Training Of Health Professionals Research Articles

Operational mental health. . .what practitioners and commanders should know.

Mental Health support to military operations is well established as an integral part of military medicine. Unfortunately, Commanders often receive little or no training in how best to use their mental health assets or what their capabilities are. Conversely, members of a Field Mental Health Team frequently have no operational experience and try to merely translate their civilian practice onto the battlefield. This article describes what mental health professional can, and should do on military deployments and calls for greater training and awareness of both Mental Health professionals and Operational Commanders to foster mutual understanding and use the Field Mental Health Team to best effect. The paper drawson the experience of working in a Field Mental Health Team on six operational deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military mental health professionals work mostly in peacetime and this work ill prepares them for the very different type of work required of them on operations. More training is required to prepare both practitioners and commanders for the mental health issues that confront them on operational deployments.

Experiences of health services for adults with cerebral palsy, their support people, and service providers.

To explore the experiences of health services among adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in Ireland, from the perspectives of adults with CP, their support people, and service providers. A qualitative descriptive study design was used. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and August 2021 with adults with CP, people who supported them, and health professionals. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data. Twenty-one adults with CP, seven support people (family carer[s], spouse or partner, or friend), and 15 service providers participated in the study. Adults had a mean age of 38 years 5 months (range 22-58 years) and were classified in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to V. Five themes were identified from the data: (1) access challenges in adult services; (2) knowledge and understanding of CP; (3) support people's role and care burden; (4) communication and interaction in adult services; and (5) health system challenges. Adults with CP in Ireland face multiple challenges accessing the health services they need. Services were reported to be inadequate, with limited resources and understanding of CP. Participants highlighted a need for system-level interventions, including enhanced training for health professionals to effectively meet the needs of adults with CP.

Factors Associated With Continuous Use of a Cancer Education Metaverse Platform: Mixed Methods Study.

Early detection of cancer and provision of appropriate treatment can increase the cancer cure rate and reduce cancer-related deaths. Early detection requires improving the cancer screening quality of each medical institution and enhancing the capabilities of health professionals through tailored education in each field. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, regional disparities in educational infrastructure emerged, and educational accessibility was restricted. The demand for remote cancer education services to address these issues has increased, and in this study, we considered medical metaverses as a potential means of meeting these needs. In 2022, we used Metaverse Educational Center, developed for the virtual training of health professionals, to train radiologic technologists remotely in mammography positioning. This study aims to investigate the user experience of the Metaverse Educational Center subplatform and the factors associated with the intention for continuous use by focusing on cases of using the subplatform in a remote mammography positioning training project. We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional survey between July and December 2022. We performed a descriptive analysis to examine the Metaverse Educational Center user experience and a logistic regression analysis to clarify factors closely related to the intention to use the subplatform continuously. In addition, a supplementary open-ended question was used to obtain feedback from users to improve Metaverse Educational Center. Responses from 192 Korean participants (male participants: n=16, 8.3%; female participants: n=176, 91.7%) were analyzed. Most participants were satisfied with Metaverse Educational Center (178/192, 92.7%) and wanted to continue using the subplatform in the future (157/192, 81.8%). Less than half of the participants (85/192, 44.3%) had no difficulty in wearing the device. Logistic regression analysis results showed that intention for continuous use was associated with satisfaction (adjusted odds ratio 3.542, 95% CI 1.037-12.097; P=.04), immersion (adjusted odds ratio 2.803, 95% CI 1.201-6.539; P=.02), and no difficulty in wearing the device (adjusted odds ratio 2.020, 95% CI 1.004-4.062; P=.049). However, intention for continuous use was not associated with interest (adjusted odds ratio 0.736, 95% CI 0.303-1.789; P=.50) or perceived ease of use (adjusted odds ratio 1.284, 95% CI 0.614-2.685; P=.51). According to the qualitative feedback, Metaverse Educational Center was useful in cancer education, but the experience of wearing the device and the types and qualities of the content still need to be improved. Our results demonstrate the positive user experience of Metaverse Educational Center by focusing on cases of using the subplatform in a remote mammography positioning training project. Our results also suggest that improving users' satisfaction and immersion and ensuring the lack of difficulty in wearing the device may enhance their intention for continuous use of the subplatform.

