National Professional Bodies Research Articles

Breastfeeding and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination: Position Statement of Indian Academy of Pediatrics Advisory Committee on Vaccination and Immunization Practices

JustificationIn India, till recently, breastfeeding women have been excluded from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program, rendering a significant population of the country, including frontline workers, ineligible to derive the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.ObjectiveThe objective of this recommendation is production of an evidence-based document to guide the pediatricians to give advice to breastfeeding mothers regarding the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in lactating women.ProcessFormulation of key question was done under the chairmanship of president of the IAP. It was followed by review of literature regarding efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in breastfeeding women. The recommendations of other international and national professional bodies were also deliberated in detail. The available data was discussed in the ACVIP focused WhatsApp group. Opinion of all members was taken and the final document was prepared after achieving consensus.RecommendationsThe IAP/ACVIP recommends the administration of COVID-19 vaccines to all breastfeeding women. The IAP/ACVIP endorses the recent recommendation of the Government of India, to consider all breastfeeding women as eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

Use of out-of-field contact shielding on patients in medical imaging: A review of current guidelines, recommendations and legislative documents.

The use of patient contact-shielding has become a topic of intensive scientific debate. While it has been common practice during the last decades, some studies have questioned the efficiency of using such shielding while others have highlighted the inconsistencies in its application. The objective of this work is to review current recommendations and legislative documents on the use of out-of-field shielding in X-ray imaging, including those from national authorities and from international and national organisations and professional bodies. The review, performed within the framework of the activities of EURADOS Working Group 12, covers available recommendations on use of contact shielding in adult, pregnant and paediatric patients in general radiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography, mammography and dental radiology. It includes a comprehensive search of 83 documents from 32 countries and 6 international organisations over the last 39years. In general, using shielding is recommended only under two conditions: if it does not compromise the diagnostic task and the performance of the procedure and/or if it reassures the patient and comforters that they are appropriately protected against potentially harmful effects of radiation. There are very few specific regulatory requirements to use shielding in a particular imaging modality, although they may consider use of shielding either as part of good radiological practice or as requirements for availability of protective or ancillary tools, without further specification of their use. There is a wide variety of positions among documents that recommend out-of-field shielding, those that do not recommend it and those that are not specific. Therefore, evidence-based consensus is still needed to ensure best and consistent practice.

Digital Library Education in Tertiary Institutions: Roadmap to Revolutionizing Nigerian University Library Services

The purpose of the paper is to bring to light the state of education in Digital Libraries (DLs) in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and the readiness of library schools to produce future digital librarians in Nigeria. The study covered 31 universities offering Library and Information Science (LIS) approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria. The main data collection method for the study was analysis of departmental documents containing the LIS curriculum. Second, six Library and Information Science educators in universities that are yet to integrate digital libraries course in their LIS curricula were interviewed. The study revealed that majority of the library schools offer a course in digital libraries or related areas as a core course in their curricula. However, only a few library schools have computer laboratories for students to enhance their digital library skills. Some LIS educators identified challenges such as lack of qualified ICT staff to handle the course and a lack of computer laboratories equipped with modern computers and stable Internet facilities in the LIS departments. Findings from the study will inform library educators on the need to redesign curricula to integrate digital libraries course, in order to produce future digital librarians in this digital era and thus overcome the frequently mentioned challenge of lack of ICT staff to manage digital libraries in Nigeria. The project will enable library schools in Nigeria to provide a world class library education that is in line with the standard recommended by international and national LIS professional bodies.

Childhood caries management in the European Union: A cross-sectional study

ObjectivesDental caries is one of the most widespread childhood diseases worldwide, although it is largely preventable. In Europe, there is an observable difference between caries prevalence in Eastern and Western European states. This study aimed to gather data on the characteristics of publicly financed dental preventive services for children in European Union (EU) member states. MethodsData on important indicators were collected through an online survey. National and international professional bodies specializing in pediatric dentistry and dental services were invited to participate in the study. Descriptive statistics and information gain were applied in the analysis to identify the strongest indicators of the availability and content of childhood caries services. Additionally, the reimbursement characteristics were examined. ResultsWe received responses from 27 EU member states. The accessibility and assessment of dental preventive services among the member states vary notably. The frequency of screenings and the screened age groups differ by country and free screenings for preschool children are not common. Monitoring systems were present in only 37% of the responding countries, but brief dental interventions are available to promote caries prevention in 25 of the 27 countries. However, these interventions are mainly focused on basic oral health education. Regarding the reimbursement characteristics, we found that the amount of reimbursement is larger for higher-cost treatments targeting already developed caries than for cost-effective preventive treatments, which are less likely publicly financed. ConclusionsThe prevention of dental caries is part of oral health promotion and education efforts in the EU; unlike the treatment of already developed dental caries, the accessibility of clinical prevention services is limited and usually not free for children. Further comprehensive studies are necessary to identify key indicators for international assessment and facilitate the standardization of the screening process, thus promoting the collection of comparable data.

