European Training Programme Research Articles

European advanced driver training programs: Reasons for optimism

Post license advanced driver training programs in the US and early programs in Europe have often failed to accomplish their stated objectives because, it is suspected, that drivers gain self perceived driving skills that exceed their true skills—leading to increased post training crashes. The consensus from the evaluation of countless advanced driver training programs is that these programs are a detriment to safety, especially for novice, young, male drivers.Some European countries including Sweden, Finland, Austria, Luxembourg, and Norway, have continued to refine these programs, with an entirely new training philosophy emerging around 1990. These ‘post-renewal’ programs have shown considerable promise, despite various data quality and availability concerns. These programs share in common a focus on teaching drivers about self assessment and anticipation of risk, as opposed to teaching drivers how to master driving at the limits of tire adhesion. The programs focus on factors such as self actualization and driving discipline, rather than low level mastery of skills. Drivers are meant to depart these renewed programs with a more realistic assessment of their driving abilities. These renewed programs require considerable specialized and costly infrastructure including dedicated driver training facilities with driving modules engineered specifically for advanced driver training and highly structured curriculums. They are conspicuously missing from both the US road safety toolbox and academic literature. Given the considerable road safety concerns associated with US novice male drivers in particular, these programs warrant further attention.This paper reviews the predominant features and empirical evidence surrounding post licensing advanced driver training programs focused on novice drivers. A clear articulation of differences between the renewed and current US advanced driver training programs is provided. While the individual quantitative evaluations range from marginally to significantly effective in reducing novice driver crash risk, they have been criticized for evaluation deficiencies ranging from small sample sizes to confounding variables to lack of exposure metrics. Collectively, however, the programs sited in the paper suggest at least a marginally positive effect that needs to be validated with further studies. If additional well controlled studies can validate these programs, a pilot program in the US should be considered.

Accreditation of neurosurgical training programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

Accreditation of neurosurgical training programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

Accreditation of neurosurgical training programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

Accreditation of neurosurgical training programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

Accreditation of neurosurgical training programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

Accreditation of neurosurgical training programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

Do the European anesthesia training programs adequately prepare residents for airway management clinical practice? A Cediva experience

Do the European anesthesia training programs adequately prepare residents for airway management clinical practice? A Cediva experience

Policy benchmarking report on neonatal health and social policies in 13 European countries

Preterm birth is the major cause of infant mortality and morbidity in both developed and developing countries. In Europe, the prevalence rate of premature birth ranges from 5.5 to 11.4% - an average of 7.1% of all live births. In this report, we aim to compare the current health and social policies, as well as practices in 13 EU member states. Using desk research, relevant information was gathered from each of the 13 European countries with regard to the prevalence of preterm birth, the cost of preterm birth to healthcare budgets, and the relevant policies, guidelines and practices in place at the national and, in some cases, regional level. The information comes from a range of sources, including government and parent association websites, published scientific literature and media reports. Despite the growing prevalence and increasing costs, neonatal and preterm infant health rank low on the policy agendas of EU member states. Based on the findings, there are a number of recommendations that should be considered. The European Union should (i) recognize the growing challenge of prematurity in Europe and its significant impact on infant morbidity and mortality, (ii) improve neonatal health through the development and implementation of coordinated EU health and social policies, (iii) address the lack of comparable European data on prematurity, including prevalence, mortality, acute morbidity and long-term impairment, (iv) also increase the standard of neonatal care across Europe by supporting the development and implementation of European medical guidelines and quality standards, (v) support the development of European postgraduate training programmes in Peri- and Neonatology in order to increase the quality and availability of trained healthcare professionals.