Essence of Establishing Fully Equipped Emergency Medicine Department for Medical Professionals: Key Informants Interview

Background: Medical profession is a combination of multi- sectoral and multi-departmental approach. Emergency department is such type of service area which deals with emergent condition of patients by skilled professionals, staffs and necessary equipment. So, it is important to find out the necessity of establishment of fully equipped Emergency Medicine and Causality Department in health professional training institutes. Methods: This qualitative section representing a larger cross-sectional study that was conducted from July 2022 to June 2023 to identify current status of emergency care among interns and medical students of Bangladesh. This information were obtained by conducting in-depth interviews with 10 emergency physicians of eight medical college hospitals to find out essence of Emergency Medicine and Causality Department. Results: Most (80%) of the interviewees mentioned that learning Emergency Medicine is very vital for medical students and interns. They also mentioned that due to identity crisis of the Emergency Medicine, creating challenges for medical graduates to trained upon emergent cases. Majorities (70%) of the interviewees clearly defined that medical professionals are continuously losing skills to handle medical emergencies due to improper training facility by proper trainer and staffs. Many (60%) of the interviewees mentioned a hopeless situation that the learners’ skills not up to mark to deal emergency cases. It’s not only the learner fault, it’s also for lacking in our educational policy. Majorities (70%) of the interviewees agreed that if we want to flourish the essence of emergency Medicine care for our learners it is mandatory to establish separate Emergency Medicine Department by skilled trainers, staffs and required equipment. Conclusion: This study recommended to produce competent medical graduates by fully equipped of separate Emergency Medicine Department. CME J 2024; 3(2); 38-42

Influence of spirituality on quality of life in community-dwelling elderly: integrative literature review

Aging brings with it some limitations that become more pronounced with advancing age, and psychological, physical, behavioral, and social changes can reduce the quality of life of the elderly, who seek spirituality. Spirituality is a tool for coping with difficulties and attributing meaning to life, providing hope, faith, and motivation. This study analyzed the health aspects associated with spirituality in community-dwelling elderly people. This is an integrative review that synthesized the scientific production with the guiding question: What scientific knowledge production on health-related aspects are associated with better levels of spirituality in community-dwelling elderly people in Brazil? Articles with the descriptors in Portuguese and English were selected: spirituality, aged , and quality of life with the following inclusion criteria: published in full, available electronically, in Portuguese, English, and/or Spanish, published between 2015 and 2020, in the SciELO, LILACS, PubMed, and Capes Periodical Portal databases. A total of 130 articles were identified, and 15 were selected that presented evidence on the influence of spirituality on the quality of life of the elderly. After reading the articles, two categories of analysis emerged: I – The experience of spirituality in situations of chronic diseases, and II – The relationship of spirituality with the well-being/quality of life of the elderly. Most of the studies showed positive effects of spirituality on health outcomes, with better physical health conditions, quality of life, longer survival, lower rates of depression and lower prevalence of chronic diseases. In addition, it demonstrated the ability to withstand limitations and protect against stress in the face of changes in aging. Finally, the results indicate a positive influence of spirituality on the quality of life of the elderly. The importance of spirituality for health practices and the need to value it and include it in professional health training are highlighted.

