Half-day Seminar Research Articles

Design, delivery, and evaluation of seminars and hands-on courses worldwide on intraoperative imaging in orthopedic trauma

IntroductionAlthough intraoperative imaging is important for assessing the quality of several steps during fracture fixation, most trainees and surgeons have received little formal education on this topic and report they learn "on the job" and "through practice". A planning committee of orthopedic trauma surgeons was established to design a curriculum using "backward planning" to identify patient problems, identify gaps in surgeons' knowledge and skills, and define competencies as a framework for education in order to optimize patient care. Materials and methodsThe committee defined 8 competencies related to intraoperative imaging, with detailed learning objectives for each one (e.g. select the imaging modality, set up the operating room). An interactive, case-based half-day seminar to deliver these objectives for 2-D and 3-D intraoperative imaging during the fixation of common fractures was designed. The seminar was delivered in several locations worldwide over a 6-year period and evaluation and assessment data were gathered online. A full-day procedures course was added and delivered 6 times to address the skills component of competencies. Results17 seminars and 6 courses were delivered and attended by an average of 26 and 17 participants respectively (ranges 13–42 and 13–20). Pre-event gap analysis and assessment question scores confirmed needs and motivation to learn in all events. 97% of the 442 seminar participants and 98% of the 100 course participants would recommend the events to colleagues. An average of 88% and 90% respectively learned something new and plan to use it in their practice (range 63%-100%). Commitment to change (CTC) statements showed intended practice improvements related to all competencies. DiscussionThe large percentages of high impact ratings for all events suggest the content met the needs of many participants. Post-event reduction in gap scores and an increase in the desired level of ability for most competencies suggests the content addressed many gaps. ConclusionsCase-based, interactive seminars and courses addressing knowledge, skills, and attitudes to optimize the use of intraoperative imaging during the fixation of common fractures help address unmet educational needs for trainees and complements existing formal training.

Person-centered endoscopy safety checklist: Development, implementation, and evaluation.

AIMTo describe the development and implementation of a person-centered endoscopy safety checklist and to evaluate the effects of a “checklist intervention”.METHODSThe checklist, based on previously published safety checklists, was developed and locally adapted, taking patient safety aspects into consideration and using a person-centered approach. This novel checklist was introduced to the staff of an endoscopy unit at a Stockholm University Hospital during half-day seminars and team training sessions. Structured observations of the endoscopy team’s performance were conducted before and after the introduction of the checklist. In addition, questionnaires focusing on patient participation, collaboration climate, and patient safety issues were collected from patients and staff.RESULTSA person-centered safety checklist was developed and introduced by a multi-professional group in the endoscopy unit. A statistically significant increase in accurate patient identity verification by the physicians was noted (from 0% at baseline to 87% after 10 mo, P < 0.001), and remained high among nurses (93% at baseline vs 96% after 10 mo, P = nonsignificant). Observations indicated that the professional staff made frequent attempts to use the checklist, but compliance was suboptimal: All items in the observed nurse-led “summaries” were included in 56% of these interactions, and physicians participated by directly facing the patient in 50% of the interactions. On the questionnaires administered to the staff, items regarding collaboration and the importance of patient participation were rated more highly after the introduction of the checklist, but this did not result in statistical significance (P = 0.07/P = 0.08). The patients rated almost all items as very high both before and after the introduction of the checklist; hence, no statistical difference was noted.CONCLUSIONThe intervention led to increased patient identity verification by physicians - a patient safety improvement. Clear evidence of enhanced person-centeredness or team work was not found.

