Large Group Discussions Research Articles

Multimodal Anatomy Teaching Pedagogy: Student’s Perception for Effective Teaching of Anatomy Curriculum

Objective: There is still much disagreement over the most effective way to teach anatomy. This article has discussed the benefits of these instructional strategies. Nowadays, teaching anatomy primarily involves PowerPoint presentations. . As a result, the following article discusses the numerous teaching approaches and students input and suggestion in making anatomy lectures more interesting and easy. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether the multimodal anatomy teaching methodology currently in use is viewed favorably and to identify the specific modalities that were considered to be most successful. Material and Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in two steps. Step one was carried out by distributing 250 questionnaires out of which 192 students participating by filling the questionnaires. The second step was dividing a class of 2ND year MBBS students in to 3 groups where group A was given a lecture in a teacher centered manner, Group B was student centered and Group C was a combination. Assessment was conducted in the end of the lecture and data was analyzed using SPPSS version 20. Results: students thought each way of teaching and learning is important but the best way of teaching was a multimodal teaching pedagogy. 93% thought that using a power point presentation with the use of white board teaching is the best method of teaching. Similarly the results of the assessment showed teacher-student interactive approach produced the highest mean score (mean=1.87), followed by the student-centered approach (mean=1.79), and the lowest mean score (mean=1.36) was recorded for the teacher-centered approach, according to the estimated marginal mean estimates based on the teaching method used. All three instructional approaches' average estimates are within the 95% confidence intervals. The findings show that the most successful method for getting the highest test scores is a combination of teacher-centered and student-centered teaching techniques. This demonstrated that rather than the lecturer monopolizing the transfer of information to the learners, interaction between the teacher and students during the teaching and learning process motivates the students to seek knowledge. The student-centered approach's predicted mean score (mean=1.79) was slightly lower than the teacher-student interactive approach's. This suggests that using student-centered strategies is a successful teaching strategy. When compared to student-centered and teacher-student interactive techniques, the results of adopting teacher-centered strategies were significantly lower (mean=1.36). The most successful strategy to teach basic anatomy is to use a variety of pedagogical educational materials; students seem to learn more quickly and effectively when using multimodal and system-based strategies. Future research should focus on evaluating the applicability of new curricula and student views of integrated and multimodal teaching paradigms as well as these paradigms' capacity to meet learning objectives. Conclusion: In order to determine the general level of the learner characteristics, learner analysis is a crucial stage. This study offers recommendations on how to create instructional objectives and choose the best ways to accomplish them. The findings of this study can be used to create educational plans and choose efficient anatomy teaching techniques. Keywords: Multimodal, Large group discussion, small group discussion, mini seminar, integration

Considerations for the design of overdose education and naloxone distribution interventions: results of a multi-stakeholder workshop

IntroductionOpioid overdose epidemic is a public health crisis that is impacting communities around the world. Overdose education and naloxone distribution programs equip and train lay people to respond in the event of an overdose. We aimed to understand factors to consider for the design of naloxone distribution programs in point-of-care settings from the point of view of community stakeholders.MethodsWe hosted a multi-stakeholder co-design workshop to elicit suggestions for a naloxone distribution program. We recruited people with lived experience of opioid overdose, community representatives, and other stakeholders from family practice, emergency medicine, addictions medicine, and public health to participate in a full-day facilitated co-design discussion wherein large and small group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic approaches.ResultsA total of twenty-four participants participated in the multi-stakeholder workshop from five stakeholder groups including geographic and setting diversity. Collaborative dialogue and shared storytelling revealed seven considerations for the design of naloxone distribution programs specific to training needs and the provision of naloxone, these are: recognizing overdose, how much naloxone, impact of stigma, legal risk of responding, position as conventional first aid, friends and family as responders, support to call 911.ConclusionTo create an naloxone distribution program in emergency departments, family practice and substance use treatment services, stigma is a central design consideration for training and naloxone kits. Design choices that reference the iconography, type, and form of materials associated with first aid have the potential to satisfy the need to de-stigmatize overdose response.