Open E-Survey on the Use and Perception of Chatbots in Vascular Surgery

ObjectiveLarge language models and artificial intelligence (AI) based chatbots have brought new insights in healthcare, but they also raise major concerns. Their applications in vascular surgery have scarcely been investigated to date. This international survey aimed to evaluate the perceptions and feedback from vascular surgeons on the use of AI chatbots in vascular surgery. MethodsThis international open e-survey comprised 50 items that covered participant characteristics, their perceptions on the use of AI chatbots in vascular surgery, and their user experience. The study was designed in accordance with the Checklist for reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys and was critically reviewed and approved by international members of the European Vascular Research Collaborative (EVRC) prior to distribution. Participation was open to self-reported health professionals specialised (or specialising) in vascular surgery, including residents or fellows. ResultsOf the 342 individuals who visited the survey page, 318 (93%) agreed to participate; 262 (82.4%) finished the survey and were included in the analysis. Most were consultants or attending physicians (64.1%), most declared not having any training or education related to AI in healthcare (221; 84.4%), and 198 (75.6%) rated their knowledge about the abilities of AI chatbots between average to very poor. Interestingly, 95 participants (36.3%) found that AI chatbots were very useful or somewhat useful in clinical practice at this stage and 229 (87.4%) agreed that they should be systematically validated prior to being used. Eighty participants (30.5%) had specifically tested it for questions related to clinical practice and 59 (73.8%) of them experienced issues or limitations. ConclusionThis international survey provides an overview of perceptions of AI chatbots by vascular surgeons and highlights the need to improve knowledge and training of health professionals to better evaluate, define, and implement their use in vascular surgery.

The implementation of the elective subject "Public Health" in the final year for medical students at Göttingen University Medical Center: results of the UNITE project

International and national frameworks and initiatives call for strengthening the training of health professionals in the public health service (PHS) through cooperation with universities. The German Medical Licensing Regulations of 21st Sep 2021 provides for an integration of PHS into undergraduate medical training in the final year since 1st May 2022. The present study presents the procedure and results of the final year elective Public Health (PH) implementation for medical students at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) in cooperation with the local PHS. In the twelve-month project UNITE (07/21-06/22), the final year elective PH was implemented in seven steps: analysis of the framework conditions, conception of the elective, preparation of a logbook, pilot phase with five students in one-week rotations, public relations for students, introduction of a medical didactic training for staff of the health department and implementation of the elective PHS with students. A cooperation agreement between UMG and the Health Department regulates the training of medical students. Students complete four-week rotations in the areas of public health service and funeral services, paediatric and adolescent medical service, infection control and social psychiatric service. The logbook for students contains learning objectives for individuals specialised in services for self-assessment of the acquired competences. The didactics training was implemented with high learning success of the participating staff. So far three final year students have successfully completed the elective. The implementation of final year elective PHS strengthens the anchoring of public health topics in the education of medical students in Göttingen and makes PHS more visible as a professional perspective. Essential for the successful implementation were the establishment of a continuous cooperation between the university and the health department, student-oriented teaching-learning concept with a logbook suitable for the location, a trained multiprofessional team in the health department, and the evaluation of the elective for quality assurance and further development of the training. The concept presented here can help other locations in establishing the final year elective in PH and can be adapted to specific local conditions.

Kato-Katz slide preservation technique: extension of viability and the benefits for schistosomiasis control programs

The World Health Organization recommends the use of the Kato-Katz method in the procedures of schistosomiasis control programs. Studies show the importance of a fast reading of the slides due to the decline of their viability, with the appearance of fungi or desiccation of the sample, which hinders diagnosis. It is necessary to establish a procedure to improve the long-term preservation of these Kato-Katz slides in order to accomplish the following: (1) preserve the slides for future quality control procedures and readings; (2) allow for the production of durable materials for training; and (3) train health professionals involved in diagnosing schistosomiasis. Therefore, this study aims to test a slide preservation methodology for these purposes. The results showed that the modifications made to the experimental slides demonstrated that egg loss was within the expected range and the limit accepted by quality control standards, as well as improved the diagnostic durability of the slides during the preservation times tested. We concluded that the application of the preservation technique to the slides promoted stabilization and permanence for long-term storage.

