Assessment Of Best Practices Research Articles

Regenerative endodontic therapy for external inflammatory lateral resorption following traumatic dental injuries: Evidence assessment of best practices.

External inflammatory lateral resorption (EILR) following dental trauma is a severe complication that can lead to significant root loss and tooth extraction. The aim of this project was to review current evidence in the literature on regenerative endodontic therapy (RET) for EILR following traumatic injuries and assess the best treatment practices. Publications appearing in PubMed, from January 1, 2001 to January 9, 2022 were studied. Inclusion criteria were: (a) Publications in English; (b) Publications on RET and EILR; (c) Teeth subjected to dental trauma; and (d) Presence of intracanal bleeding and blood clots. Exclusion criteria were: (a) Conference proceedings; (b) Lectures; (c) Abstracts; and (d) Letters to editor; (e) Non-English publications. 355 publications were analysed. Nine met all inclusion criteria. In 10 (58.8%) teeth, triple antibiotic paste was used for an average of 26 days. Double antibiotic paste was used in 3 (17.6%) teeth for an average of 14 days. In 3 (17.6%) cases, calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2 ) was used for 14 days and negative pressure irrigation was applied once on 1 (6%) tooth. Using RET to treat EILR has some advantages compared to long term CA(OH)2 dressing. RET requires shorter dressing time compared to CA(OH)2 . This can significantly improve patient compliance. Additionally, in immature teeth, RET helps to arrest root resorption leading to continued root maturogenesis and revascularization. It is recommended that a meticulous follow-up should be conducted when RET is performed to assure early detection of treatment failure. RET appears to be a good treatment modality producing biologic repair and improving prognosis in cases of EILR in post-traumatic tooth/pulp injuries. The key limitation of this study is that all publications included were either case reports or case series that usually tend to report successful outcome.

Mental health problems among adolescents and young adults with childhood-onset physical disabilities: A scoping review.

AimThis scoping review aims to better understand the extent and nature of research activity on the topic of mental health problems in young people with childhood-onset physical disabilities. Specifically, we document what has been investigated in terms of the occurrence and experience of mental health problems among young people with childhood-onset physical disabilities, and their access to mental health services.MethodsWe searched four databases (Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase) for articles published between 2007 and 2019. Studies were included if they addressed: (1) young people between the ages of 13 and 24 with a childhood-onset physical disability, and (2) mental health assessment, treatment, or service access and use.ResultsWe identified 33 peer-reviewed studies that focused mainly on young people with cerebral palsy, juvenile arthritis, and spina bifida. The most common mental health problems investigated were depression and mood related difficulties (73%), anxiety (39%), and social/behavioural issues (33%) and the most common age range was 13 to 17. Ten studies explored access, use, and experiences of mental health services; stigma; caregiver mental health; and value for comprehensive care, using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.ConclusionsFindings suggest the importance of developing integrated models of service delivery to identify and address the mental health needs of this population, and consensus on best practices for assessment and reporting rates of subclinical symptoms and psychiatric conditions.

Practice and associated factors of Glasgow Coma Scale assessment among nurses working in adult intensive care units of federally administered hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background & Aim: The Glasgow Coma Scale is a helpful instrument for measuring patients’ level of consciousness with neurosurgical disorders. Literature showed a majority of nurses don’t believe the Glasgow Coma Scale assessment is their area of practice. This study aimed to examine the Glasgow Coma Scale assessment practice and associated factors among nurses working in adult intensive care units of federally administered hospitals
 Methods & Materials: : Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on conventionally selected 126 nurses working in adult intensive care units. Six clinical scenarios were used to assess practice, and those who correctly answered at least four scenario questions out of 6 practical scenario questions for the Glasgow Coma Scale assessment were considered good practice. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The Chi-square test was applied to examine the variables affecting Glasgow Coma Scale practice. Furthermore, the proportions of categorical variables’ replies were contrasted among the various groups.
 Result: With a response rate of 96.03%, 121 nurses participated in the study. (53.7%) was males. In this study, the overall good Glasgow Coma Scale assessment practice of intensive care units nurses was 47.1%. Lack of training (77.7%), job overload (73.6%), and insufficient knowledge and skills (61.2 %) are barriers for nurses to assess Glasgow Coma Scale.
 Conclusion: In this, only nearly half of the participants displayed good practice on the Glasgow Coma Scale. Sex and educational status were both found to be significant factors in nurses’ Glasgow Coma Scale assessment practice.