Female Sexual Dysfunction: A Primer for Primary Care Health Professionals.

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is common and associated with decreased quality of life, relationship satisfaction, and overall well-being. However, primary care practitioners report discomfort discussing, diagnosing, and treating FSD. We delivered two sessions on the approach to evaluation and treatment of FSD: a 60-minute didactic session and a 90-minute workshop. The intended audience was primary health care professionals who care for women. The workshop utilized interactive teaching methods including a large-group discussion, case-based discussions, debrief of an observed patient-physician discussion, and language drills to develop participants' knowledge and skills. Participants were surveyed about their practice patterns and attitudes toward FSD following the sessions on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). We collected 131 evaluations from a national Veterans Health Administration 60-minute didactic and four evaluations from the Society of General Internal Medicine Annual Meeting 90-minute workshop (response rates were 60% and 15%, respectively). One hundred thirty-five interdisciplinary trainees and practitioners from both audiences highly rated the workshop content (M = 4.1) and the overall session (M = 4.3). Didactic participants (n = 131) also reported high satisfaction (M = 4.5), increased knowledge and skills (M = 4.4), and improved interprofessional collaborative practice (M = 4.4) as a result of the training. Our evaluation shows high satisfaction following interactive multimodal sessions on FSD. These adaptable resources can be used in multiple educational settings (didactic and workshop) and for multiple time frames to teach about FSD.

Using the Discovery of Penicillin Resistance to Teach Nature of Science & Natural Selection

The discovery of and research into penicillin resistance by Sir Edward Abraham and Sir Ernst Chain can be used to teach the concept of natural selection and also multiple nature of science (NOS) objectives associated with Next Generation Science Standards, such as “scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence” and “science is a human endeavor.” After a brief history of Abraham and Chain’s work, we share a detailed multiday lesson plan and rationale for use in an eighth-grade in-person life science classroom. The instructional strategies discussed include analysis of excerpts of Abraham and Chain’s published work through a case study jigsaw using an explicit and reflective approach to teaching NOS. The explicit approach used here is the direct instruction of NOS concepts, while the reflective approach allows students to think about and reflect on what they are learning. Instruction includes close reading, direct instruction, small and large group discussions, and writing. Students are asked to create a scavenger hunt map at the end of the multiday lesson and are assessed with an online five-question pre- and post-assessment.

Honoring the Complexity of Genetics: Exploring the Role of Genes and the Environment Using Real World Examples

Historically, undergraduate genetics courses have disproportionately focused on the impact of genes on phenotypes, rather than multifactorial concepts which consider how a combination of genes, the environment, and gene-by-environment interactions impacts traits. Updating the curriculum to include multifactorial concepts is important to align course materials to current understanding of genetics, and potentially reduce deterministic thinking, which is the belief that traits are solely controlled by genes. Currently there are few resources to help undergraduate biology instructors incorporate multifactorial concepts into their genetics courses, so we designed this lesson that centers on familiar, real-world examples. During this lesson, students learn how to distinguish between genetic and environmental sources of variation, and examine and interpret examples of how phenotypic variation can result from a combination of gene and environmental variation and interactions. This lesson, which is designed for both in-person and online classrooms, engages students in small group and large group discussion, figure interpretation, and provides questions that can be used for both formative and summative assessments. Results from assessment questions suggest that students found working through models depicting the interactions between genotypes and environments beneficial for their understanding of these complex topics. <em>Primary Image:</em>&nbsp;Mendel&rsquo;s laws of alternative inheritance of peas. A photo taken by W.F.R. Weldon of variation in color and texture of peas. Reprinted with permission from Biometrika (Weldon WFR. 1902. <em>Mendel&rsquo;s laws of alternative inheritance in peas</em>).