Evaluation of glycemic control, comorbidities, complications and mortality twenty-five-year follow-up at a diabetes outpatient clinic in Brazil

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate glycemic control, comorbidities, diabetes-related complications, and mortality among people with DM followed-up at an outpatient clinic based at a Diabetes Association in Brazil. Methods: Sociodemographic, medical and mortality data were obtained from 1,173 patients with type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) who were evaluated once between 1996-2011 and whose vital status was checked in 2022. Data were analyzed using statistical tests to find out different characteristics between patients with DM1 and DM2. Results: 204 patients had T1DM (17.3%), 969 T2DM (82.6%) and 404 (34.4%) died during the study period (2.8% T1DM and 31.6% T2DM). Among T1DM, 82.3% had inadequate glycemic control, 61.2% had no associated comorbidity and presented varied causes of death. Regarding T2DM, 64.18% had inadequate glycemic control, had more comorbidities, higher rates of smoking and died more frequently due to cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion: Based on glycemic control, current care model provided needs to be rethought to provide more frequent clinical follow-up and structured education. Training health professionals, general practitioners and specialists is urgently needed as well as further long-term prospective studies in this topic.

Health system facilitators and barriers to the integration of mental health services into primary care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: a multimethod study

BackgroundThe integration of mental health into primary care—i.e., the process by which a range of essential mental health care and services are made available in existing multipurpose health care settings that did not previously provide them—can be facilitated or hindered by several health system factors that are still poorly understood. This study aimed to identify health system facilitators and barriers to the integration of mental health services into primary care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to improve the success rate of integration programs.MethodsWe conducted a multimethod, cross-sectional exploratory study. Stakeholders (managers, health service providers, service users, etc.) from sixteen of the twenty-six provinces of the DRC participated. We collected qualitative data through 31 individual, semistructured, face-to-face key informant interviews. We then collected quantitative data through a population-based survey of 413 respondents. We analyzed the interviews via thematic analysis, assigning verbatims to predefined themes and subthemes. For the survey responses, we performed descriptive analysis followed by binomial logistic regression to explore the associations between the variables of interest.ResultsStrong leadership commitment, positive attitudes toward mental health care, the availability of care protocols, mental health task sharing (p < 0.001), and sufficient numbers of primary care providers (PCPs) (p < 0.001) were identified as key health system facilitators of successful integration. However, barriers to integration are mainly related to a poor understanding of what integration is and what it is not, as well as to the poor functionality and performance of health facilities. In addition, stigma, low prioritization of mental health, lack of mental health referents, low retention rate of trained health professionals, lack of reporting tools, lack of standardized national guidelines for integration (p < 0.001), lack of funding (p < 0.001), shortage of mental health specialists to coach PCPs (p < 0.001), and lack of psychotropic medications (p < 0.001) were identified as health system barriers to integration.ConclusionImproving the functionality of primary care settings before integrating mental health care would be beneficial for greater success. In addition, addressing identified barriers, such as lack of funding and mental health-related stigma, requires multistakeholder action across all building blocks of the health system.

The Impact of Virtual Teaching and Learning on Skill and Knowledge Acquisition in the Training of Health Professionals

This paper aims to examine how virtual teaching and learning affect the acquisition of skills and knowledge among healthcare professionals in Ghana using the SWOT framework and socio ecological model. The findings indicate that virtual teaching offers benefits such as improved accessibility, flexibility, cost effectiveness and opportunities for expanding training using technologies. However challenges were noted in skill development and digital disparities. Threats included declines in competency and sustainability issues. The socio ecological perspective emphasized how factors across levels are interconnected. In conclusion the combined analysis using SWOT and socio ecological models provides an understanding of how virtual teaching impacts healthcare education in Ghana. Recommendations include investing in infrastructure training faculty members and supporting learners better; promoting collaboration among healthcare professionals; well as establishing quality assurance measures and plans, for long term sustainability. The study provides guidance on how to enhance the execution and impact of virtual education programs, in training health professionals. The results guide the development of policies based on evidence, allocation of resources and collaboration across sectors to establish an enduring policy framework for virtual healthcare professional education in Ghana.

