Policy Knowledge Research Articles

Comprehensive catalogue of international measures aimed at preventing general practitioner shortages.

Many countries are facing a shortage and misallocation of general practitioners (GPs). The development of a policy response may benefit from the knowledge of worldwide policies that have been adopted and recommended to counteract such a development. To identify measures proposed or taken internationally to prevent GP shortages. A literature review followed by an expert assessment focussed on sources from OECD countries. The literature search identified international policy documents and literature reviews in bibliographical databases, and examined institutional websites and references of included publications. The internet search engine Google was also used. The resulting measures were then assessed for completeness by three experts. Ten policy documents and 32 literature reviews provided information on 102 distinct measures aimed at preventing GP shortages. The measures attempt to influence GPs at all stages of their careers. This catalogue of measures to prevent GP shortages is significantly more comprehensive than any of the policy documents it is based on. It may serve as a blueprint for effective reforms aimed at preventing GP shortages internationally.

Perceived Challenges of Academic Staff Production of Research Papers in Colleges of Education in Ghana

Apart from improving the ranking of the individual and his/her institution, research publications are also known to make important contributions to the advancement of knowledge and formulation of government policies, thus enhancing institutional, sector and/or national and global development. The study explored challenges that College of Education tutors face in line with publishing research papers and other scholarly materials. Utilizing concurrent nested mixed method design, tutors of all Colleges of Education institutions in Ghana were targeted, however, 190 tutors were drawn from the five Colleges of Education zones in Ghana to participate in the study. A checklist of .72 internal consistency reliability was used to gather the quantitative data while interview schedule was used to gather qualitative data about challenges that affect academic staff publishing of research products. Data to answer research question one was analyzed using descriptive statistics, specifically, percentages and frequencies. However, data to answer research question two were analyzed using Braun and Clarke thematic analysis approach. Findings revealed that college tutors used in the study had awareness and knowledge about how research articles and abstracts are produced but not for other research products such as monograph, book chapters and so on. The study findings further showed that, weaker foundational knowledge and skills in research methodology, lack of writing experience, deficient information technology skills and lack of mentorship constituted the challenges that affected frequent publishing of research products among college tutors. Regular workshops of research methodology and production of research papers should be organized for college tutors by college management. The study further recommends that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Ghana Education Trust Fund (GetFund) as a matter of priority should work on improving and building more infrastructure, specifically, offices for academic staff and technological infrastructure to enhance more research-based activities within the Colleges.

How external stakeholders drive the green public procurement practice? An organizational learning perspective

Purpose This study aims to uncover the black box of the influence mechanism between external stakeholder drivers and green public procurement practice, and meanwhile to explore the moderating role of administrative level in this process. Green public procurement (GPP) has been widely implemented. Existing literature has found that external stakeholder drivers can affect public sectors' GPP practice, however, the definition of its connotation is still unclear, and how external stakeholders affect GPP practice has remained a black box. Design/methodology/approach After defining the major external stakeholders, this study develops a multiple mediation theoretical model using survey data from 142 Chinese local public sectors. It aims to uncover the black box of the influence mechanism between external stakeholder drivers and GPP practice and meanwhile explore the moderating effect of administrative levels in this process. Findings The results show that external stakeholder drivers have a positive relationship with GPP practices. The knowledge of GPP implementation policies and the knowledge of GPP benefits can both mediate this relationship. This study also finds that the administrative level of public sectors can positively moderate the mediating effect produced by the knowledge of GPP implementation policies and negatively moderate the mediation effect produced by the knowledge of GPP benefits. Social implications Local governments need to better encourage public sectors to implement GPP. Managers of public sectors need to pay attention to organizational learning to acquire relevant knowledge on GPP. Originality/value This study makes a theoretical contribution to a better understanding of the influence mechanism for GPP practice. This study also provides comparisons of GPP implementation policies between China and European Union.

Use of medical chaperones by colon and rectal surgeons in outpatient practice.

