temporomandibular Disorders.

Pain associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) is the main non-odontogenic cause of orofacial pain among youth. Pediatric dentists are often the first healthcare practitioners to perform a comprehensive oral examination in children, which should include evaluation of the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, and surrounding structures for signs and/or symptoms of TMD. This study assessed pediatric dentists' practice patterns in the screening, diagnosis, and management of TMD. A 19-item online survey was used to assess pediatric dentists' clinical practice patterns and perceived knowledge and comfort levels in the screening, diagnosis, and management of TMD. The survey was distributed in July 2024, with a one-month window open for the study. Confidence levels and perceived knowledge were compared according to years from graduation and frequency of TMD screening assessment with ANOVA or independent t-test, as appropriate. Open-ended items were analyzed thematically. A total of 206 pediatric dentists and pediatric dentistry residents participated in this study. A share of 72.8% of respondents reported that up to 25% of their patients per week present with signs and symptoms of TMD. About one-fifth of pediatric dental providers never complete a screening history for TMD (22.1%) or a clinical assessment of TMD-related structures (21.6%). There was overall low self-perceived knowledge and confidence among pediatric dentists regarding the diagnosis, screening, and management of TMD in children and adolescents, regardless of the number of years from graduation. Respondents who reported seeing up to 50% of TMD patients reported significantly more knowledge and confidence in diagnosing pediatric TMD than those who encountered fewer TMD patients. An overwhelming majority (81.6%) indicated a need for continuing education courses and training focused on the management of TMD in pediatric patients. Providers reported low confidence and self-perceived knowledge about TMD in pediatric populations, a high rate of referral of patients with TMD, and a particular interest for professional development opportunities focused on management of TMD.

Insights into an innovative point of care ultrasound curriculum for Ontario primary maternity care providers

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has increasingly been used by midwives worldwide. In 2018, the scope of midwifery care in Ontario was expanded to include POCUS to allow practitioners to provide more comprehensive care. In response to the scope expansion, a new continuing POCUS education course was created in collaboration with faculty and clinicians from obstetrics, midwifery, and medical radiation sciences. The continuing education sonography course focused on fostering the knowledge, skills and judgment Ontario midwives required to safely perform these new POCUS skills. The course included online modules, a two-day hands-on bootcamp workshop, and a clinical practicum under the supervision of a sonographer to confirm competency across the three trimesters of pregnancy. The first cohort of 17 learners completed the course in Fall 2019, the new curriculum was well received by learners for its many benefits into learning and applying bedside sonography to clinical care. This paper outlines our process for POCUS curriculum development and implementation in pregnancy care. This POCUS continuing education course should continue to be offered in the future to give more practitioners the ability to perform point of care pregnancy scans.

Dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and awareness regarding interprofessional collaboration with physical therapists.

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) between dentists and physical therapists (PT) could improve access to patient treatment and oral care outcomes. This study aimed to assess dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of IPC with PT. The study design included a 16-question online survey sent to dentists (n=102) at a university in fall 2022 via SurveyMonkey. This survey evaluated dentists' knowledge of PT services and IPC referrals, awareness of PT IPC improving oral health and continuing education (CE) opportunities, and attitudes toward team care. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-squared tests. Participants included general dentists (71.2%) and dental specialists (28.8%), with experience ranging from 1-5 years through 55+ years. Gender distribution included approximately 46.2% female and 53.8% male, with a survey response rate of 51.0% (n=52). Females reported a significantly higher interest in PT IPC (p=0.016) and referring (p=0.022) than males. Dentists in practice for 21-40 years reported significantly higher participation in CE referral courses compared to other groups (p=0.011). Compared to dental specialists, general dentists had a significantly more positive attitude when asked if dental collaboration with PT and physicians is equally important (p=0.001). Additionally, 78.8% of respondents reported interest in attending a CE course on interprofessional education. This study demonstrated dentists' limited awareness of the PT interprofessional collaborative approach. Females and general dentists reported higher positive attitudes toward PT IPC relationships. Most dentists were interested in attending additional IPC training.