West Virginia Human Whole-Body Donors in Undergraduate Biology Education at Radford University

The use of human whole-body donors is the gold standard in anatomy education, and dissection is a standard pedagogical tool in gross anatomy courses in medical schools, physical therapy schools, and other health science graduate and professional training programs. However, undergraduate students studying anatomy and physiology rarely have the opportunity to work with real human tissues. The Biology Department at Radford University in Southwest Virginia is noteworthy for using whole-body donors from the West Virginia University Human Gifts Registry in all of its undergraduate anatomy and physiology courses. Radford University also uses whole-body donors in non-Biology courses and in student research projects. This report details the educational uses and impacts of WV whole-body donors at Radford University over the past seven years.

The need for and acceptability of a cancer training course for medical and nursing students in Tanzania: a convergent mixed methods study

BackgroundThe cancer burden in Africa is on the rise. A Cancer Training Course on screening, prevention, care, and community education is crucial for addressing a wide range of cancer health issues. When appropriately educated healthcare providers on cancer provide care, patient care improves, and healthcare costs decrease. However, in Tanzania, doctors and nurses receive little or no training in primary cancer care in their bachelor’s program.AimThis study assessed the need and acceptability of a cancer training course for nursing and medical doctor students at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional parallel mixed method study during the 3-month follow-up within the larger study on sexual health training for health professionals. The study was a randomized controlled (RCT), single-blind, parallel trial of sexual health training versus a waitlist control among health students at MUHAS in Tanzania. Descriptive analysis was performed to analyze the participants’ demographic information, need, and acceptability of the cancer training courseto determine the frequencies and percentages of their distribution between disciplines. In addition, inductive thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data. The RCT study was registered at Clinical Trial.gov (NCT03923582; 01/05/2021).ResultsData were collected from 408 students (272 medical doctors and 136 nursing students). The median age of the participants was 23 years. Most (86.0%) medical and 78.1% of nursing students reported receiving little to no cancer training. On the other hand, most (92.3%) medical and nursing (92.0%) students were interested in receiving cancer training. Furthermore, 94.1% of medical and 92.0% of nursing students needed a cancer training course in their undergraduate program. In addition, participants said a cancer training course would be important because it would help them improve the quality of cancer care and enhance the quality of life for patients by ensuring early diagnosis and treatment.ConclusionA cancer training course is both highly needed and acceptable to medical and nursing students. Implementation of this cancer training course will improve students’ knowledge and skills and eventually improve the quality of cancer care and patients’ quality of life by ensuring early diagnosis and management.

The Impact of Virtual Teaching and Learning on Skill and Knowledge Acquisition in the Training of Health Professionals

This paper aims to examine how virtual teaching and learning affect the acquisition of skills and knowledge among healthcare professionals in Ghana using the SWOT framework and socio ecological model. The findings indicate that virtual teaching offers benefits such as improved accessibility, flexibility, cost effectiveness and opportunities for expanding training using technologies. However challenges were noted in skill development and digital disparities. Threats included declines in competency and sustainability issues. The socio ecological perspective emphasized how factors across levels are interconnected. In conclusion the combined analysis using SWOT and socio ecological models provides an understanding of how virtual teaching impacts healthcare education in Ghana. Recommendations include investing in infrastructure training faculty members and supporting learners better; promoting collaboration among healthcare professionals; well as establishing quality assurance measures and plans, for long term sustainability. The study provides guidance on how to enhance the execution and impact of virtual education programs, in training health professionals. The results guide the development of policies based on evidence, allocation of resources and collaboration across sectors to establish an enduring policy framework for virtual healthcare professional education in Ghana.