Implementing workplace health promotion – role of middle managers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address a missing link between top management and employees when it comes to understanding how to successfully implement and embed workplace health promotion (WHP) as a strategy within organizations: the role of the middle managers.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework based on review of theory is applied within an empirical multi-case study that is part of a health intervention research project on increased physical activity among office workers. The study involves six Danish organizations.FindingsMiddle managers play a key role in successful implementation of WHP, but feel uncertain about their role, especially when it comes to engaging with their employees. Uncertainty about their role appears to make middle managers reluctant to take action on WHP and leave further action to top management instead.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations included the middle managers’ low attendance at the half-day seminar on strategic health (50 percent attendance), the fact that they were all office workers and they were all from Denmark.Practical implicationsMiddle managers ask for more knowledge and skills if they are to work with WHP in daily business.Social implicationsImplementing and embedding WHP as a health strategy raises ethical issues of interfering with employees’ health, is seen as the employee’s personal responsibility.Originality/valueThis study adds to knowledge of the difficulties of implementing and embedding WHP activities in the workplace and suggests an explicit and detailed research design.

Lagged Versus Difference Score Regression: An Example From a Community-Based Educational Seminar Evaluation

Objectives. To demonstrate the use of evaluation data in determining the effectiveness of a series of community-based educational seminars designed to educate substance abuse treatment counselors on the latest science regarding the effects of alcohol abuse on diseases of the liver and pancreas; in the process, to highlight the use of difference scores versus lagged regression as alternative approaches to conducting such evaluations. Methods. Data were collected from 338 seminar participants during 4 half-day seminars in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2014. Pre- and post-seminar data were collected immediately before and after the seminar, approximately 3 hours apart. Survey questions included demographics and a series of multiple-choice knowledge questions that were identical at pre- and posttest. Results. Analyses showed that, on average, participants improved their knowledge by 19.7 percentage points from 0.44 to 0.63, or 44.7%. Factors associated with learning using difference scores revealed that only survey wave (time) was associated with learning. In contrast, lagged regression results showed that in addition to wave, participants who reported attending the seminar because they were required to for their job learned less, whereas those attending because they wanted to learn the material learned more. Education was also significantly associated with knowledge change. Conclusions. This study illustrates that relying on difference score analyses to estimate programmatic effects and changes in knowledge for educational programs can lead to faulty conclusions whereas lagged regression is a better approach to assess program impact.

Interprofessional learning on a stroke unit.

The importance of a collaborative approach to patient care in improving safety and outcomes has been highlighted by medical regulatory organisations. The World Health Organization has advocated that future health care professionals should be 'collaborative practice ready', and there is a global drive to incorporate interprofessional learning into health education. Interprofessional learning promotes the development of effective teamworking skills and improves the understanding of roles in the multidisciplinary team. This article outlines the development of a practice-based interprofessional learning initiative on a stroke unit. The World Health Organization has advocated that future health care professionals should be 'collaborative practice ready' A half-day seminar was developed by King's College London in conjunction with an interprofessional clinical team from the Stroke Unit at St Thomas' Hospital. Students were assigned discipline-specific supervisors who allocated them to care for a patient within the confines of their usual professional role. They were asked to present the patient to a mixed-discipline group of students within the seminar from the perspective of their individual disciplines. This was followed by supervisor-led group discussions concerning the care of the patient and interprofessional working. Sixty-seven students from different disciplines participated in nine seminars over a 2-year period. Thematic analysis of participants' comments revealed an improvement in the students' awareness of: the varying roles and responsibilities of professionals; how differing disciplines share functions; and the importance of effective communication. All students stated that they would recommend the seminar to other students. Effective interprofessional learning programmes are imperative to promote collaborative practice amongst health care professionals. Stroke units are ideal learning environments for practice-based interprofessional education.