The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency and motivations for medical chaperone use during anorectal exams by colon and rectal surgeons in the outpatient setting. This cross-sectional study examined factors impacting chaperone use via an anonymous online survey distributed via the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons email list. Routine chaperone use was defined as ≥ 90%. Of 1,380 emailed board-certified colon and rectal surgeons, 402 (29.1%) completed the survey in November 2019. Median years in practice was 14, and 72.3% were male. Overall, 65.2% reported routine use of chaperones during anorectal exams. Over half (56.3%) felt chaperones should be mandatory and were more likely to report routine use than those who did not (85.7 vs. 39.1%; p < 0.001). Only 23.7% reported that their institutions had formal chaperone policies. The most common reason for use was medicolegal (91.8%), and the most common barrier was chaperone availability (56.7%). When chaperones were used, 42% did not document use in the medical record. On multivariable analysis, increased odds of routine chaperone use were independently associated with: being ≤ 10years in practice, routine chaperone use during fellowship, and chaperones being routinely available. Half of surgeons felt that chaperones should be mandatory, suggesting lack of consensus among the cohort. Despite expressing legal concerns, one-third did not use chaperones and nearly half who used chaperones did not document their use. Efforts to improve chaperone availability, documentation of chaperone use, and knowledge of policies are necessary.

Involvement of Jordanian Head Nurses' in Health Policy Development: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Despite the importance of involving nurses in health policy, nurse's involvement faces many challenges. Literature showed that there is a low level of nurses' and nurse leaders' involvement in health policy development. The aims of this study were to examine (a) the level of Jordanian head nurses' involvement in health policy development and their perceived benefits and barriers; (b) the relationships between level of knowledge, competence, and interest in health policy and the level of involvement in health policy development; and (c) the relationship between the level of self-efficacy (efficacy expectation and outcome expectation) and the level of involvement in health policy development. A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study design was adopted in this study. A convenience sampling of 250 participants from hospitals affiliated to three health sectors in Jordan (private, governmental, and university) were recruited to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to answer the study questions. The results revealed a moderate level of involvement of head nurses in the policy development. The most frequent cited political activity was "providing written reports, consultations, research." "Lack of time" was the most perceived barrier, while "improving the health of the public" was the most perceived benefit. Workshops or sessions at conferences is the most indicated source of knowledge. Participants had an excellent level of skills with positive relationships between the competence and both of the levels of professional and personal involvement in health policy. Participants reported a low level of confidence in performing political activities as well as the impact of such activities on health outcomes. Positive relationship was indicated between self-efficacy and the levels of professional and personal involvement in political activities.Implications: Health policies affect nurses and their practice. Overcoming the barriers and enhancing the levels of head nurses' knowledge and competence regarding health policies can help activating their roles in health policy development process. This will help in activating nurses' role in health policy development, which in turn will have a positive impact on health outcomes.

Taxonomy and Translocations of African Mammals: A Plea for a Cautionary Approach

Ecotourism can fuel an important source of financial income for African countries and can therefore help biodiversity policies in the continent. Translocations can be a powerful tool to spread economic benefits among countries and communities; yet, to be positive for biodiversity conservation, they require a basic knowledge of conservation units through appropriate taxonomic research. This is not always the case, as taxonomy was considered an outdated discipline for almost a century, and some plurality in taxonomic approaches is incorrectly considered as a disadvantage for conservation work. As an example, diversity of the genus Giraffa and its recent taxonomic history illustrate the importance of such knowledge for a sound conservation policy that includes translocations. We argue that a fine-grained conservation perspective that prioritizes all remaining populations along the Nile Basin is needed. Translocations are important tools for giraffe diversity conservation, but more discussion is needed, especially for moving new giraffes to regions where the autochthonous taxa/populations are no longer existent. As the current discussion about the giraffe taxonomy is too focused on the number of giraffe species, we argue that the plurality of taxonomic and conservation approaches might be beneficial, i.e., for defining the number of units requiring separate management using a (majority) consensus across different concepts (e.g., MU—management unit, ESU—evolutionary significant unit, and ECU—elemental conservation unit). The taxonomically sensitive translocation policy/strategy would be important for the preservation of current diversity, while also supporting the ecological restoration of some regions within rewilding. A summary table of the main translocation operations of African mammals that have underlying problems is included. Therefore, we call for increased attention toward the taxonomy of African mammals not only as the basis for sound conservation but also as a further opportunity to enlarge the geographic scope of ecotourism in Africa.