Einflussfaktoren auf die eigene Anwendung der Sepsis-Kompetenz und ihre Förderung bei Patientinnen und Patienten: Ergebnisse einer Mixed-Methods-Studie mit Gesundheitsfachpersonen

BackgroundSepsis is a life-threatening and relatively common emergency which is often recognized too late or not at all. Therefore, the “SepsisWissen” (SepsisKnowledge) project aimed to bring about changes in health care professionals’ behavior in the area of sepsis prevention and early detection. It addressed the health care professionals themselves (e. g., their own vaccination, hygiene and early detection behavior) and their patient counseling behavior. To promote this behavior, the SepsisWissen campaign included offers such as trainings or print products. The subsequent core question is: From the health professionals’ perspective, which barriers and facilitators affect their own application of sepsis competence and their promotion of their patients’ sepsis competence? MethodsThis paper was based on a cross-sectional mixed-methods study part of “SepsisWissen” witha)semi-structured interviews with 17 providers andb)a quantitative survey among 135 providers.Part a) was analyzed using qualitative oriented content analysis based on Mayring, part b) was analyzed descriptively.The interviewees included physicians, nurses, pharmacists, assistants to physicians and pharmacists and, additionally, one paramedic in the quantitative sample. Some of them had attended “SepsisWissen” trainings. ResultsThe qualitative data analysis identified 41 conducive and hindering factors, which can be assigned to the following eight major topics: 1) syndrome sepsis; 2) predisposing factors for health professionals' own acquisition and application of sepsis competence; 3) enabling factors for health professionals themselves; 4) behavior and lifestyle of patients; 5) reinforcing factors for patients; 6) public health education; 7) political, administrative, and organizational context; 8) environmental factors. In the qualitative and quantitative surveys, the suggestion to improve the sepsis competence of the population and to reduce misinformation, respectively, through public education (e.g., via schools or the media). DiscussionSepsis training for health professionals was considered as a facilitating factor for taking potential sepsis symptoms and patients’ respective statements more seriously. Future training formats should convey more explicitly how health professionals can better communicate their own sepsis knowledge to their patients. They request instruments to support their communication, such as checklists for lay persons. According to the interviews, health workers themselves need recurring external reminders for the topic of sepsis. Organizational and political conditions should be improved. From the health professionals’ point of view, it is essential to offer better reimbursement for prevention and counseling services and to allocate adequate time resources for both. ConclusionHealth professionals could increase their potential to apply and promote sepsis competence if general conditions were optimized. From their perspective, it is most important to relieve them of some of their patient counselling burden by initiating more public education.

Expressing the Complexities of the Student-Cadaver Relationship Through Visual Artwork.

Many physician assistant (PA) students first encounter death in the earliest days of their training when working with cadavers in the gross anatomy laboratory. Developing a deep knowledge of human anatomy is fundamental to health profession training programs and modern medical practice. Despite decreased laboratory hours and integration of technology and diagnostic imaging into modern anatomy courses, there remains value in the cadaver dissection experience. Medical learners experience diverse and complex feelings toward cadavers; learning to regulate one's personal responses within the anatomy laboratory is a skill that can be extrapolated to clinical practice. Art is one way for students to process their experiences with cadavers, and creating art for cadaver memorial ceremonies is an opportunity for student emotional processing while honoring the lives of their cadaveric teachers. A PA program in New England incorporated student art into a cadaver memorial ceremony, with 4 pieces of artwork and corresponding artist statements from that ceremony included in this piece. The works of art are visually diverse, but there is a shared sentiment in the artist statements of reflection, awe, appreciation, and humanity. Encouraging students to process complex experiences artistically may provide an enduring practice throughout a career in medicine.

The allied health rural generalist pathway: a cost consequence analysis.

Rural and remote health workforces face longstanding challenges in Australia. Little is known about the economic effectiveness of workforce initiatives to increase recruitment and retention. A two-level allied health rural generalist pathway was introduced as a workforce strategy in regional local health networks (LHNs) in South Australia in 2019. This research measured the resources and outcomes of the pathway following its introduction. A multi-phase, mixed-methods study was conducted with a 3-year follow-up period (2019-2022). A cost-consequence analysis was conducted as part of this study. Resources measured included tuition, time for quarantined study, supervision and support, and program manager salary. Outcomes measured included length of tenure, turnover data, career progression, service development time, confidence and competence. Fifteen allied health professional trainees participated in the pathway between 2019 and 2022 and seven completed during this time. Trainees participated for between 3 and 42 months. The average total cost of supporting a level 1 trainee was $34,875 and level 2 was $70,469. The total return on investment within the evaluation period was $317,610 for the level 1 program and $58,680 for the level 2 program. All seven completing trainees continued to work in regional LHNs at the 6-month follow-up phase and confidence and competence to work as a rural generalist increased. This research found that the allied health rural generalist pathway has the potential to generate multiple positive outcomes for a relatively small investment and is therefore likely to be a cost-effective workforce initiative.

INTERINSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF APS, THE EXPERIENCE OF THE UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM OF HEALTH AND FAMILY MEDICINE

Chile faces the challenge of responding to the complexities in addressing and managing issues arising from the current demographic, epidemiological, social, and cultural profile. The country’s public health policies have followed the guidelines of Alma Ata Primary Health Care (PHC), Renewed PHC, Astana PHC, Universalization of PHC, and have enabled the sustained devel­opment of care networks by implementing a model of comprehensive family and community health care, with a focus on promotion, prevention, and anticipatory management of harm within networks. Throughout these processes, in line with the Mission and Social Responsibility of the University and the Global Consensus on the Social Responsibility of Medical Schools, institu­tions responsible for training health professionals and specialists have played a supportive and facilitating role, with particular emphasis on developing human resources within and through practical experiences and supporting teams in the territorial implementation of health policies. The presented experience aims to share the contributions and lessons learned from an alliance of diverse academic institutions that, through collaboration and the formation of a community of learning and practice, are shaping a process of social innovation, a rhizomatic learning initia­tive, and a good formative practice: the Chilean University Consortium of Family Health and Medicine from 2004 to 2014. Its development, progress, results and projections are analyzed.

Building capacity and promoting health through online volunteering

Purpose Significant changes to in-person volunteering were necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) responded to the pandemic by developing an online education platform and pivoting to online volunteering. This qualitative study explores the dynamics of online volunteering and provides visibility to this novel trend in the training of health professionals in resource-scarce countries. Methodology/approach Barriers and facilitators, actual and potential outcomes, and recommendations for online volunteering were addressed through a comparative case study approach focusing on three HVO global projects: physical therapy in Rwanda and Ghana, oral health in Nepal, and anesthesiology—a multi-country collaboration between Bhutan, Cambodia, and Laos. Findings A total of 15 participants, including project directors, host country representatives, and teaching volunteers, were interviewed online. Three themes emerged through the online interviews with HVO volunteers, project directors, and host country directors: Creating Space, the Future is Hybrid, and Geographical Expansion. Research implications Online volunteering provides a new opportunity for volunteers to expand their networks, learn new skills, and meet the needs of the host country participants. There is also an opportunity to expand projects beyond national boundaries, but logistical, cultural, and linguistic challenges must be considered. Practical implications Online volunteering is a feasible approach for building teaching and research capacity globally, and volunteer agencies should consider a hybrid model combining online volunteering with in-person volunteering. Originality Online volunteering provides support to meet the needs of both volunteers and in-country program participants. Limitations This study focused on the volunteer, project director, and host coordinator experience and not on the learner. More research is needed to investigate how online and in-person dynamics coalesce.

Optimiser le co-enseignement patient/professionnel de santé

Patient engagement in the training of future health professionals is on the rise, given that the information patients transmit is immensely valuable to students. In addition, their involvement, alongside health professionals, in the formulation of academic materials should improve the quality of care in the long run. Little is written about good practice in involving patients in teaching, and even less about co-teaching, which is a demanding activity. We conducted a study with pairs of teachers who co-taught in health partnership workshops to develop best practice recommendations to optimize the roll-out of patient-healthcare professional co-teaching. This qualitative study aims to present these recommendations of good practices of co-teaching. The data collected made it possible to develop, evaluate, and adjust six good practices to guide the pairs during the co-teaching process: knowledge of the subject taught, regular meetings, teaching framework and materials, role definition, symmetry and complementarity in the pair, and a debriefing session following each teaching session. Patient involvement in co-teaching requires rigorous preparation. The application of good practice recommendations facilitates this preparation process.