Assessment practice of English language teachers in Myanmar

Good assessment practices benefit both students and teachers in several ways: They give information to help teachers determine the appropriateness of content and the pace of the lesson. They also help teachers monitor student learning throughout the course. This research is set up to explore teachers’ perceptions of assessment in order to determine their beliefs, attitudes and views that affect their assessment practices. It also seeks to determine whether there are significant differences in teachers’ perceptions of assessment by gender. Data were collected from a questionnaire survey with 130 teachers. Teachers’ perceptions of assessment were measured through a calculation of the percentage, mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that university teachers who participated in the research reported favorable and positive perceptions of assessment. Participants considered the ultimate goal of assessment is to evaluate students’ learning progress followed by to make decisions on teaching and learning. Most of the teachers also perceived that the basic role of assessment is to raise students’ learning and teaching practices. Furthermore, role-play is the most favored type of activities used for conducting assessment by English language teachers and teacher assessment was maintained by a large proportion of the participants.

Assessment of co‐curricular support in predominantly online learning environments

AbstractThis article provides resources for assessing co‐curricular support for student learning in predominantly online learning environments. For the use of practitioners, the article provides a summary of applicable frameworks, definitions, resources, student characteristics, needs assessment, best practices in assessment for online learners, and use for improvement strategies.

Pain assessment practice and associated factors among nurses working at adult care units in public hospitals in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2021

BackgroundUsing standard pain assessment techniques is a cornerstone for effective pain management. Pain is not assessed in a standardized manner in numerous practice settings. The problem of applying pain assessment principles was found to be higher in low-income countries. Very limited evidence indicates the standard of pain assessment practice among nurses in Ethiopia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify pain assessment practice and associated factors among nurses working at adult care units in public hospitals in the Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 nurses working at adult care units in public hospitals in Wolaita zone. Data were collected from February to March 2021. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Epi Data 4.6 was used to enter the data, and SPSS version 26 was used to analyze the data. A logistic regression model was used, and statistical significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05. An adjusted odds ratio with 95%CI was used to measure the degree of association.ResultsA total of 267 nurses participated in the study, giving a response rate of 97.8%. Almost three-fourths (73.8%) of the study nurses reported that they assessed pain for their patients. Only 23.6% of the study nurses discussed pain assessment scores during a nurse-to-nurse report. Below, half (47.2%) of the study participants documented pain assessment scores. The proportion of nurses with good pain assessment practice was found to be 38.2%.The odds of having good pain assessment practice among nurses who received training on pain management was two times higher than its counterpart. The nurses who perceived organizational support were twice more likely to have good pain assessment practice than their counterparts.ConclusionNurses’ pain assessment practice was found to be low. Moreover, a substantial proportion of the study nurses did not discuss pain assessment scores during a nurse-to-nurse report with low documentation practice. Continuous professional development through in-service training and education is crucial to the improvement of nurses’ pain assessment practice. Furthermore, ameliorating organizational support by means of a supportive working environment is suggested to the betterment of nurses’ assessment practice.

Principles of Good Assessment Practice in Coach Education: An Initial Proposal

Despite its obvious importance, we argue that assessment as a feature of coach education programmes has been overlooked in the peer-reviewed published literature. As a result, it is suggested that approaches to assessing sport coaches within coach education programmes can sometimes be ill considered and lead to suboptimal experiences for multiple stakeholders. To address this problem situation, we tentatively propose five interconnected principles of assessment in the first section of this article. These include the integration of teaching, learning, and assessment; assessment as a means of developing metacognitive skills; authentic/practice-based assessment; clearly and transparently foregrounding success criteria; and collaboration within assessment activities. By considering these principles, we suggest that there is much to be gained by the coach education community. In the second section, we showcase how these principles have been adopted within a football coach education programme in Flanders (Belgium). With this example, we explain why assessment became a central concern of the organisation and how they developed an effective assessment approach. Finally, we invite considered discussion and comments on our paper, with a view to starting a conversation in an area that is scarcely spoken about.

A Shift in Approach: Assessment and Treatment of Adults With Functional Neurological Disorder.