Exploring the Opportunities and Barriers of Implementing the Health Focused Physical Therapy Model

The Health-Focused Physical Therapy Model integrates lifestyle behavior management into physical therapy practice using a standardized care model and motivational patient interviewing. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceived opportunities and barriers physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and rehab administrators may face when implementing the model. This study included a survey of 19 physical therapy clinicians, and interviews with four rehabilitation administrators from one healthcare system. All participants attended a continuing education course covering the model and then completed a survey detailing their perceptions. Participants included female (100%), physical therapists (78.9%) and physical therapy assistants (21.1%), with variable educational degrees, and at least 16 years of clinic experience (73.7%). Four rehabilitation administrators, 100% female with at least 11 years of PT practice, participated in a semi-structured interview. Survey analysis revealed participants were confident in their understanding of the model and believed the model would positively impact the health of patients. However, over half perceived time limitations as a barrier. Meanwhile, three themes from the interview emerged including holistic care, implementation barriers, and needed resources. This study demonstrated time limitations and productivity standards could limit the implementation of health-focused physical therapy care. Future research should analyze opportunities and barriers of the model with broadened participant sampling methods and triangulation across healthcare practitioner roles to guide implementation and realistic practice standards.

Theory in action for graduate nurse educator students: An experiential learning project

BackgroundHigh turnover rates of new nurse educators are amplifying nursing shortages by reducing the ability of nursing programs to educate new nurses. When nurses enter their new role as nurse educators, there is a major transition from experienced bedside nurse to novice educator. This transition can be difficult and frequently leads to frustration, and in many cases nurse educators leaving the field. AimThe aim of this project is to improve the readiness, and preparedness of new nurse educators prior to entering the field. ProjectGraduate nursing students in the Master of Science in Nursing Education (MSNE) Option at Lamar University were competitively selected and hired as graduate assistants (GA) with a focus on easing the transition of becoming nurse educators by creating nursing professional development (NPD) opportunities for current nursing faculty. The project utilized Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and mentorship to prepare future nurse educators for their future role. ApplicationsThrough the application of Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, graduate assistants (GAs) developed curriculum to be deployed in continuing education courses. This provided graduate assistants the ability to maneuver the nuances of course development using Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory as a template for curriculum development by examining their work with peers and analyzing the cycle of concrete experiences (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE). ConclusionMaster's programs help instill knowledge necessary to equip future educators with the tools needed to give nursing education students a solid foundation. By utilizing Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory with this project, future nurse educators could apply a deeper understanding of newfound knowledge into practice. Increasing demands in nursing requires innovations in the preparation of nurse educators. By incorporating projects such as this, with a strong grasp on concrete experiences (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE), novice educators can be primed for their new role of developing future nurses.

Considerations for occupational risk management during pregnancy: A summary of a continuing education course.

Women comprise approximately 40% of the global workforce, and many women continue to work during pregnancy. Although occupational exposure limit values (OELVs) are intended to protect all workers, many OELVs may have been established without consideration of the unique changes in pregnant workers, and many chemicals lack OELVs altogether. A short educational course was developed to address the informational needs of health professionals who have responsibility to ensure a safe workplace for pregnant employees. The course was designed to raise awareness of the key elements in risk management and their application to the pregnant worker, such as physiological changes of pregnancy that influence susceptibility to exposures; guidance for nonclinical data interpretation; exposure assessment and control strategies; and risk management in practice in a diverse regulatory environment. This paper summarizes the course content and is intended to support informed risk management decision making to protect the health of pregnant workers and their offspring.

Múltiplas representações e objetos de aprendizagem na capacitação docente em cursos de engenharia

The Master’s research that this article takes place aimed to develop a proposal for teacher training for teachers working in Higher Education, in Engineering courses to distance, who have difficulties with pedagogical practices aligned with digital Technologies. The aim was to address pedagogical possibilities based on the Multiple Representations and Learning Objects frameworks. This theoretical articulation supported the development and application of a continuing education course for a group of teachers trained in engineering, promoting the updating of their pedagogical practice in the light of their training needs and the reality of distance education. The research was based on a qualitative approach and the data was collected through electronic activities and questionnaires, which were analyzed according to the assumptions of the Textual Discourse Analysis framework. From the analytical categories, it was possible to deduce that the teacher training raised participants' awareness of the importance of continuing pedagogical training and the contributions of digital technologies to distance learning, as well as showing the relevance of inserting Multiple Representations and Learning Objects as strategies to promote the exemplification of content and satisfactory student learning.