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO OPTIMIZE THE ENGAGEMENT OF VIRTUAL PARTICIPANTS IN A NATIONAL CONSENSUS CONFERENCE

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the uptake and use of technology in hosting virtual and hybrid (combining virtual and in-person) meetings and events. In this presentation, Dr. Falzarano will describe the ways in which the 2021 Conference on Engaging Family and Other Unpaid Caregivers of Persons with Dementia in Healthcare Delivery leveraged videoconferencing systems (e.g., Zoom) and other web-based platforms (e.g., Qualtrics) to enact a hybrid event. Specifically, she will discuss the various components involved in the event’s planning and execution, including the appointment of a virtual liaison and audiovisual technicians to enable seamless integration and participation of both in-person and virtual attendees. She will also discuss how videoconferencing technology was used to facilitate the delivery of virtual panel presentations; strategies for immersing virtual attendees in both large group discussions and small group breakout sessions; and the process by which virtual attendees participated in the priority vote.

Say My Name: Understanding the Power of Names, Correct Pronunciation, and Personal Narratives.

Names are a reflection of identity and often have personal meaning. The chronic mispronunciation of names can undermine one's identity and be experienced as a microaggression. This workshop aims to provide historical context for names as well as resources for correct name pronunciation. We developed a 60-minute interactive virtual workshop with didactics, small-group sharing of personal experiences, and case discussions. We used an anonymous postworkshop survey to evaluate workshop effectiveness. We presented the workshop at one local academic conference and two local educational conferences to learners of all levels from medical students to faculty. We collected postworkshop survey results from 78 participants of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Participants reported learning historical context, ways to ask about correct name pronunciation, correcting name mispronunciation, documenting pronunciation, and sources for applications to practice. The main barriers to implementing workshop lessons included personal and structural factors. This workshop effectively fills an educational gap by addressing the importance of correct name pronunciation in order to provide a more inclusive environment for clinicians and patients alike.

Exploration and Practice of Electronic, Networked and Intelligent Methods for Basic Medical Science Education to Develop Pathology Interest

Abstract Introduction/Objective In response to the sudden COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has restricted student visas for international students as part of an emergency "zero COVID" plan. As a result of these border closures, most international students enrolled in Chinese medical universities have not returned to campus for more than 2.5 years and have continued their medical education online. Basic medical science study has continued relatively smoothly compared to clinical apprenticeships, which focus more on clinical traineeship and practice. How to turn the crisis caused by the pandemic into an opportunity to improve the level of basic medical science education and level of pathology interest in our school is the topic explored in this paper. Methods/Case Report The methods proposed in this study include the intelligence of artificial intelligence technology and adaptive teaching tools for teaching students in accordance with their aptitude, interactive microscopic slides and gross pathology recognition methods based on computer graphics technology, and Internet-based group learning and large group discussions. All the advantages of traditional classroom teaching are therefore included and some overcome the shortcomings of traditional classroom teaching. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Grades in 2019-2020 school year basic medical science courses were obtained. In this school year, the first semester was traditional education on campus and the second semester was online using the method described in this paper. Second semester grades were 17.2% higher than the first. USMLE Step 1 performance was another measured outcome because it focuses on basic science and pathology. A good outcome on this exam was obtained and the teaching method proposed in this paper is verified. Conclusion The author is preparing to expand the sample size to further verify, improve, and perfect the method proposed in this paper, so as to promote the depth and breadth of basic medical education and continuing success from education into success in pathology careers.