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a complex condition involving an interaction of psychological, physiological, and social factors. Despite high utilization of medical services, people with FND often suffer from poor long-term health and psychosocial outcomes, and experience stigmatization and marginalization within the medical community. Health service psychologists are well positioned to help patients with FND through the lens of the biopsychosocial model of health. Psychologists can facilitate appropriate assessment and treatment, and advocate for the needs of patients diagnosed with FND within multidisciplinary teams. This article reviews best practices for assessment and treatment of individuals diagnosed with or suspected of having FND and presents some clinical and ethical challenges associated with this complex population.

Collaborative capability building for critical infrastructure resilience: assessment and selection of good practices

Accidental and intentional disruptive events affecting Critical Infrastructure (CI) systems dramatically increase on a global scale and put pressure on governments and CI operators to further improve technical and organizational capacities for securing the continuity of service. Experts in the field call for collaborative approaches to manage CI interdependencies and mitigate domino effects, which amplify the impact of disruptions over space, time and social functions. This paper presents an integrated framework for the classification, assessment and selection of Good Practices (GPs) in the Critical Infrastructure Resilience domain—‘CRAFTER’, from the perspective of collaborative Emergency Management (EM) capability building. The GPs mainly come from local and national level actions and programs, emphasizing the importance of fostering collaborative processes among stakeholders. The study identified 53 GPs through a systematic analysis of available scientific literature and research projects in the CI domain, which were used in the development of the CRAFTER framework. The framework was refined and validated through a questionnaire administered to CI experts, as a way to integrate theory-based and practitioner-based knowledge. The GPs were then classified and assessed according to their intended application context, the activities and functionalities covered, and the EM capabilities they support. The CRAFTER framework enables the assessment and benchmarking of GPs showing their strengths and weaknesses when used to build EM capabilities. It also supports practitioners in selecting a smallest effective bundle of GPS under different institutional and operational contexts, making sure that all the EM phases and capabilities are adequately covered.

Cumulative sum learning curves guiding multicenter multidisciplinary quality improvement of EUS-guided tissue acquisition of solid pancreatic lesions.

Background and study aims In this study, we evaluated the performance of community hospitals involved in the Dutch quality in endosonography team regarding yield of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided tissue acquisition (TA) of solid pancreatic lesions using cumulative sum (CUSUM) learning curves. The aims were to assess trends in quality over time and explore potential benefits of CUSUM as a feedback-tool. Patients and methods All consecutive EUS-guided TA procedures for solid pancreatic lesions were registered in five community hospitals between 2015 and 2018. CUSUM learning curves were plotted for overall performance and for performance per center. The American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy-defined key performance indicators, rate of adequate sample (RAS), and diagnostic yield of malignancy (DYM) were used for this purpose. Feedback regarding performance was provided on multiple occasions at regional interest group meetings during the study period. Results A total of 431 EUS-guided TA procedures in 403 patients were included in this study. The overall and per center CUSUM curves for RAS improved over time. CUSUM curves for DYM revealed gradual improvement, reaching the predefined performance target (70 %) overall, and in three of five contributing centers in 2018. Analysis of a sudden downslope development in the CUSUM curve of DYM in one center revealed temporary absence of a senior cytopathologist to have had a temporary negative impact on performance. Conclusions CUSUM-derived learning curves allow for assessment of best practices by comparison among peers in a multidisciplinary multicenter quality improvement initiative and proved to be a valuable and easy-to-interpret means to evaluate EUS performance over time.

Stuttering and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Assessment and Treatment.

Dual diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and stuttering have been reported in the literature, but little is known about how often they co-occur, the best practices for assessment, and even less about intervention. In this article, we gathered the data available on these issues and compiled and analyzed the sparse findings to offer suggestions for assessment and treatment. This article begins with a glossary of terms to promote consistency and understanding. Next, suggestions for assessment are provided along with a work sheet to document fluency breakdowns and monitor change. Suggestions for language and cognitive issues are also provided with a sample worksheet. Finally, an outline and explanation of stuttering/fluency goals for clients with these dual diagnoses are included. Case studies of two individuals who stutter and are diagnosed with ASD are presented to provide exemplars of how to assess and treat individuals with these dual diagnoses. Caveats on how to work with individuals with ASD and fluency disorders, based on our current understanding, are presented in the conclusion.