A Curriculum in Health Systems and Public Health for Internal Medicine Residents

Medical educators and accreditation organizations recognize that healthcare professionals in the future will depend on working knowledge of the larger contexts and systems of health care, including population and public health. Little published guidance on medical education in health systems and public health exists, particularly for graduate medical education. This study describes the evaluation of a curriculum in health systems and public health which was successfully implemented in an internal medicine residency training program. A pilot program consisting of a week-long didactic curriculum for senior residents, including ten half-day seminars. Two cycles of the pilot curriculum were implemented in September and November, 2007. The participants were third-year residents in an internal medicine training program at a large, urban academic medical center. The 1-week curriculum was fully implemented and evaluated in the academic years 2008-2010. It included seminars on health policy and economics, health insurance, technology and cost assessment, legal medicine, public health, community-oriented primary care, and local health department initiatives. Residents evaluated the quality and impact of the seminars and overall curriculum, retrospectively assessed their knowledge of topics presented before and after the seminars, and rated the seminars that were most valuable to them. The seminars were highly rated by the participating residents, and the curriculum was judged by them to be valuable in their clinical activities and professional development. Key lessons learned included the importance of accessing resources external to the residency program and the challenge of making learning in health systems and public health active and relevant to clinical practice.

Development of a universal psycho-educational intervention to prevent common postpartum mental disorders in primiparous women: a multiple method approach.

BackgroundPrevention of postnatal mental disorders in women is an important component of comprehensive health service delivery because of the substantial potential benefits for population health. However, diverse approaches to prevention of postnatal depression have had limited success, possibly because anxiety and adjustment disorders are also problematic, mental health problems are multifactorially determined, and because relationships amongst psychosocial risk factors are complex and difficult to modify. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a novel psycho-educational intervention to prevent postnatal mental disorders in mothers of firstborn infants.MethodsData from a variety of sources were synthesised: a literature review summarised epidemiological evidence about neglected modifiable risk factors; clinical research evidence identified successful psychosocial treatments for postnatal mental health problems; consultations with clinicians, health professionals, policy makers and consumers informed the proposed program and psychological and health promotion theories underpinned the proposed mechanisms of effect. The intervention was pilot-tested with small groups of mothers and fathers and their first newborn infants.ResultsWhat Were We Thinking! is a psycho-educational intervention, designed for universal implementation, that addresses heightened learning needs of parents of first newborns. It re-conceptualises mental health problems in mothers of infants as reflecting unmet needs for adaptations in the intimate partner relationship after the birth of a baby, and skills to promote settled infant behaviour. It addresses these two risk factors in half-day seminars, facilitated by trained maternal and child health nurses using non-psychiatric language, in groups of up to five couples and their four-week old infants in primary care. It is designed to promote confidence and reduce mental disorders by providing skills in sustainable sleep and settling strategies, and the re-negotiation of the unpaid household workload in non-confrontational ways. Materials include a Facilitators' Handbook, creatively designed worksheets for use in seminars, and a book for couples to take home for reference. A website provides an alternative means of access to the intervention.ConclusionsWhat Were We Thinking! is a postnatal mental health intervention which has the potential to contribute to psychologically-informed routine primary postnatal health care and prevent common mental disorders in women.