A picture with a caption: Using photovoice as cultural self-reflection in communication sciences and disorders

PurposeSelf-reflection is an essential component of developing cultural competence. However, there is a paucity of research on how to best accomplish cultural self-reflection in CSD courses. Therefore, the purpose of this research study is to examine the teaching and learning practice of using Photovoice as a means of cultural self-reflection in a foundational, multicultural course in CSD. MethodThis qualitative investigation employed a phenomenological approach with emphasis on the scholarship of teaching and learning. Data gathering involved completion of a Photovoice assignment and a prompted reflection of the assignment. The Photovoice assignment entailed the students reflecting and examining their culture. Then, the students submitted two photographs, one that represents a strength of a culture they identify with and one that represents a challenge of a culture they identify with. The students presented their cultural strength and challenges in small and large group discussions. The prompted reflection required the students to address questions in a written or video-recorded response. When the course was completed, the researcher commenced line-by-line focused coding to cluster frequently used terms and common experiences into specific themes. ResultsThe student participants shared photos of cultural strengths and challenges, discussed these photos in small and large groups, and completed a prompted reflection of the Photovoice assignment. While each student's project and reflection were unique, common themes prevailed. The themes of safety, privilege, and mental health emerged from the Photovoice projects and the themes of learning and formating arose from the reflections on use of the project toward cultural competence. ConclusionsThe results of this study suggests that Photovoice is a valuable tool for cultural self-reflection and learning in all courses in CSD programs. In this way cultural self-reflection and the progression toward cultural competence is an on-going process where students are better prepared to provide client-centered, culturally competent care for all people.

Preparing Effective Narrative Evaluations for the Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE).

IntroductionIn 2016, the AAMC Medical School Performance Evaluation (MSPE) Task Force issued recommendations to standardize the MSPE but did not address the quality of the written narratives in that document. Narrative evaluations are hampered by code words, polite rhetoric, and bias to the detriment of students. To address this, the AAMC's Group on Student Affairs and Group on Educational Affairs convened an expert group to consider the state of narratives in the MSPE and develop resources to improve their quality.MethodsA series of interactive workshops was developed and presented at an AAMC webinar and national meetings. A presentation outlining challenges and possible approaches to improvement was followed with large-group discussion and/or small-group breakout activity to analyze and improve upon sample clinical comments and create summary clerkship paragraphs. The initial webinar used polling questions and free-text prompts to gather feedback for future workshops. Anonymous survey responses were collected at the end of each subsequent workshop to determine perceived effectiveness and potential utility at participants’ institutions.ResultsOver 680 administrators, faculty, and staff participated in the webinar or in one of four national-level workshops. Respondents agreed that the modules would be useful in faculty development and wanted to replicate their learning at their own institutions for overall better impact on the quality of MSPE narratives.DiscussionThis resource addresses an important gap in the medical education literature. A variety of stakeholders affirmed that these workshops have value in training writers to improve their narrative comments for the MSPE.

What I Think about When I Think about Teaching Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration in Pedagogy

What I Think about When I Think about Teaching Ethics: A Philosophical Exploration in Pedagogy

Introductory Curriculum to Health Disparities for Medical Physics Trainees: A Pilot Experience

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront longstanding and pervasive health disparities (HD) in the United States that are driven by underlying structural inequities rooted in racism and intersecting systems of power. It is imperative that medical physics training programs increase their commitment and investment in teaching trainees about HD, especially as the profession becomes more patient-facing. To address this current training gap, we designed an introductory HD curriculum for medical physics graduate students and residents.MethodsA HD scholar and medical physicist collaborated to design this course. The curriculum consisted of four weekly 1.5-hour synchronous online sessions. Sessions were developed based on transformative learning theory and involved didactic lectures, case studies, large and small group discussions, and reflection exercises. Session topics included social determinants of equity, structural racism, implicit bias, public outreach, and critical reflection. Participants were asked to fill out pre-post surveys containing open- and close-ended questions for each session and the overall course to evaluate the curriculum's impact on participants. Due to the relevance and timeliness of this topic, trainees were encouraged to attend any part of the course as getting exposure to at least some HD training was prioritized over having a consistent course cohort for optimal data collection.ResultsFifteen trainees attended at least part of the course with 8-11 attendees/session. Most participants reported that weekly sessions increased their feelings of competence to explain the relevance of HD to their role in medical physics (4/7), address mistrust, bias, and stereotyping during patient-provider encounters (6/10), engage in critical reflection (7/8), and design public engagement strategies to reduce HD (5/5). Among participants that completed a pre-post survey for the overall course (N=4), 75% reported they will likely/very likely explore issues related to HD in their future education, research, and/or practice. All would recommend this course to colleagues noting satisfaction with topics, atmosphere to discuss sensitive issues, virtual format, activities, and facilitators.DiscussionThe course was well-attended despite being outside of program requirements, which showed there was interest in the subject. Topics presented resonated with participants and were viewed as timely and relevant to their practice. The implementation of this course shows that it is possible to successfully incorporate HD instruction into the medical physics curriculum in an introductory manner. More robust and consistent data collection is necessary to fully assess the impact of the course on participants.