EPortfolios for self-regulated learning

ePortfolios in higher education are assumed to be effective at developing and determining complex student competencies and skills highly correspondent to self-regulated learning (SRL). Research validating this assumption, however, is sparse and of varying quality. Drawing on a recent, systematic review of relevant literature by the presenter’s research team, this Pecha Kucha explores major trends and gaps in the research into relationships between ePortfolios and SRL. Corresponding areas and approaches for further research are identified, as well.
 Sustained academic success requires autonomy, agency, and motivation from the learner to effectively plan and execute learning activities (Henri, Morrell & Scott, 2017; Pintrich, 2004). Due to the correspondence of SRL to these characteristics, higher education practitioners and researchers are increasingly interested in how best to support and determine students' SRL development.
 ePortfolios are believed to be a means for accomplishing and evidencing this development. ePortfolios are deliberate, curated collections of work that may provide opportunity for development and demonstration of complex outcomes (Stefani, Mason & Pegler, 2007). This value proposition is based on perceptions that ePortfolios are guided by frameworks for learning rather than predetermined product; centre on active learner engagement and authority; and foster connection and synthesis within and across curricula (Watson, Kuh, Rhodes, Light & Chen, 2016). These criteria strongly overlap with elements of SRL and align with best practices in assessment. ePortfolios are also perceived as a way in which educational technologies may be leveraged to allow students to develop and evidence competencies in innovative ways (Author, 2014).
 The literature supporting such conclusions, however, has recognised problems. These problems range from methodological limitations to a lack of specificity about which activities comprising ePortfolio engagement are most relevant to SRL competencies (Author, 2013; Author, 2018; Rhodes, Chen, Watson, & Garrison, 2014).
 This Pecha Kucha presents results from a systematic review of relevant literature on ePortfolios and SRL. The objectives of the review were to identify methodologically sound studies examining ePortfolio use in relation to SRL, systematically review whether, and how ePortfolio use improves or allows evidence of students’ SRL skills, and propose useful directions for future research and practice.
 A systematic, multi-stage review was conducted of relevant, empirical literature. This yielded only eight studies of sufficient quality and relevance to inform understandings of ePortfolios’ interactions with SRL. Results support the general premise that ePortfolios correlate to SRL development in a higher education context. Limitations within the literature, however, inhibit our ability to establish more specific or causal connections.
 A subsequent thematic analysis of the broader scope of near-acceptable literature yielded a schema of specific, SRL-relevant ePortfolio learning tasks and activities. These have potential for informing practice but require further robust and contextually relevant research. The Pecha Kucha concludes by offering specific suggestions for conducting this research.

A Trauma-Informed Approach to Assessment, Case Conceptualization, and Treatment Planning for Youth Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence.

Children’s exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent public health problem that can result in serious mental health impairments, including traumatic stress. These can emerge early and persist across development. IPV early in life has also been described as a “gateway exposure” to other forms of adversity and trauma. Children and families impacted by IPV have complex needs that complicate assessment and intervention. This paper highlights these issues and reviews best practices in assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment planning as they pertain to the treatment of IPV-exposed children. A case vignette illustrates the complex nature of IPV and application of best practices by telling the story of Isaiah, a 13-year-old boy with an extensive history of IPV exposure and co-occurring adversity and trauma.

Fallacies about communities that lead to failed community relations

ABSTRACT The assessment and implementation of development projects has been disconnected from relevant concepts in social psychology, especially those relating to understanding the interactions between projects and local communities. This disconnection has given rise to the prevalence of several fallacies about human behaviour amongst project staff, decision makers and environmental and social impact assessment practitioners. The playing-out of these fallacies influences the implementation of projects and reduces the likelihood of gaining a social licence to operate. Because these fallacies lead to distorted perceptions about communities, the existence of these fallacies is deleterious to desirable social relations with communities, good impact assessment practice, and to effective project decision-making. We describe eight of these fallacies: subjectivity; naiveté; unpredictability; irrationality; greediness; self-serving; aggressiveness; and rigidity. We discuss these fallacies by drawing on the social psychology constructs of attitudes, risk perception, social identity, and social justice. We conclude by considering how these fallacies can be addressed in practice and how development projects and impact assessment can be improved.