Utility of ultrasound in the assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function: A rapid review and critical appraisal of the literature

AbstractBackgroundUltrasound (US) is not widely used as part of the speech and language therapy (SLT) clinical toolkit. The COVID‐19 pandemic has intensified interest in US as an alternative to SLT instrumental tools such as the videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and endoscopic evaluation of the larynx (EEL) as a non‐invasive, non‐aerosol‐generating procedure that can be delivered at the bedside to assess swallowing and/or laryngeal function. To establish the appropriacy of routine US use, and in response to a national professional body request for a position statement, a group of expert SLTs conducted a rapid review of the literature.AimTo explore critically the clinical utility of US as an assessment tool for swallowing and laryngeal function in adults.Methods & ProceduresA rapid review of four databases was completed to identify articles using US to assess swallowing and/or laryngeal function in adults compared with reference tests (VFSS/FEES/EEL/validated outcome measure). Screening was completed according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and 10% of abstracts were rescreened to assess reliability. Data were extracted from full texts using a predeveloped form. The QUADAS‐2 tool was used for quality ratings. Information from included studies was summarized using narrative synthesis and visual illustration.Outcomes & ResultsTen papers used US to assess swallowing, and 13 to assess laryngeal function. All were peer‐reviewed primary studies across a range of clinical populations and with a wide geographical spread. Four papers had an overall low risk of bias, but the remaining 19 had at least one domain where risk of bias was judged as high or unclear. Applicability concerns were identified in all papers. The papers that used US to assess swallowing varied widely in terms of the anatomical structures assessed and methodology employed. The papers assessing laryngeal function were more homogenous in their methodology. Sensitivity and specificity data were provided for 12 of the laryngeal function papers with ranges of 64.3–100% and 48.5–100%, respectively.Conclusions & ImplicationsThere is burgeoning evidence to support the use of US as an adjunct to SLT clinical assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function. However, the current literature does not support its use as a tool in isolation. Further research is required to establish reliability in US assessment as well as clear SLT‐driven protocols and training.What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subject US has demonstrated potential as an assessment tool for objective parameters of swallowing. Its use for laryngeal assessment (gross vocal fold movement) is also widely recognized within the literature. This review appraised the literature related to US as an alternative or adjunctive tool for the assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function.What this paper adds to existing knowledge This paper identifies that the current evidence base for US as a swallowing or laryngeal assessment tool is heterogenous and of variable quality. No study combined the assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function, and only two studies assessed more than one parameter of swallowing, limiting the clinical application of the results.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This review shows that US is a non‐invasive accessible tool that can offer a detailed focal assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function, such as hyoid displacement and vocal fold mobility. With the development of protocols, training packages and competency standards, US has the potential to be used as an adjunct to SLT assessment of swallowing and laryngeal function. There is not currently enough evidence to support the use of US as a stand‐alone tool for SLT assessment of swallowing or laryngeal function.

Protecting our second harvest

Among the saddest aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the laying bare of how older people are devalued by our politicians and the medical establishment. Although older people, and particularly those resident in care homes, were the demographic group most affected by mortality and morbidity from COVID-19, in the early stages of the pandemic advisory sites from many international and national medical organisations and professional bodies did not sufficiently prioritise effective prevention and management for older people in COVID-19 guidance documents and educational updates.

IAFR Guidelines for best practice: Principles for radiographers and imaging practitioners providing forensic imaging services

• IAFR guidelines for radiographers, managers or planners • Provision of forensic imaging services Radiography for forensic purposes is a complex area of practice and the International Association of Forensic Radiographers (IAFR) is pleased to provide this guidance and advice document for Radiographers and Radiological Technologists involved in providing forensic imaging services. These guidelines were originally published as a collaboration between the IAFR and the College of Radiographers in the United Kingdom (UK), in 1998 [1] . As membership of the IAFR continues to grow internationally, these guidelines have now been updated to be more applicable outside the UK justice system [2] . The aim is that the principles outlined in these international 'best-practice' guidelines will be adapted by national professional bodies and relevant health and justice departments to suit local medico-legal systems within each country, and that departmental managers and employers should also find this document invaluable [3] . It is recognised that the level of best practice that can be achieved is dependent on local facilities and resources, as well as the expertise of the radiographer(s).