Exploring strategies teachers use to develop literacy skills among English First Additional Language learners in the Foundation Phase

Teachers play a significant role in literacy development. They are responsible for using different approaches to develop literacy skills among learners whose mother tongue is not the same as the language of learning and teaching in schools. This article aims to explore strategies teachers use to develop literacy skills among English First Additional Language learners. A qualitative case study was conducted that involved focus group interviews to gain in-depth knowledge of the strategies teachers use in their classes to develop literacy skills. For this article, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development is used as a theoretical framework. The participants were six foundation phase teachers from one district in Gauteng. The data gathered showed that teachers are trying to use strategies described in the curriculum policy document. Teachers were unaware that they were using some of the most contemporary strategies in their classes such as balanced-literacy approach, play-based approach and evidence-based approach. Findings showed that teachers had good knowledge and understanding of literacy however, they were experiencing some challenges. They cited lack of support from knowledgeable others and appropriate teacher development and training. The study recommends that teachers need continuous training and development, literacy text should be contextualised and continued support from the school heads of department, curriculum advisors and subject specialist. It also recommends an in-depth knowledge, understanding and implementation of the curriculum policy.

What Moooves Opinion? Examining the Correlates and Dynamics of Mass Support for Supply Management in the Agriculture Sector

AbstractSupply management is a long-standing agricultural policy in Canada that applies to dairy, poultry and eggs. To date, there exists no academic research on the correlates or dynamics of public support for supply management. We use data collected from the Digital Democracy Project's study of the 2019 Canadian election, including results from a between-subjects framing experiment, to show that support for supply management is most opposed by economic conservatives. However, we find support to be highly malleable by framing: it increases when respondents are primed to think of the policy as a way of protecting farmers and decreases when they are primed to think of its costs to consumers. Contrary to expectations, framing effects are not stronger when messages are ideologically congenial or among those with high levels of policy knowledge. If anything, effects are stronger among those with lower levels of knowledge.

Local knowledge in climate change adaptation in the Cook Islands

ABSTRACT Pacific Island countries, like the Cook Islands, are often considered to be extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Considerable literature highlights that local knowledge can play an important role in climate change adaptation, particularly in small island countries. However, there is less understanding on how to practically integrate and apply local knowledge in climate change adaptation, particularly in the Cook Islands. This research investigated the role of local knowledge in climate change adaptation in the Cook Islands, aiming to understand the role of local knowledge in adaptation policies and the challenges of incorporating local knowledge into climate change adaptation policy through semistructured interviews with key informants and local participants. Key informants often recognized the important role of local knowledge in climate change adaptation while local knowledge was less recognized by local participants. Concerns over both the usefulness of the knowledge today and the loss of this knowledge were expressed. Additionally, challenges to integrating local knowledge into climate change policy were identified, including development pressure, out-migration, and a lack of understanding of local knowledge. This study offers insight into the role of local knowledge in climate change adaptation for other small island countries facing similar challenges.

Capitalising on UNSCR 1325: The Construction of Best Practices for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda

ABSTRACT This article explores a narrative of peacebuilding best practice: the national efforts to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Nepal. We demonstrate how the contested realities of post-conflict gender politics are skilfully transformed into internationally transferable policy knowledge. We argue that in order to construct a peacebuilding best practice, policy entrepreneurs draw on their social capital to make claims about policy as simultaneously local and context-specific as well as global and universally applicable. The credibility of the claims is based on the extent to which they can be presented to international policy audiences in formats suitable for their consumption.