Assessing for Learning: Teacher Training in Practice Involving 14 Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Students

In this age of answerability, assessment is a dominant factor that can either promote or weaken learners’ education internationally. Yet many of the usual practices followed by institutions show that assessments in the classroom continue to be a challenge for teachers. This signifies that assessment is either not well understood or not done effectively during all stages of education. The study reported in this article attempted firstly to detect how prepared teachers were to perform assessments for learning, and secondly to enhance teachers’ assessment practices. It focused on the qualities of good assessment practices, different methods of assessment, types of assessment, and feedback and assessment to enhance learning in the classroom. A qualitative approach was used, involving 14 participants who had completed a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) at a distance teaching institution. Results revealed inter alia a need for longer teaching practice periods, the use of taxonomies on different cognitive levels, and subject-specific workshops. It is recommended that more practical examples, like lecture videos, taxonomies, and rubrics, should be employed, and assessment processes should embrace technology.

Hypoxemia in Young Children Undergoing One-lung Ventilation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

One-lung ventilation in children remains a specialized practice with low case numbers even at tertiary centers, preventing an assessment of best practices. The authors hypothesized that certain case factors may be associated with a higher risk of intraprocedural hypoxemia in children undergoing thoracic surgery and one-lung ventilation. The Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes database and a local quality improvement database were queried for documentation of one-lung ventilation in children 2 months to 3 yr of age inclusive between 2010 and 2020. Patients undergoing vascular or other cardiac procedures were excluded. All records were reviewed electronically for the presence of hypoxemia, oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry (Spo2) less than 90% for 3 min or more continuously, and severe hypoxemia, Spo2 less than 90% for 5 min or more continuously during one-lung ventilation. Records were also assessed for hypercarbia, end-tidal CO2 greater than 60 mmHg for 5 min or more or a Paco2 greater than 60 on arterial blood gas. Covariates assessed for association with these outcomes included age, weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists (Schaumburg, Illinois) Physical Status 3 or greater, duration of one-lung ventilation, preoperative Spo2 less than 98%, bronchial blocker versus endobronchial intubation, left operative side, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, lower tidal volume ventilation (tidal volume less than or equal to 6 ml/kg plus positive end expiratory pressure greater than or equal to 4 cm H2O for more than 80% of the duration of one-lung ventilation), and type of procedure. Three hundred six cases from 15 institutions were included for analysis. Hypoxemia and severe hypoxemia occurred in 81 of 306 (26%) patients and 56 of 306 (18%), respectively. Hypercarbia occurred in 153 of 306 (50%). Factors associated with lower risk of hypoxemia in multivariable analysis included left operative side (odds ratio, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.251 to 0.78]) and bronchial blocker use (odds ratio, 0.351 [95% CI, 0.177 to 0.67]). Additionally, use of a bronchial blocker was associated with a reduced risk of severe hypoxemia (odds ratio, 0.290 [95% CI, 0.125 to 0.62]). Use of a bronchial blocker was associated with a lower risk of hypoxemia in young children undergoing one-lung ventilation.

Do we assess what we set out to teach in obstetrics: An action research study

Background. Medical education empowers students to transform theoretical knowledge into practice. Assessment of knowledge, skills and attitudes determines students’ competency to practice. Assessment methods have been adapted, but not evaluated, to accommodate educational challenges. Objectives. To evaluate whether assessment criteria align with obstetrics learning outcomes. Methods. We conducted a collaborative action research study, in which we reviewed and analysed learning outcomes and assessments according to Bigg’s model of constructive alignment. Data were analysed as per levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. Results. Final-year students have two 3-week modules in obstetrics, with 75% overlap in learning outcomes and assessments. Ninety-five percent of learning outcomes were poorly defined, and 11 - 22% were inappropriately assessed. Summative assessments were comprehensive, but continuous assessments were rudimentary without clear educational benefit. There is a deficiency in assessment of clinical skills and competencies, as assessments have been adapted to accommodate patient confidentiality and increasing student numbers. The lack of good assessment practice compromises the validity of assessments, resulting in assessments that do not focus on higher levels of thinking. Conclusion. There was poor alignment between assessment and outcomes. Combining the obstetrics modules, and reviewing learning outcomes and assessments as a single entity, will improve the authenticity of assessments.