A Brief History of The American College of Veterinary Pathologists, 1961–1988

It being a popular tradition to designate the end of each decade as a special occasion, and 2009 being the 60th year of the official establishment of The American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), it is fitting to review the more significant highlights in its development from its humble beginnings to its present highly acclaimed status in the discipline of veterinary pathology throughout the world. The early history of the organization from 1947 to its charter year, 1949, and from then to 1960, was reported in great detail by the founder of The ACVP, Dr. T.C. Jones, in an article published in 1990 (see Vet Pathol 27:468–520, 1990). The annual meeting and the examination for admission to the College initially were held at the University of Chicago, because of that city’s central location and low cost of accommodation and as a corollary to the US Livestock Sanitary Association’s Conference for Research Workers in Animal Diseases. This conference took place at the time of Thanksgiving. Although not the best time to be away from home, the time and place remained the same, in spite of strenuous objections by families of the participants, until 1969. In that year, Presidentelect Dr. Paul Newberne vowed to move the meeting and examination for 1970 out of Chicago. With the support of like-minded members he succeeded in having them held in December in New Orleans, which had been chosen by Dr. Bob Sauer. For about eight years thereafter, Bob was responsible for finding cities that had a hotel or convention center with facilities suitable for the conference and the examination. At some of the chosen venues the facilities for the examination were less than optimal. This was remedied when the site for the examination was moved to Iowa State University at Ames in 1978, where it has remained ever since. For each annual meeting through 1996, a specific theme was chosen. Initially, the emphasis was on gross and microscopic pathology for the meeting and the examination. In those early years we had few pathologists who, shall we say, were regarded as experts on the pathology of specific organs or systems. To remedy this, a medical pathologist who was well known as an expert in the main topic of the meeting was invited to present a half-day seminar at the conclusion of the program. These guests proved to be excellent teachers who helped immeasurably to enhance our knowledge. Two such notables were Dr. Hans Popper and Dr. Zimmerman, experts respectively on the liver and eye. In the days when there were relatively few members, the annual business meetings were extremely lively affairs with some heated and passionate discussions. Everyone took part and offered many and varied opinions on each subject on the agenda. One particularly memorable meeting was when we were discussing whether or not to create a separate section of the examination for clinical pathology. It seems somewhat ridiculous now that we argued back and forth as to which was correct: ‘‘veterinary clinical pathology’’ or ‘‘clinical veterinary pathology.’’ Those who were there will recall the stentorian voice of, now deceased member, Dr. Charlie Barron as he pontificated on his view, which was the one that prevailed. As the number of members grew it became evident that the duties of the secretary were becoming too onerous for one person. Various ways to solve this matter were discussed by the Council, one of them being the hiring of a management company to take over the administrative duties, and especially those that involved the finances of the College and the organization of the annual meeting. In 1987 as President, I decided we should search for a company that might be interested; one of them was Allen Press, a Kansas City publisher that had taken over publication of the journal. It seemed to be a good choice but not being able to come to an agreement in the Council, further discussion was abandoned for that year. It continued in 1988 during the presidency of Dr. John Shadduck when negotiations began with the Talley Management Group, with whom a contract was signed. This Group became fully functional in 1990 under the presidency of Dr. Oscar Fletcher, who remarked in his presidential address, that I was the one responsible for bringing our group ‘‘kicking and screaming’’ to this point in its history. Vet Pathol 46:1092–1094 (2009)

Hospice and palliative care: An educational intervention for healthcare professionals in a rural community

The purpose of the study was to increase the awareness and availability of hospice care in rural communities. In Taos, New Mexico, a community of about 30,000 people, we developed an educational intervention that introduced the topic of end-of-life care and hospice to their healthcare professionals. We targeted nurses, physicians, and other related healthcare professionals. The nurses and allied health professionals received a half-day seminar. The physicians attended a grand round about hospice and palliative care lead by the local hospice medical director. This individual was an important member of the local medical staff and was certified in hospice and palliative medicine. After the intervention, we were able to demonstrate an increase in the hospice annual census by 85 percent (p < 0.001). Average length of stay was not altered (27.3 percent enrolled for six days or less preintervention, 29.5 percent enrolled for six days or less postintervention; p = 0.97). Similarly, the number of patients admitted with a non-cancer diagnosis was not affected (54.6 percent preintervention, 44.3 percent postintervention; p = 0.34). We concluded that the educational intervention significantly increased the number of patients referred for hospice care. However, it did not affect the length of stay or increase enrollment for people with a non-cancer diagnosis. The educational intervention was inexpensive, locally run, and very effective as demonstrated by the increase in hospice referrals. Exporting the model to other rural sites appears to be feasible.