828-P: Inpatient Provider Experience with Diabetes Technology Use on General Medicine Wards: Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM)

In the advent of increased use of technology in diabetes care, the management of CSII and CGM devices in the inpatient setting has not been well described. We conducted a non-incentivized survey among inpatient licensed independent practitioners (LIP) at 4 large US hospital systems to assess their knowledge, comfort, and behaviors related to the use of CSII and CGM in the inpatient setting. Of 128 respondents, 83% were day and night hospitalists, 10% advanced practice providers, and 7% primary care physicians. Most LIPs worked in academic centers (68%), 18% at community teaching hospitals, with 93% having diabetes consult service, and 55% having dedicated teams to assist with use of CSII and CGM. Most respondents (96%) rated inpatient hyperglycemia treatment as important, and 93% of LIPs agreed that CSII should be continued in the inpatient setting in the absence of contraindication. However, only half (49%) reported reviewing CSII settings on admission, and of those, only 50% were confident with interpreting those parameters to guide therapy. Almost two-thirds (64% ) of providers reported knowledge of a CSII policy at their institution. The most common barriers to continuing CSII included lack of LIP knowledge and perceived lack of nursing knowledge regarding CSII. LIPs were less familiar with the use of CGM, with 72% being unaware or not at all familiar with their institution’s policy. Of 64 respondents who cared for a patient with CGM in the preceding 6 months, 56% reported not reviewing CGM data to guide therapy. Most inpatient providers value glycemic control and use of DM technology; however, many reported limited in-depth knowledge of CSII and CGM devices for optimal use to guide clinical care in the inpatient setting. Educational programs and collaboration between LIPs and endocrinologists are needed to safely optimize the use of CSII and CGM in the hospital setting. Disclosure N. Z. Madhun: None. R. J. Galindo: Consultant; Self; Abbott Diabetes, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi US, Valeritas, Inc., Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Novo Nordisk. J. Donato: None. P. Hwang: None. H. F. Shabbir: None. M. Fowler: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca. E. Molitch-hou: None. G. E. Umpierrez: Research Support; Self; AstraZeneca, Dexcom, Inc., Novo Nordisk. M. Lansang: Consultant; Self; Sanofi, Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc.

Faculty Perceptions on Accessibility in Online Learning: Knowledge, Practice and Professional Development

This study examined the level of readiness of faculty in designing and delivering accessible online courses to meet the needs of all learners, including students with disabilities. A total of 182 tenured/non-tenured full time, part-time, adjunct and clinical faculty from three public universities of different sizes were surveyed to gauge their awareness, understanding, and practices related to disability laws, quality standards, utilization of tools, and professional development support. Results from the study indicated an uneven level of readiness by faculty regarding online learning accessibility. Results from the study showed that professional development training in online learning had a very significant influence on accessibility knowledge and practice. Also, high perceptions of knowledge for institutional policy and terminology and low perception of accessibility laws and standards were found. It is also found that training on disability-related laws and regulations provided by higher education institutions was insufficient and at times, does not align with the faculty’s schedule. Given the results of the study, it is recommended that higher education institutions reorient their approach to supporting faculty who teach online and develop a comprehensive strategy to reach the goal of helping all students, including students with disabilities, to fully engage online learning. The findings from this study have implications for course development and implementation to support students with disabilities.