Audit: children & young peoples's services depression pathway Tees, Esk & Wear Valley Trust wide compliance

BackgroundThis complete cycle consists of an audit assessing compliance with the evidence based person-centred pathway of care for Depression in Children and Young People across the Trust, completion of an action plan and re-audit of progress, aiming to improve patient care. The pathway was derived from NICE Quality Standard 48/Clinical Guideline 28, updated for NICE Guideline 134 (2019) and includes comprehensive assessment considering comorbidities, social, educational and family context, parent/carer Mental Health assessment and plan for treatment including psychological therapies as first line treatment in mild depression.MethodThe Audit tool was compiled from the above evidence based pathway and NICE guidance. Each of the 26 community teams were requested to select 5 cases on the pathway who had completed a minimum of 6 treatment sessions (final sample size n = 61). The results were analysed for compliance against the pathway and compared with previous results by the clinical audit team.ResultThe results showed areas of good practice, maintained and improved on re-audit, with over 90% compliance in key evidence based areas regarding consideration of comorbidity, social and educational context and 100% compliance in offering psychological interventions.Improvement was obtained in some areas highlighted in the previous audit e.g. poor recording of ICD 10 diagnosis in medical records, 19%, improved to 30%, and less than 40% recording of symptom tracking via the RCADS (Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale) monitoring improved to over 50%. There had been a failure to record identification or referral to other pathways/services for mild depression in the 16-18 age group with 0% compliance; this improved to 82% and 100% respectively.Areas still needing improvement were highlighted including recording of weekly monitoring of medication side-effects for first 4 weeks (43%) and a referral of parent/carers to mental health services after identifying issues (40%).Response to the audit also improved significantly from 29% of teams not responding in the initial audit to a limitation of only 1 of 26 (4%) at re-audit.ConclusionThis audit cycle has demonstrated that use of an evidence based approach has been instrumental in improving patient care. The Audit evidenced areas of good practice in holistic assessment and use of psychological therapies and importantly highlighted areas of significant improvement needed including initial monitoring of medication response and referral onwards of parents/carers with mental health issues. Continuous improvement in patient care is planned via a targeted action plan, and further re-audit.

An Inclusive Workshop Centered on Assessment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Student Learning Outcomes

Assessment of student learning is a cornerstone of biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) education. Yet few BMB instructors receive meaningful professional development in best practices in assessment. To promote such training in the BMB education community, we conducted a workshop on writing questions for summative assessment in the summer of 2020. Recognizing the individual and institutional homogeneity in our BMB education community, we recruited workshop participants primarily from the Southeastern United States due to the multitude of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the region. 28 participants were selected to provide diversity in individual and institutional demographics. Led by six members of the ASBMB Accreditation and Certification Exam Team, the online workshop, spread across nine days, featured whole-group discussions interspersed with small-group activities. Post-workshop surveys revealed significant gains in self-reported professional development in assessment creation. Surveys also highlighted the inclusive environment of the workshop. 43% of the workshop participants were subsequently recruited into the ASBMB Certification Exam Team, providing fresh voices and perspective to the group. This workshop is an excellent example of how the intentional partnership with individuals and institutions from historically marginalized populations can begin a movement toward necessary and meaningful change in the BMB education community.

Assessment of Good Practices in Community-Based Interventions for Physical Activity Promotion: Development of a User-Friendly Tool.

Tools to identify good practices in the design, implementation, and evaluation of physical activity community-based interventions (PACIs) are key to address the physical inactivity pandemic. Existing tools tend to be extensive and with limited applicability to assess small-scale PACIs. This work aimed to report the development and preliminary validity results of a simple, practical, and user-friendly tool to evaluate PACIs in local/municipal contexts. Eighty-six good practice characteristics defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint Action Framework on Chronic Diseases (CHRODIS), and an umbrella review of good practice characteristics of diet and physical activity interventions were initially extracted and refined in four rounds of revision from an expert panel using a Delphi-type methodology and rated on their relative importance. A pilot application was conducted, and data on the tool usability and applicability were collected through three semi-structured interviews with specialists and coordinators of local/municipal PACIs. For preliminary validation, the refined tool was applied to five community-based programs mostly aimed at an elderly population. The final tool included thirty-four selected characteristics, with a brief explanation and practical examples for each, under three main sections: design, evaluation, and implementation. Each characteristic has a rating (i.e., somewhat important, highly important, mandatory) and a percentage weight. Preliminary validation of this tool pointed to an adequate evaluation of good practice characteristics of municipal PACIs in a reliable, practical, and user-friendly way. Given its adequacy, this tool can support the definition of quality standards for PACIs, encouraging their dissemination and adoption at a regional or national level.