Evaluation of the strategies opioid manufacturers used to recruit health professionals and encourage overprescribing: an analysis of industry documents

BackgroundMore than 263,000 individuals died due to prescription opioid misuse between 1999 and 2020. Between 2013 and 2015 alone, pharmaceutical companies spent over $39 million to market opioids to over 67,000 prescribers. However, there is still limited information about differences in provider responses to promotions for medications. In this study we investigated and evaluated strategies used by opioid manufacturers to encourage overprescribing, specifically focusing on oncology.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of opioid industry documents released in litigation between 1999 and 2021. We began with a preliminary search for business plans in a subset of collections that identified key terms and phrases. These search terms were then used to narrow the investigation, which ultimately focused on Insys Therapeutics, and how they targeted oncology providers as well as patients with cancer pain.ResultsWe found that, overall, Insys sought to market to institutions with fewer resources, to less experienced and high-volume providers, and directly to cancer patients, with the goal of encouraging increased opioid prescribing and use.ConclusionsOur research revealed gaps in provider training that may make some providers more susceptible to pharmaceutical marketing. Developing and promoting continuing education courses for providers that are free from conflicts of interest, particularly at smaller institutions, may be one step towards reducing opioid overprescribing and its associated harms.

Evaluation of a Nursing Informatics Course by Nurses: A Continuing Education.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a nursing informatics continuing education course and nurses' perceptions of it. This study investigates the evaluation and satisfaction of 103 nurses who attended the course on 10-11 June 2023. The survey was divided into two parts: the first part focused on the evaluation of teaching and the second part focused on the evaluation of the course. The first part contained 7 structured questions and 1 open-ended question, while the second part contained 11 structured questions. The results show a high level of satisfaction, with the teaching receiving a score of 9.9 out of 10. 95% of the participants were "very satisfied" and 5% were "satisfied".

Assessment of COMMUNITY Pharmacists' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards Oral Health Care in Jordan

Background Community chemists now provide more professional and public health care, which is beneficial to the community, in addition to traditional medication distribution. While community pharmacists play a vital role in maintaining and promoting health, further research is required to accurately evaluate their knowledge, attitude, and practice toward oral health care among Jordanian pharmacists in northern Jordan. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire in Arabic language, targeting 250 community pharmacists in four cities (Irbid, Jerash, Ajloun, and Al-Mafraq) in northern Jordan. The questionnaire comprised four domains: socio-demographic, knowledge, attitudes and practice concerning oral health care. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22.0 was used to analyze the collected data, and the significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results A total of 198 respondents returned the survey form, returning a response rate of 79.2%. Community pharmacists showed a good knowledge score of 58.2%. Only 40.9% said periodontal disease was the most frequent cause of tooth loss. The majority lacked knowledge of the optimal fluoride levels in toothpaste. The average attitude score was 71.05%. The most common oral health issues raised by patients were gingivitis and toothache (43.4% and 38.9%), respectively. Conclusion Community pharmacists have the general knowledge and attitude needed to play a significant role in providing dental care counselling to patients dental care. Nonetheless, community pharmacists stated they needed education and training to improve their practice. Continuing education courses related to oral health are recommended to reduce the risk of oral diseases and improve quality of life.

Mobile devices integrated into Mathematics teaching practice: contributions emerging from continuing training

This article presents the investigation of a Continuing Training course for Mathematics teachers in the final years of Elementary School, with a view to integrating mobile devices into teaching practice. In the theoretical framework, Digital Technologies, Didactic Sequences and the Technological model were addressed. Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The general objective of the research was to investigate the contributions of a continuing education course for the integration of mobile devices in the teaching practice of Mathematics teachers. As a result, it was found that the main contributions of the course to the participants' teaching practice refer to the expansion of their Knowledge about applications that address mathematical content, increasing teachers' confidence in integrating mobile devices, and the expansion of teachers' vision regarding the integration of technological resources, resulting from the sharing of experiences and the study of the theoretical basis covered during the course.