Accreditation of Neurosurgical Training Programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

Accreditation of Neurosurgical Training Programmes in Europe: Report of JRAAC

A paediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation training project in Honduras

Objectives It is possible that the exportation of North American and European models has hindered the creation of a structured cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programme in developing countries. The objective of this paper is to describe the design and present the results of a European paediatric and neonatal CPR training programme adapted to Honduras. Materials and methods A paediatric CPR training project was set up in Honduras with the instructional and scientific support of the Spanish Group for Paediatric and Neonatal CPR. The programme was divided into four phases: CPR training and preparation of instructors; training for instructors; supervised teaching; and independent teaching. Results During the first phase, 24 Honduran doctors from paediatric intensive care, paediatric emergency and anaesthesiology departments attended the paediatric CPR course and 16 of them the course for preparation as instructors. The Honduran Paediatric and Neonatal CPR Group was formed. In the second phase, workshops were given by Honduran instructors and four of them attended a CPR course in Spain as trainee instructors. In the third phase, a CPR course was given in Honduras by the Honduran instructors, supervised by the Spanish team. In the final phase of independent teaching, eight courses were given, providing 177 students with training in CPR. Conclusions The training of independent paediatric CPR groups with the collaboration and scientific assessment of an expert group could be a suitable model on which to base paediatric CPR training in Latin American developing countries.

P02-134 - Developing a viable slavic-language personality inventory for police & security forces in bosnia, croatia & serbia

ObjectivesStudies have shown police corruption to be a major problem within the police and security forces in the former war-torn Balkan nations, notably Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. Current European Union and USA training programs do not adequately address the issue of mental and character suitability for law enforcement personnel. An existing, and little used, Slavic-language version of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-201) is grossly lacking in that it is too short a version and does not lend itself to the rich predictived material that makes the MMPI a viable and strong assessment tool. The MMPI-201 profile also omits critical clinical scales.MethodWe have translated and modernized the first 360 items in the original MMPI into the Slavic language thereby providing a viable personality inventory that can draw on over 60 years of predictive research relevant to professional suitability as well as ruling-out any presenting clinical mental health and/or charaterologic problems. We are currently in the process of validating this instrument by using both the “alternate test” and “test-retest” modes. Here, students, who are competent in both the Slavic and English languages, enrolled in the College of Criminal Sciences and the Law, in both Bosnia and Serbia are administered both the English and Slavic-language instruments at different settings at least a week apart. Both versions are then compared for each subject (N= 50 to 100 for each country) relevant to an estimation of fit for assessing the reliability of the Slavic-Language Personality Inventory.

Lasers and dento-facial orthopedics: an interview with Samir Nammour

Philippe AMAT, Jacques BERREBI, Franck HERVE. Professor Sam Nammour, you are the director of the European Masters Degree in Oral Laser Applications program. Because of your contributions to it, all its participants have awarded you with a bronze star prize. This honor presented within the framework of the European Life-Long Education and Training program, reflects the recognition throughout the continent of 3 cycle diplomas for dentists. Can you tell us about the modalities and objectives of this program? Samir NAMMOUR. The three universities of Nice, in France, of Aix-la-Chapelle in Germany, and Liege in Belgium, have, independently, been offering courses in the use of lasers in dentistry since the year 2000. Then one day we began to wonder why we should all be working, isolated, in our private academic fief-doms? Why couldn’t we pool our resources and present a single, more comprehensive, unified course? We presented this border breaching concept to the European Community, asking that the three universities be authorized to offer a common diploma to be called the European Masters Degree in Oral Laser Applications, (EMDOLA). After two years of joint teaching experience, we were delighted to learn that the European Community was ready to grant final acceptance of our project. We hope to continue offering the highest quality instruction that would unite the best potentials developed in each of the three participating institutions.

Differences and Commonalities of National Field Epidemiology Training Programmes in Europe