Self-Paced Online Training on Healthy Beverage Policy for Child Care Providers

ObjectiveDetermine if online training for child care providers increases knowledge and awareness of and adherence to California's Healthy Beverages in Child Care Act (AB2084) policy. DesignCluster, randomized controlled trial with 2 intervention groups and 1 control group. SettingLicensed child care centers and family child care homes. ParticipantsChild care providers in 3 California regions. InterventionThirty-minute, self-paced online training in English or Spanish, with or without 6-months of ongoing technical assistance. Main outcomes measuredProviders’ self-reported knowledge and awareness of and adherence to AB2084 at baseline, after 1 and 6 months. AnalysisGeneralized estimating equations and generalized linear models, adjusted for the percentage of children on child care subsidies and region. ResultsOutcomes were similar between groups receiving and not receiving technical assistance. Providers receiving training (both intervention groups combined) experienced larger increases in knowledge (P = 0.002 and P = 0.003) and awareness (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001) of AB2084 compared with the control group after 1 and 6 months. All groups reported pre-post increases in adherence to AB2084. Conclusions and ImplicationsA brief online training supports increased knowledge and awareness of healthy beverage policy among child care providers. The training is available online and is free for California child care providers.

Identifying knowledge needed to improve surgical care in Southern Africa using a theory of change approach

Surgical healthcare has been prioritised in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional intergovernmental entity promoting equitable and sustainable economic growth and socioeconomic development. However, challenges remain in translating...

The legitimization of textbook reform: Strategies and challenges in China

ABSTRACT This study employs textbooks and legitimacy theories to examine the complexity of legitimizing China’s textbook reform, planned since 2012, for three ideologically-laden subjects (Chinese language, History, and Morality and Law). Specifically, it explores why, to whom, and how China’s Ministry of Education legitimized this textbook reform, which conflicted with previous textbook policy and official knowledge but echoed changes of governance during President Xi Jinping’s terms. These questions were answered with a documentary analysis drawing on public primary and secondary resources. The study argues that the textbook reform was more for political than educational purposes. Specifically, to justify these changes, the Ministry addressed concerns about textbook quality to gain public acceptance and showed political correctness to seek Xi’s endorsement. However, the Ministry used coercion to subordinate the former to the latter when promoting and implementing new textbooks highlighting Xi’s vision for and views on China’s development. This suggests that displaying political loyalty and correctness trumps public accountability in China’s governance and education.

Online Supervisory Control of Networked Discrete Event Systems With Control Delays

We investigate state estimation and safe controller synthesis for networked discrete-event systems (DESs), where supervisors send control decisions to plants via communication channels subject to communication delays. Previous works on state estimation of networked DES are based on the open-loop system without utilizing the knowledge of the control policy. In this article, we propose a new approach for online estimation and control of networked DES with control delays. We first propose a new state estimation algorithm for the closed-loop system utilizing the information of control decision history. The proposed state estimation algorithm can be implemented recursively upon the occurrence of each new observable event. Then we investigate how to predict the effect of control delays in order to calculate a control decision online at each instant. We show that the proposed online supervisor can be updated effectively and the resulting closed-loop behavior is safe. Furthermore, we compare the proposed online supervisor with the predictive supervisor proposed in the literature and show that our proposed online supervisor is more permissive than predictive supervisor in the sense of language inclusion.

Partnership Forum: The Role of Research in the Transformation of Veterans Affairs Community Care.

Partnership Forum: The Role of Research in the Transformation of Veterans Affairs Community Care.

Course on Educational Web-Content Accessibility: Analysis of Online Learning Results