Talented Teachers’ Perceptions of an Intensive Summer Symposium and the Need for Differentiated Professional Learning

Effective professional learning (PL) practices are essential for promoting experienced and talented teachers’ continued growth, and ultimately, supporting student achievement, including gifted students. In this qualitative case study, we interviewed and surveyed 32 public and private school PK-12 teachers, an Executive Director, and a Board Member about their experiences while participating in a week-long summer symposium designed to enhance talented teachers' expertise and leadership skills. Teachers were identified as talented and nominated to participate through a selection process. The topics, delivered by education experts through lecture, small group work, and large group discussion, focused on executive functioning research, professional self-reflection, and leadership. Data analysis illuminated teachers' critiques and suggestions for improvement of the symposium and a preference for more differentiated PL approaches. We discuss key implications for future research and applications of our research to the growing need for differentiated PL in the field of gifted education.

Experiences of Patients Taking Conditioned Open-Label Placebos for Reduction of Postoperative Pain and Opioid Exposure After Spine Surgery.

Pain after spine surgery is difficult to manage, often requiring the use of opioid analgesics. While traditional "deceptive" or concealed placebo has been studied in trials and laboratory experiments, the acceptability and patient experience of taking honestly prescribed placebos, such as "open-label" placebo (non-deceptive placebo), or conditioned placebo (pairing placebo with another active pharmaceutical) is relatively unexamined. Qualitative thematic analysis was performed using semi-structured, post-treatment interviews with spine surgery patients (n = 18) who had received conditioned open-label placebo (COLP) during the first 2-3weeks after surgery as part of a RCT. Interview transcripts were reviewed by 3 investigators using an immersion/crystallization approach, followed by iterative large-group discussions with additional investigators, to identify, refine, and codify emergent themes. Patients' experiences and perceptions of COLP efficacy varied widely. Some emergent themes included the power of the mind over pain, how COLP might provide distraction from or agency over pain, bandwidth required and engagement with COLP, and its modulation of opioid tapering, as well as negative attitudes toward opioids and pill taking in general. Other themes included uncertainty about COLP efficacy, observations of how personality may relate to COLP efficacy, and a recognition of the greater impact of COLP on reduction of opioid use rather than on pain itself. Interestingly, participant uncertainty, disbelief, and skepticism were not necessarily associated with greater opioid consumption or worse pain. Participants provided insights into the experience of COLP which may help to guide its future utilization to manage acute pain and tapering from opioids.

Future counselors’ voices: A qualitative investigation of microaggression training

AbstractThe present study is a qualitative investigation of the voices of counseling graduate trainees (n = 76) in response to a multicultural competence training on racial microaggressions. The didactic and experiential training included readings, lecture, videos, large and small group discussions, and skills practice sessions. Upon completion of the training, trainees in individual and group counseling skills classes responded to open‐ended questions in journals. These journals were subsequently analyzed using consensual qualitative research‐modified, and responses were examined according to race/ethnicity (i.e., trainees of color vs. White trainees). Four primary domains emerged from the analysis: difficult, most and least helpful aspects of training, and racial‐cultural identity influences on training. Recommendations for future training are presented, along with salient patterns that emerged from the voices of trainees of color and White trainees.