From 1994 to 2009, national field epidemiology training programmes (FETP) have been installed in Spain, Germany, Italy, France and Norway. During their two year duration, different components of the FETP are devised as follows: 63-79 weeks are spent on projects in hosting institutes, 2-26 weeks in outside projects, 9-30 weeks in courses and modules, and 1-2 weeks in scientific conferences. A considerable proportion of the Spanish FETP has is provided conventional class room training . The content of the modules is very similar for all programmes. Except from the Italian programme, all focus on infectious disease epidemiology. The German and Norwegian programmes are so called EPIET-associated programmesas their participants are integrated in the modules and the supervision offered by EPIET, but salaries, facilitators, and training sites are provided by the national programme. These EPIET-associated programmes require strong communications skills in English. Alumni of all five FETP are generally working within the public health work force in their respective countries or at international level, many of them in leading functions. Although three new FETP have been installed since the last published Euroroundup in Eurosurveillance on European FETP in 2001, the progress with respect to the establishment of national FETP or EPIET-associated programmes has been slow. Member States should be aware of how much support EPIET can offer for the establishment of national FETP or EPIET-associated programmes. However, they also need to be ready to provide the necessary resources, the administrative environment and long-term dedication to make field epidemiology training work.

Training chart in movement disorders surgery added competence

The present European Training Program in Neurosurgery (the European Neurosurgery Training) is based on a systematic and broad-based acquisition of knowledge and surgical skills in all essential areas of the speciality and should finish with a high-standard board examination. This allows a neurosurgeon who has received his/her certification/qualification in one of the countries of the EU to exert his/her professional activities in the whole area of classical neurosurgery. Extended skills and knowledge in more complex procedures and techniques, which are beyond this broad-based training, should not be learned by trial and error but by systematic, supervised acquisition of additional competence through hands-on experience and also critical assessment and appraisal of the relevant literature in such particular areas of the speciality after having finished regular training (or towards the end of regular training). This can be provided by additional training in appropriate institutions and also during specialized hands-on workshops (ESSFN, or equivalent training programs). Such systematic, supervised acquisition of additional competence is in the interest of our patients and provides a clear and graduated system of competence training in neurosurgery.

European Modular Education and Training Programme in Safety Sciences for Medicines (SafeSciMET)

European Modular Education and Training Programme in Safety Sciences for Medicines (SafeSciMET)

Risk Assessment and Management—European Training Programme (Risk ASSETs)

Risk Assessment and Management—European Training Programme (Risk ASSETs)

Training of Health Care Students and Professionals: A Pivotal Element in the Process of Optimal Organ Donation Awareness and Professionalization

Successes in organ donation and transplantation programs are directly evidence-based education. Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) is an international educational project on organ donation and transplantation. Our purpose was to evaluate the TPM educational project. We compared the data of 17 years of experience, strategies, and methods. We retrospectively performed a descriptive analysis of all educational activities developed between 1991 and 2008. We identified 7 crucial points. (1) In 1991, TPM was started under the auspices of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the National Spanish Transplant Organization (ONT; national training, face-to-face). (2) In 1994, TPM became international (international advanced training and country-based). (3) Since 1997 in Italy and 2006 in France, national training courses were organized adapting the same methodologies as the advanced international TPM courses. TPM also implemented short (1-3 days) introductory courses worldwide. (4) In 2002, the e-learning platform program was launched to facilitate the education of professionals. (5) In 2005, an international master's degree was created at UB under the Life-Long Learning Institute (IL3). (6) In 2006, the courses were expanded to include pregraduate health science faculties with the International Project on Education and Research in Donation at University of Barcelona (PIERDUB). (7) In 2007, the European-funded European Training Program on Organ Donation (ETPOD) project was started. Currently, TPM offers face-to-face, e-learning, and blended international courses. As of 2008, TPM has trained 6498 professionals in 89 countries on 5 continents. TPM has impacted positively on the various essential levels in the process of organ donation and transplantation, with lifelong follow-up and an international network through the capacity to adapt to specific country needs as well as continuous quality improvement thanks to the collaboration of expert teachers and consultants.

Should we train urologists in female urology? A European view

Training in female urology in Europe so far has been a national focus of individual European countries. Because of reasons like differentiation in pathology, activities of other specialisms like gynaecology and reimbursement issues, the way in which extra training in female urology is organized varies a lot. We have already encountered big changes in legislation of working hours and the way in which patients are more and better informed about diseases and treatments. This situation compels us to change and synchronize training in female urology on an international level. In Europe the answers to needs from individual urologists in a pluriform European setting comprise among others Residency Training Programmes in Urology, accredited by the European Board of Urology; a European Training Program for residents (EUREP) and a European Subspeciality Certification certified by the European Board of Urology (EBU). For training in Female Urology the lastest development is the organization of a Masterclass in Female and Functional Urology. This manuscript explains the European Situation and the European answer to the identified challenges.