Assessing a Continuing Education Course for Dental Hygienists to Improve HPV and HPV Vaccine Knowledge and Self-efficacy.

Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection and causes anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. Although HPV-related cancers can be prevented through vaccination, HPV vaccination rates are low compared to other vaccines. One of the strongest indicators for vaccination is provider recommendation, and dental health providers are well positioned to promote HPV vaccination among their patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if a continuing education (CE) course could improve dental hygienists' HPV-related knowledge and self-efficacy related to HPV vaccination recommendations. Data were collected from a sample of participants (n = 202) at a large dental hygiene conference in the southern US. A pre- and post-tests were administered with the CE course and differences in HPV vaccine knowledge and self-efficacy in counseling, recommending, and referring for the HPV vaccine were analyzed using SAS. HPV vaccine knowledge overall significantly increased post-CE (p < .001) and improvement was seen among several specific knowledge areas. However, knowledge regarding the common sites of HPV-related oral and oropharyngeal cancers remained moderate (82% correct) even after the CE intervention. There was no significant change from pre-test to post-test in participants' self-efficacy related to counseling patients about the HPV vaccine, recommending the HPV vaccine to patients, or referring patients for the vaccine. This study demonstrates that continuing education can improve dental hygienists' HPV-related knowledge. Since dental providers may play an important role in HPV-related cancer prevention, future work should develop continuing education tools that can motivate changes in self-efficacy and ultimately improve practice behaviors.

Investigating The Determinants of Vocational Education and Economic Development in Digital Age: A Review from 2018 - 2023

Vocational education plays a crucial role in the development of individuals by providing them with the most essential skills. The crucial importance of vocational education necessitates support from various elements, including government policy and the educational aspect within the vocational school. However, higher vocational education and economic development in the digital age face several challenges, stemming from enrollment trends, policy interventions, labor market dynamics, and demographic shifts. This study provides a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines for addressing higher vocational education enrollment, policy interventions, labor market trends, and demographic factors that affect the integration of vocational education and economic development in the digital age. The initial phase involves the identification of a suitable source database, which may include prominent platforms such as Scopus, Google Scholar, or IEEE Xplore The findings of the study reveal that most students enrolling in higher vocational education recommend using hands-on training and practical skills that have been directly applicable to my current job in the IT industry. The program needs to focus on industry-relevant skills for the demands of the labor market. We also identifying and filling these research gaps could lead to a more comprehensive and critical understanding of vocational education. Vocational education programs can adapt to labor market trends by incorporating emerging technologies into their curricula, collaborating with industry experts to identify skill gaps, and offering continuing education courses to keep graduates up to date with the latest advancements. Finally, this study provides some recommendations for further studies.

Use of Accounting Information Systems in the Perception of Accountants

Objective: To investigate how accountants perceive the use of Accounting Information Systems (SIC) in their professional activities. Theoretical Framework: Considering the current context, in order to maintain themselves, organizations need useful and timely information, which will support the decision-making process. Such information is generated by accounting, through SIC - which were essentially manual, however, through disruptive technological advances and Information Technology resources, they have become increasingly robust and effective in contributing to the execution of accounting activities. Method: Descriptive research, field research type, with a questionnaire (survey), with 267 responses obtained, analyzed using the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet tool. Results and Discussion: They suggest that the majority of professionals have previous experience with SIC, and currently use computerized and integrated systems, which provides greater speed to the information cycle. It was observed that professionals who participated in continuing education courses focused on Information Systems were more critical about them and their specificities, in addition to working with more complex systems, which suggests that the more technical qualifications the professional possesses, you will become more capable of working with complex systems. Research Implications: The research highlights the historical evolution of Accounting Information Systems (SIC) from ancient times to the present day, emphasizing their importance in generating information for business decisions. Originality/Value: A gap was identified in the existence of studies that specifically address Accounting Information Systems (SIC) from the accountants' point of view. There is a lack of research that establishes a direct connection between the activities performed by accountants and the use of these systems.