Bridge Evaluations Using Nondestructive Techniques

In the fall of 2002, I had the privilege of moderating a half-day seminar on nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques at ASCE’s 150th Anniversary Conference, in Washington, D.C. Eight speakers addressed a wide range of established and developing technologies that allow us to learn how a building is put together, without taking it apart. At that seminar, Ken Carper, editor of this Journal, suggested devoting one or more special topic issues to NDE techniques and technologies. This is the first of what we hope will be a recurring series of journal issues focused on NDE. The six papers presented here all address the critical issue of bridge evaluation, with particular attention given to the implementation and standardization of NDE techniques. There are more than a half-million bridges in the United States. Many are well-known and receive the special care and attention commensurate with their celebrity status. My esteemed New York neighbor, the Brooklyn Bridge, frequently carries my feet to and from my home across the East River, and is no less inspiring or serviceable than the day it opened more than 120 years ago. The vast majority of our bridges, however, labor in relative obscurity, but have equal importance. On a highway drive of any length we may unknowingly entrust our safety to dozens of utilitarian bridges. Despite their lowly status, these structures perform in an environment far more challenging than most buildings ever experience. In addition to lateral forces (wind and seismic), foundation settlement, and materials deterioration, bridges are subjected to constant dynamic loading and associated fatigue, aggressive erosive forces from flowing water, the corrosive impact of road salts, and cyclic freezing. Sadly, from time to time we have been reminded of the reality of the forces that affect bridge performance. The wind-driven failure of the Tacoma Narrows bridge, an image that often graces the cover of this journal, is the most widely known, but numerous other failures have imparted equally tough lessons to the profession. For example, the 1987 failure of the Schoharie Creek Bridge was one of several caused by scour, but in a broader sense it represented a failure of the inspection and evaluation program. Numerous observations of the bridge before the fatal collapse failed to detect critical weaknesses. Because of the importance of our bridges and the aggressive environments in which they serve, mandatory periodic bridgeinspection programs exist throughout the United States, and indeed throughout much of the world. These programs and the professionals who execute them serve a continuing vital role in protecting the safety and welfare of the public. The work of bridge inspectors has undoubtedly averted countless potential failures. Nevertheless, even an occasional failure is one too many, and we continue to strive to improve the accuracy, consistency, and

An end-of-life curriculum: empowering the resident, patient, and family.

Physician training programs in undergraduate and graduate medical education strongly recommend that their trainees gain experience in helping patients and their families address end-of-life and palliative care issues with knowledge and compassion. Currently these training programs are inadequately meeting this goal. This paper describes a creative 1-day training workshop or several half-day seminars on the end of life, which are delivered as part of our family practice intern orientation. The training includes self-awareness about death, communicating bad news, guidance with paperwork and legal issues, the stages of grief, patient's perspectives on dying, hospice, and physician well-being.

The Impact of an Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop on Residents’ Attitudes towards and Self-Reported Ability in Evidence-Based Practice

Background: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a part of many medical school and residency curricula worldwide, but there is little research into the most effective methods to teach these skills.Purpose: To evaluate whether a course on EBM utilizing adult learning principals leads to both immediate and short-term attitudinal, confidence, and behavioral change.Methods: Seventy-three (73) Internal Medicine and Internal Medicine/Pediatric residents attended a half-day seminar on EBM. Participants completed pre- and post-course 5-point Likert questionnaires, and set two personal goals for integrating EBM into their daily practice. We performed nonparametric two -sample Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests to compare responses. We also elicited the self-reported success of the residents in meeting their goals one-month post-course.Results: Attitudes about EBM improved (3.5 pre-course vs. 3.7 post-course), as well as selfreported EBM skills (3.0 vs. 3.3). Seventy-two percent of residents reported having met at least one of their two goals for the integration of EBM into their practice.Conclusions: An EBM workshop based upon adult learning principles was successful in meeting multiple educational goals. The links between andragogy, learners’ internal drive for behavior change, and successful EBM education should be further explored.

INFORMATION SECURITY SEMINAR: INFORMATION SECURITY AND THE LAW SEMINAR; STIRLING UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT CENTRE, TUESDAY 23 RD APRIL 2002

Sapphire Technologies and The Law Society of Scotland co-hosted a free half-day seminar at the Stirling University Management Centre on 23 April. The 100 delegates who attended were briefed on the key issues in respect of law and regulation relating to Information Security in the “e-World”.