AN ANALYSIS OF TEACHING WRITING STRATEGY BY ONLINE DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AT SMK PGRI 2 GIRI BANYUWANGI

This research aimed to know the strategies used and the problems faced by the teachers in teaching writing by online at SMK PGRI 2 Giri Banyuwangi. The scope of this study is to analyze teaching writing by online during covid-19 pandemic at SMK PGRI 2 Giri Banyuwangi and limit only to the strategy used in teaching writing by online during covid-19 pandemic. This study used qualitative research. The subjects of the research are three of English teachers at SMK PGRI 2 Giri Banyuwangi. The instruments used to collect the data is an interview. The technique of data analysis which used in this research is interactive model of analysis from Miles and Huberman. They are: reducing the data, display the data and drawing and verifying conclusion. The finding of the research showed the respodents use two teaching writing strategies during pandemic, those are teacher presentation and self-awareness exercises / tests (Large and Small Group Discussion). The teachers deliver the material using presentation by Zoom and then share and collect the task in Google Classroom. In certain condition, students can come to the school for doing small group discussion with the teachers directly. Therefore, there are three problems faced by teacher during teaching writing by online, there are internet connection, students’ lack of interest and inappropriate teaching strategy.

Becoming our young people’s case managers: caregivers’ experiences, needs, and ideas for improving opioid use treatments for young people using opioids

BackgroundEvidence continues to show that young people, ages 15-24, remain at significant risk of harms from non-medical opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD), with experts calling for widespread implementation of developmentally-appropriate interventions. These recommendations include the involvement of caregivers in the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of young people using opioids. However, little research has investigated caregivers’ experiences supporting young people, leaving critical gaps in understanding this role. The aim of this study is to explore caregivers’ experiences accessing opioid use treatments with young people and their needs and ideas for improving such treatments.MethodsThis study reports qualitative findings from Phase 1 of the Improving Treatment Together project, a multi-phase, multi-site community-based participatory study broadly aimed at co-designing opioid use treatments to improve the experiences and outcomes of young people using non-medical opioids. During Phase 1, a total of 27 caregivers (parents, guardians) participated in full-day workshops that were conducted in three communities in British Columbia, Canada. Following human-centred co-design methods, caregivers engaged in small and large group discussions of their experiences, needs, and ideas for improving opioid use treatments for young people. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed.ResultsAcross communities, caregivers’ main experiences were defined as ‘becoming our young people’s case managers’ and ‘enduring a never-ending rollercoaster’. To improve these experiences, two needs themes were identified – expanding organizational and system-level capacity and wider-spread understanding of opioid use as a health issue. Caregivers brainstormed a total of 378 individual ideas to meet these needs, several of which spanned multiple needs themes.ConclusionsCaregivers’ experiences, needs, and ideas reveal critical opportunities for improving the quality of interventions for opioid use among young people. This study represents a substantial contribution to the design and implementation of developmentally-appropriate and family-centred interventions for young people using opioids.

Evaluation of a Cardiovascular Therapeutics Case‐Based Learning Activity

Physician Assistant students at the University of Texas Medical Branch often struggle with learning how patient characteristics affect cardiovascular therapeutic treatment choice. We implemented a case‐based learning (CBL) activity in the cardiovascular therapeutics module to address this problem.The pre‐work for the CBL was the module lectures. Students completed an individual pre‐activity quiz then worked in small groups to discuss six cardiovascular cases. Each case included questions related to choosing the most appropriate treatments based on patient characteristics such as age or comorbidities, as well as the pharmacological characteristics of the drugs. Groups recorded their answers in a worksheet that was submitted for grading. The CBL concluded with an individual post‐activity quiz. Optional pre‐ and post‐session surveys evaluated their level of confidence in their knowledge as well as their satisfaction with the CBL.Prior to the CBL, 74% of survey respondents indicated they lacked confidence in their knowledge of cardiovascular therapeutics. Following the activity, only 26% of respondents indicated they still lacked confidence in their knowledge of these topics. Students enjoyed working and discussing in their groups, having realistic complex patient cases, figuring out how patient characteristics alter medication choice, and thought the cases helped guide their studying for the subsequent exam. Ideas for improvement of the CBL included utilizing smaller learning groups, reducing the number of cases, adding additional time to the activity, and adding a large group discussion to review the case answers.Overall, the response to the CBL was largely positive and the feedback will be useful for improving the session when it is next deployed. This type of activity can be used to reinforce material for other pharmacology topics students find difficult.

