Healthcare Professional Associations Research Articles

Health Care Professional Association Agency in Preparing for Artificial Intelligence: A Multiple-Case Study of Radiation Medicine and Medical Imaging in the Canadian Context

As artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated in healthcare, it is incumbent on healthcare professional associations (HPAs) to assist their memberships in preparing for related change. HPAs hold a unique role in establishing the socio-cultural, normative, and regulative elements of healthcare professions. An exploratory multiple-case study approach was employed to consider how, when faced with AI as a disruptive technology, HPAs engage in sense-making and legitimation of the change in order to support their membership in preparing for future practice. The Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists, Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology, Canadian Association of Radiologists, and Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists were selected as cases. Data collection involved key-informant interviews and document review, anticipated impact of AI on care and practice, reflections on perceptions of the professional membership and the role and actions of the HPA in influencing such perceptions and work. Concept coding allowed for inductive framing of individual case narratives and subsequent cross-case analysis. Eighteen interviews were conducted and documents spanning 2013 to 2020 were reviewed. Eleven coding categories and 25 subconcepts were identified, spanning perceived impact of AI, perspectives on prevalent mindsets, roles of HPAs in preparing their membership, including changing education needs. The HPAs studied engaged in work to support AI consideration in varying ways, with perceived roles in education, advocacy, and leadership. Emergent trends across the four HPAs suggested three factors that might influence engagement; factors related to the organization, those related to the profession, and those related to the innovation in question. All HPAs acknowledged AI's impact on practice in medical imaging and radiation medicine, while some saw it as more of a disruptive force and assigned it greater priority in the organizations. Conceptualizations of the potential threat to the profession and the HPA's role in supporting members in navigating that future landscape were also key insights. This research suggests how healthcare professions are engaging at the macro level in the implementation and normalization work related to AI, and sheds light on nuanced perspectives on AI of groups that would interface with it.

Metrics for maternity unit staffing in low resource settings: Scoping review and proposed core indicator.

The lack of usable indicators and benchmarks for staffing of maternity units in health facilities has constrained planning and effective program implementation for emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) globally. To identify potential indicator(s) and benchmarks for EmONC facility staffing that might be applicable in low resource settings, we undertook a scoping review before proceeding to develop a proposed set of indicators. Population: women attending health facilities for care around the time of delivery and their newborns. Concept: reports of mandated norms or actual staffing levels in health facilities. studies conducted in healthcare facilities of any type that undertake delivery and newborn care and those from any geographic setting in both public and private sector facilities. Searches were limited to material published since 2000 in English or French, using Pubmed and a purposive search of national Ministry of Health, non-governmental organization and UN agency websites for relevant documents. A template for data extraction was designed. Data extraction was undertaken from 59 papers and reports including 29 descriptive journal articles, 17 national Ministry of Health documents, 5 Health Care Professional Association (HCPA) documents, two each of journal policy recommendation and comparative studies, one UN Agency document and 3 systematic reviews. Calculation or modelling of staffing ratios was based on delivery, admission or inpatient numbers in 34 reports, with 15 using facility designation as the basis for staffing norms. Other ratios were based on bed numbers or population metrics. Taken together, the findings point to a need for staffing norms for delivery and newborn care that reflect numbers and competencies of staff physically present on each shift. A Core indicator is proposed, "Monthly mean delivery unit staffing ratio" calculated as number of annual births/365/monthly average shift staff census.

Evaluating Partnerships for Practice Change in the Prevention, Identification, and Treatment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Background:In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded a four-year partnership effort between university and health care professional associations (HCPAs) to reach health care providers (HCPs) nationally in six health disciplines and engage them to adopt evidence-based practices for the prevention, identification, and treatment of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). The aim of this project was to evaluate partnerships for their (1) structure and formation, (2) collaboration process, and (3) outcomes with regard to resources and strategies developed for FASD prevention and management.Methods:We used quantitative and qualitative data from quarterly progress reports, a semi-annual collaboration survey, and annual interviews with each discipline’s members.Results:Partnerships in each discipline varied in the number of members and organizations, expertise in the discipline, and access to HCPs. Assigned partnerships with limited researchers’ expertise in the discipline or the inability of HCPAs to reach priority audiences created challenges in the development and dissemination of resources. Two partnerships showed challenges in the collaboration process regarding understanding respective responsibilities, sharing similar ideas, and resolving disagreements despite efforts at facilitated discussion. Messaging and resource dissemination by HCPAs and the use of provider champions developed through HCPAs’ national network emerged as promising approaches to engage HCPs.Conclusion:Circumstances under which partnerships are formed can facilitate or challenge collaboration and outcome efforts. Discipline-specific partnerships between researchers and HCPAs provide a model for evidence-based resources to be developed and disseminated widely for adoption by HCPs in their practice.

Improving the quality of maternity services in Nepal through accelerated implementation of essential interventions by healthcare professional associations.

To assess whether the implementation of a package of activities through the joint action of three international healthcare professional associations (HCPAs) increased the use of essential interventions (EIs) for delivery and neonatal care. A noncontrolled pre-intervention versus post-intervention study was conducted from June 13 to December 13, 2016, among women older than 18years of age, who had delivered at one of two urban tertiary hospitals in Nepal. The study included 9252 women. Minimal change was found after the implementation of EIs that were used frequently at baseline (e.g. social support during delivery in the emergency room, and promotion and support for early initiation of breastfeeding). By contrast, an increase was recorded for some EIs that had not been used regularly at baseline. For example, the rate of timely administration of prophylactic antibiotics before cesarean delivery increased from 0.0% (0/496) to 94.0% (409/435) at one hospital. Nonetheless, some EIs with low use at baseline did not show improvement after implementation (e.g. kangaroo mother care). The present study strengthened previous findings regarding the uptake of EIs following joint promotion by HCPAs in low-income settings.

Evaluating regional workshops on strengthening the capacity of healthcare professional associations to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5

ObjectiveIn 2007–2008, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), Geneva, organized capacity-building workshops in Malawi, Burkina Faso, and Bangladesh. Their aim was to strengthen the role of healthcare professional associations (HCPAs) in national reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) planning and programs. The present cross-sectional study evaluated the outcomes of these regional workshops. MethodsIn 2010, a structured survey, telephone interviews of workshop participants, and a document review were used to analyze the impact of these workshops. ResultsOverall, HCPAs in only 2 of the 17 participating countries (11.8%) were able to increase their impact on RMNCH planning. Although all countries developed action plans, 15 (88.2%) were unable to fully implement them despite increased interactions among HCPAs and with the Ministry of Health (MOH). Nine countries (52.9%) implemented their action plans partly. Engagement of the MOH emerged as a strong indicator of HCPA contribution toward RMNCH planning. ConclusionStrong and sustained follow-up by PMNCH, a clear sense of ownership by HCPAs, designated staff, and financial resources emerged as important determinants for the implementation of action plans. These workshops were generally successful in both encouraging HCPA collaboration and marching toward Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5.

Editors’ choice

Editors’ choice

Regional Collaborations as a Way Forward for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: The South Asian Healthcare Professional Workshop

This article reviews the importance of regional initiatives in the context of global efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 4 and 5 and describes the action-oriented multi-country healthcare professional association (HCPA) workshops organized by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. The South Asian HCPA workshop served as a catalyst for strengthening the ability of HCPAs in South Asian countries to organize and coordinate their activities effectively, play a larger role in national planning, and collaborate with other key stakeholders in maternal, newborn and child health.