Near Seabed Geophysics and Geotechnics: What can they do for your next subsea pipeline project?&lt;BR&gt; Report on an SUT half-day seminar, held 18 July 1996, Aberdeen, UK

Near Seabed Geophysics and Geotechnics: What can they do for your next subsea pipeline project?&lt;BR&gt; Report on an SUT half-day seminar, held 18 July 1996, Aberdeen, UK

WRITING A SURGICAL PAPER: WHY AND HOW?

Australian and New Zealand Journal of SurgeryVolume 60, Issue 9 p. 661-664 WRITING A SURGICAL PAPER: WHY AND HOW?* Michael J. Grigg, Michael J. Grigg Department of Surgery, Monash Medical School and the Baker Medical Research Institute, Prahran, Victoria, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorFranklin L. Rosenfeldt, Corresponding Author Franklin L. Rosenfeldt Department of Surgery, Monash Medical School and the Baker Medical Research Institute, Prahran, Victoria, AustraliaF. L. Rosenfeldt, Baker Medical Research Institute, P. O. Box 348, Prahran, vic. 3181, Australia.Search for more papers by this author Michael J. Grigg, Michael J. Grigg Department of Surgery, Monash Medical School and the Baker Medical Research Institute, Prahran, Victoria, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorFranklin L. Rosenfeldt, Corresponding Author Franklin L. Rosenfeldt Department of Surgery, Monash Medical School and the Baker Medical Research Institute, Prahran, Victoria, AustraliaF. L. Rosenfeldt, Baker Medical Research Institute, P. O. Box 348, Prahran, vic. 3181, Australia.Search for more papers by this author First published: September 1990 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1445-2197.1990.tb07452.xCitations: 5 * Based on a half-day seminar on writing surgical papers arranged by the Monash Univeristy Department of Surgery and held at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in August 1988. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume60, Issue9September 1990Pages 661-664 RelatedInformation

Adjustment of caloric intake based on self-monitoring in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: Development and feasibility

It has been recommended that patients who perform self-blood glucose monitoring use the information gained from the test to alter their diabetic regimen. Skyler et al. have proposed algorithms for patients to adjust their insulin dosage when blood sugar is elevated. However, the clinical result of increasing insulin dosage may be the promotion of weight gain. We proposed that altering the regimen by decreasing caloric intake is an appropriate first approach for NIDDM patients for whom weight loss would be of considerable benefit. Results of an initial needs assessment showed that patients did not generally regard testing and adjusting therapy as important in taking care of diabetes. A recent study by Fox et al. reported similar results, showing that a large portion of patients using blood glucose self-monitoring do not make changes in their regimen when they know that their blood sugar is elevated. Consequently, we implemented a half-day seminar to instruct patients on making adjustments in their dietary regimen on the basis of results of glucose monitoring. Results suggest that our teaching methods were effective in teaching patients to follow the adjusting algorithm. Although we observed trends toward improved metabolic control and weight loss, further studies are required to document the clinical benefit of adjustment of caloric intake based on self-monitoring in diabetes.

Group Dynamics Within Long-Term Continuing Education Programs

Nursing educators have responded to the need for continuing education by developing a variety of programs ranging in length from half-day seminars to several months of intensive study. Although books and articles have been written about nurses returning to school for baccalaureate degrees and the ensuing expectations, changes, and needs involved in this process, the literature revealed little information on how students, families, and faculty "live" a long-term continuing education (CE) experience. This article will examine the evolution of students into well-defined groups. The stages of group process, development of norms, assumption of roles within the groups, and factors related to conflicts are discussed. Methods used to reduce conflict and facilitate the movement of the groups to the resolution stage are presented in order to assist instructors involved in long-term CE programs.