Identifying priorities for artificial intelligence and primary care in ontario: A multi-stakeholder engagement event.

CONTEXT: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being recognized as having potential importance to primary care (PC). However, there is a gap in our understanding about where to focus efforts related to AI for PC settings, especially given the current COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To identify current priority areas for AI and PC in Ontario, Canada. STUDY DESIGN: Multi-stakeholder engagement event with facilitated small and large group discussions. A nominal group technique process was used to identify and rank challenges in PC that AI may be able to support. Mentimeter software was used to allow real-time, anonymous and independent ranking from all participants. A final list of priority areas for AI and PC, with key considerations, was derived based on ranked items and small group discussion notes. SETTING: Ontario, Canada. POPULATION STUDIED: Digital health and PC stakeholders. OUTCOME MEASURES: N/A. RESULTS: The event included 8 providers, 8 patient advisors, 4 decision makers, 3 digital health stakeholders, and 12 researchers. Nine priority areas for AI and PC were identified and ranked, which can be grouped into those intended to support physician (preventative care and risk profiling, clinical decision support, routine task support), patient (self-management of conditions, increased mental health care capacity and support), or system-level initiatives (administrative staff support, management and synthesis of information sources); and foundational areas that would support work on other priorities (improved communication between PC and AI stakeholders, data sharing and interoperability between providers). Small group discussions identified barriers and facilitators related to the priorities, including data availability, quality, and consent; legal and device certification issues; trust between people and technology; equity and the digital divide; patient centredness and user-centred design; and the need for funding to support collaborative research and pilot testing. Although identified areas do not explicitly mention COVID-19, participants were encouraged to think about what would be feasible and meaningful to accomplish within a few years, including considerations of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery phases. CONCLUSIONS: A one-day multi-stakeholder event identified priority areas for AI and PC in Ontario. These priorities can serve as guideposts to focus near-term efforts on the planning, development, and evaluation of AI for PC.

Integrating community paramedicine with primary health care: a qualitative study of community paramedic views.

Background:Community paramedicine (CP) is an emerging model of care that addresses local health needs through programs led by community paramedics; however, CP remains poorly defined and appears to lack systematic integration with the broader health system, specifically primary care, within which it is seated. The purpose of the study was to elucidate the views of community paramedics and their stakeholders in Ontario, Canada, on the topic of integrating CP with the broader health system.Methods:This was a retrospective qualitative analysis of a public recording of a CP provincial forum held in Ontario, Canada, in 2017. Forum attendees (paramedics and stakeholders) were invited by email if they had attended a similar provincial forum in the past (no exclusion criteria for attendance). In small- and large-group discussions, attendees discussed their views on how CP could fit into primary care and what medical oversight and acceptance for the profession could involve. A recording of the large-group discussion, which is publicly available, was transcribed and thematically analyzed.Results:The 89 participants varied in professional affiliation (66% from a paramedic service, n = 59). Among those from paramedic services, 33% were community paramedics (n = 14). Five major themes emerged: defining the role of community paramedics, how CP may integrate with other services, how to garner support for CP, where standardization is needed and possible oversight structures.Interpretation:Community paramedics and their stakeholders have insights into barriers and facilitators for integration with the health system. These study findings could help inform the integration of health and social services in Ontario with a consideration for the unique position and potential of community paramedics.