The harmonization of the medical speciality in Public Health in the EU countries--a challenge for the profession

Facing the challenges for Public Health in Europe it is of importance to outline a common strategy for a European training programme in Public Health. At present the medical speciality of Public Health is strengthening its position in the EU medical specialist system. According to the present EU decision the speciality Public Health Medicine will be automatically recognized in all EU countries, i.e. a specialist trained in one EU country will be recognized as a specialist in all EU countries.1 As a consequence, Public Health today is one of the established specialities in EU. Thus, the need for harmonization of the specialist training is further emphasized. The objective of this paper is to discuss the process of harmonization of the speciality in Public Health in the EU countries. Public Health as a medical speciality focuses on the health of the population. In its broadest sense Public Health includes all measures taken in a society aiming at improving the population's health. The doctor who has specialized in Public Health Medicine uses his competencies to contribute to this. In 2008, EU recognized the speciality in Public Health in 21 member countries (Appendix 1). The exact name of the medical speciality Public Health varies between the different countries in EU.1 Besides Public Health the speciality may be named preventive medicine, social medicine or community medicine. Although there still are specific national authorities responsible for the qualification of medical specialists in each member state of the EU, the medical profession will have an important role in the development of the speciality. There are great challenges for the medical profession involved in Public Health work to develop and harmonize the speciality at the European level. We need to know what is meant by a medical doctor in Public Health in order to facilitate …

Assessment of Laparoscopic Suturing Skills of Urology Residents: A Pan-European Study

BackgroundIt has been acknowledged that standardised training programmes are needed to improve laparoscopic training of urologic trainees. Previous studies have suggested that simulator-based laparoscopic training can improve performance during real laparoscopic procedures. ObjectiveTo determine if there are performance differences for the completion of a simulated laparoscopic suturing task among urology residents based on their postgraduate year of training (PGY). Design, setting, and participantsUsing a validated scoring checklist, two independent observers objectively scored the completion of a standardised laparoscopic suturing task in a bench-top laparoscopic box trainer. PGY and previous exposure to laparoscopic surgery and laparoscopic simulated training was obtained from self-administered questionnaires.Data acquisition was undertaken at the European Urological Residents Education Programme (EUREP) 2007, run by the European School of Urology, and included a pan-European cohort of 201 urology residents. MeasurementsReliability among those rating the suturing tasks was excellent (Cronbach’s α=0.83). Each resident was scored for the suturing task. Residents were categorised into three groups based on their PGY status (junior [n=8]; intermediate [n=37]; senior [n=156]). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to measure trend across the PGY; the Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine variation among categorised PGY groups. Results and limitationsLaparoscopic suturing skill was significantly different across PGY levels (p=0.032), and between junior residents and both intermediate and senior residents (p=0.008 and p=0.012, respectively). There was no significant difference between intermediate and senior residents (p=0.697). Only 12% of participants rated their existing volume of laparoscopic operative cases as sufficient, while 55% of participants had no regular opportunities, and 32% of participants had not performed laparoscopic procedures as primary surgeon. Most residents (96%) reported the use of laparoscopic simulators to be beneficial in training, although current European training programmes appear to provide <50% of residents with the opportunity to train with them. ConclusionsA discernable relationship existed between the score obtained for a laparoscopic suturing task and year of resident training. Modular simulator training as part of a formal training programme may help to overcome some of the shortfall in residents’ exposure to laparoscopic procedures as primary surgeon.

Report of the JRAAC on the Situation of the Accreditation Training Programmes in Europe

Report of the JRAAC on the Situation of the Accreditation Training Programmes in Europe

Report of the JRAAC on the Situation of the Accreditation Training Programmes in Europe

Report of the JRAAC on the Situation of the Accreditation Training Programmes in Europe