Research on the Innovative Path of Teaching Mode of Urban Management Major in Higher Education Continuing Education

At present, there are a series of challenges in the construction of urban management courses in continuing education in colleges and universities. The main reasons are the deviation of the orientation of universities and colleges, the lack of teachers’ understanding of the necessity of continuing education curriculum teaching, the need for innovation in teaching methods, the significant defects and deficiencies in the current teaching evaluation system, and the lack of initiative of continuing education students in curriculum learning. Therefore, this study starts with the adjustment of the positioning of continuing education courses in universities, gradually analyzes the necessity of deepening teachers' understanding of continuing education teaching, and proposes five dimensions of suggestions to promote the construction of a scientific and reasonable continuing education teaching system, establish a scientific and reasonable continuing education teaching evaluation mechanism, and enhance the learning initiative of continuing education students.

A survey of the use of ultrasound by small animal veterinary clinicians.

This study aimed to determine the current use of ultrasound amongst small animal veterinarians. A total of 1216 small animal veterinary practitioners responded to an electronic survey that was administered through the Veterinary Information Network to all its members. Descriptive statistics were generated; limited inferential statistics were performed to examine specific relationships. Eighty-four percent of respondents had access to an ultrasound unit, and 86% of respondents reported using their unit multiple times per week. The most common uses were assistance with cystocentesis (93%) and abdominocentesis (71%), pregnancy diagnosis (69%), limited abdominal evaluation (63%), to aid in thoracocentesis (59%), and limited thoracic evaluation (52%). Eighty-nine percent of respondents received some formal training in ultrasound, most commonly from continuing education courses. Most respondents (52%) reported receiving ≤25h of training. Additionally, 88% of respondents believed it was either extremely or very important for there to be ultrasound training for veterinary students prior to graduation. Based on this survey, most small animal practitioners commonly use ultrasound for limited examinations, being most confident in the sonographic evaluation and centesis of the bladder and for the detection and centesis of effusion in a body cavity. With most respondents having ≤25h of training in ultrasound, typically obtained in postgraduate courses, an expansion in standardized basic ultrasound training within the veterinary curriculum may be warranted.

Influencing Physical Therapist's Self-efficacy for Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Through Blended Learning: A Mixed Methods Study.

With the growing interest for physical therapists to incorporate musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound comes a need to understand how to organize training to promote the transfer of training to clinical practice. A common training strategy blends asynchronous learning through online modules and virtual simulations with synchronous practice on live simulated participants. However, few physical therapists who attend MSK ultrasound continuing education courses integrate ultrasound into clinical practice. Self-efficacy is a significant predictor of training transfer effectiveness. This study describes to what degree and how a blended learning strategy influenced participants' self-efficacy for MSK ultrasound and transfer of training to clinical practice. Twenty-one outpatient physical therapists with no previous MSK ultrasound training. Twenty-one participants assessed their self-efficacy using a 26-item self-efficacy questionnaire at 3 intervals: before asynchronous, before synchronous training, and before returning to clinical practice. Participants were interviewed within 1 week of training using a semi-structured interview guide. Quantitative analysis included descriptive statistics and repeated-measures ANOVA. Thematic analysis was used to examine participants' experiences, and "following the thread" was used to integrate findings. Self-efficacy questionnaire mean scores increased significantly across the 3- time points ( F [2, 40] = 172.7, P < .001, η 2 = 0.896). Thematic analysis indicated that asynchronous activities scaffolded participants' knowledge, enhanced their self-efficacy, and prepared them for synchronous learning; however, it did not replicate the challenges of MSK ultrasound. Synchronous activities further improved self-efficacy and helped participants better calibrate their self-judgments of their abilities and readiness to integrate MSK ultrasound training into clinical practice. Despite individual-level improvements in self-efficacy, interviewees recognized their limitations and a need for longitudinal training in a clinical environment. A blended learning approach positively affects participants' self-efficacy for MSK ultrasound; however, future training designs should provide learners with additional support during the transition phase.

Fudan Zhongshan Plastic Surgery Forum.

The Fudan Zhongshan Plastic Surgery Forum along with the National Continuing Education Course is authorized and supported by the Shanghai Medical Association for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the Fudan University. The annual conference this year along with the course focusing on the "Advances and New Techniques in Plastic Surgery" is successfully held at Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, on August 26-27, 2023 in Shanghai, China.