Purpose of research . The paper deals with the analysis of the learning outcomes of non-degree students in the first online course in the Russian Federation on the development of accessible educational webcontent. Analysis of the problems of online education shows that open online courses are inaccessible for people with disabilities, education online platforms do not comply with the principles of accessibility, lecturers do not have experience in teaching methods of using distance learning technologies in e-learning for the people with disabilities, web developers have little knowledge of web accessibility guidelines and policies. Thus, the development of curricula and courses on the basics of web accessibility and universal design for e-learning stakeholders belongs to current didactic tasks. Materials and methods . The study analyzed the learning outcomes in a free course “Web accessibility in e-learning” (Stepik platform) in the period from 10 February to 11 November 2020 (491 participants). Statistical data of Stepik used for analysis and included: date of enrollment in the course; the results of tasks’ passing and the content of the students’ answers; the results of each student’s progress in steps, modules and final testing; the number of views, correct and incorrect decisions for each step; indexes of complexity and discriminatory power (distinctiveness) of tasks for each step. Data processing (sorting, filtering and grouping by attributes, calculating weighing coefficients and mean values) and graphical presentation of the results are performed in Microsoft Excel®. The analysis of the starting survey results was carried out in the program IBM SPSS Statistics 23 by methods of descriptive statistics (construction of frequency tables and cross tables). Results. Analysis of the course enrollment showed weak user activity. 212 (43.2%) enrolled students successfully completed the course. Most of the students missed the optional types of work. At the same time, on average, users have successfully completed the current and final testing. Difficulty value indexes (0.51 ± 0.18) and discriminatory power indexes (0.35 ± 0.17) of the tests indicate that the test tasks have a moderate level of complexity. A comparative analysis of the discriminative indexes for different types of tests showed that case-tests have a greater discriminative power (0.41 ± 0.15) than classical tests (0.26 ± 0.09) with similar difficulty value indexes. According to self-assessment data, students made significant progress in the formation of accessible educational web-content (by 55.2%), which is consistent with the data of an objective assessment of knowledge, skills and abilities during the final testing. Conclusion . An analysis of the activity and learning outcomes in the course “Web accessibility in e-learning” showed that target category of students do not always realize the need for development of professional competencies to create accessible educational web-content. The biggest problems are associated with attracting the audience to the course and insufficient self-discipline due to the lack of motivation of students. Under these circumstances, an optional approach to learning the basics of web accessibility is not enough. Technologies for the development of accessible educational web-content should be taught as a compulsory subject at all stages of lifelong education for specialists involved in the organization of e-learning

Child Welfare Workers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Communication About Sexual Health With Youth Involved in Child Welfare

Objective: Despite elevated rates of undesirable sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes among youth involved in child welfare, caseworkers do not routinely communicate about sexual health with the youths they work with. This study assessed the interrelationships of caseworkers’ attitudes, knowledge, and communication about sexual health with youth involved in the child welfare system. Method: Child welfare workers (N = 201) were surveyed regarding their behavioral beliefs, subjective norms, self-efficacy, knowledge of services and policies, intent to communicate, and communication about SRH topics with youth involved in child welfare. Path analysis tested direct and indirect relationships between these constructs. Results: On average, workers reported having discussed sexual health with 24% of their caseload in the past month. Path analyses revealed that subjective norms and self-efficacy had significant direct effects on intent, and intent was the only construct with a significant direct effect on communication. However, self-efficacy had an indirect effect on communication, mediated by intentions. Conclusions: Subjective norms and self-efficacy are key factors related to child welfare workers’ intent to communicate about SRH, and that intent is a significant predictor of communication. Increasing caseworkers’ self-efficacy and changing agencies’ norms and expectations around addressing SRH topics with this vulnerable group is an important focus for interventions.

The ambivalence of the psychosocial in Norwegian education. A policy document analysis

ABSTRACT In this article, I explore the central characteristics of the psychosocial as a field of knowledge in Norwegian education policy and the ways in which these characteristics are conditioned by their constituting social structures and historical contexts. This is achieved through a policy document analysis. Even though the psychosocial is habitually employed in educational discourses in Norway, its content often remains unclear. In the analysis, I derive three key dimensions of ambivalence from the documents. First, the psychosocial is ambivalent in its scope, as it oscillates between the entirety of the pupil’s emotional and relational life and the specific phenomenon of bullying. Second, it appears ambivalent in relation to aspects of accountability, as it simultaneously demands responsibility from society as a whole and from specific groups of professionals. Lastly, the psychosocial is ambivalent in the way it asserts its relative and subjective dimension, while also claiming objective and rigid frameworks of control and measurement. Viewed from a broader perspective, I demonstrate that the ambivalences surrounding the psychosocial correspond with the binary concepts of the liquid modernity and the new solidity, as conceived by Per Bjørn Foros and Arne Johan Vetlesen.