Radiography doctorates in Arabia: Current position and opportunities to transform research practice in the Middle East

IntroductionDespite the existence of opportunities for postgraduate studies in radiography, the number of radiographers involved in postgraduate education is low and their research production is also considered low compared to other professions. The main aim of this study was to understand the profile of radiography Doctorate holders across the Arab countries, document their current role and identify barriers that may influence research and professional publication activity. MethodsThere is no formal database of doctoral radiographers in Arab countries, therefore a snowball sampling technique was used to recruit participants beyond those identified through organizational websites. An online survey was distributed to the participants with implied consent being applied through completion of the survey. ResultsFrom 53 responses, 78% were male and 98% were diagnostic radiographers. Fifty-one percent completed their PhD in non-Arab countries and 55% self-funded (paid for themselves) their PhD study. An increase in doctoral students was observed over time, where 36% (n = 19) of participants will graduate in 2020 and afterward. Barriers reported as preventing radiographers pursuing research/publication were support, employing institutions, lack of research focussed leadership and lack of collaboration. ConclusionGovernment support and direction from national professional bodies is needed. To enable research growth, there must be a foundational component within pre-registration/licensing education. Implications for practiceFocussing on government or professional body supported projects that are divided into smaller linked investigations can provide foundational work for PhD development. It is through these opportunities that practitioner research enhancement and capability is improved. Potential Arabian regional and wider international collaborations should be pursued in future as a developmental approach.

Permission to Narrate a Pandemic in Palestine

Permission to Narrate a Pandemic in Palestine

Preface

Preface

Our sea: Music therapy in dementia and end-of-life care in the Mediterranean region

Our sea: Music therapy in dementia and end-of-life care in the Mediterranean region

Integrative policy development for healthier people and ecosystems: A European case analysis

There is growing evidence of the inter‐relationships between ecosystems and public health. This creates opportunities for the development of cross‐sectoral policies and interventions that provide dual benefits to public health and to the natural environment. These benefits are increasingly articulated in strategy documents at national and regional level, yet implementation of integrative policies on the ground remains limited and fragmented. Here, we use a workshop approach to identify some features of this evidence–implementation gap based on policy and practice within a number of western European countries. The driving forces behind some recent moves towards more integrative policy development and implementation show important differences between countries, reflecting the non‐linear and complex nature of the policy‐making process. We use these case studies to illustrate some of the key barriers to greater integrative policy development identified in the policy analysis literature. Specific barriers we identify include: institutional barriers; differing time perspectives in public health and ecosystem management; contrasting historical development of public health and natural environment disciplinary policy agendas; an incomplete evidence base relating investment in the natural environment to benefits for public health; a lack of appropriate outcome measures including benefit–cost trade‐offs; and finally a lack of integrative policy frameworks across the health and natural environment sectors. We also identify opportunities for greater policy integration and examples of good practice from different countries. However, we note there is no single mechanism that will deliver integrative policy for healthier people and ecosystems in all countries and situations. National governments, national public agencies, local governments, research institutions, and professional bodies all share a responsibility to identify and seize opportunities for influencing policy change, whether incremental or abrupt, to ensure that ecosystems and the health of society are managed so that the interests of future generations, as well as present generations, can be protected.

IBS17.01 Undertaking Nursing and Allied Health Research — How to Survive It and Get Published

The nursing and allied health professions include a diverse range of disciplines, such as many different specialist nurses, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, dietetics, social work, and others. The foundation of modern health service interventions is that of evidence-based practice, to ensure that patients are receiving interventions that have been proven, through robust research, to provide benefit for the patient. Nursing interventions have a longer history of research underpinning them than allied health. In the allied health professions, there remains a dearth of robust research providing a clear evidence base for interventions routinely used. This presentation will focus on the challenges faced by both nurses and allied health professionals, particularly clinicians, in undertaking research and, once a research study is completed, how to get the research published. This is even more challenging in the general specialty of oncology and within the sub-specialty of lung cancer. The lack of research among nursing and the allied health professions is not a new phenomenon. My unpublished undergraduate thesis for the BAppSc(OT) in 1994 was titled ‘The replication of research in the health sciences’, investigating the level of replication of research in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology and nursing. The aim of this research was to ensure the scientific knowledge base of the interventions being utilised were valid and reliable. The outcome of the research demonstrated a significant limitation in the replication of research, with many interventions being utilised by these professions not having a strong evidence base, or any evidence base at all. Twenty-five years later the scientific base for these professions, as well as dieticians and new and emerging allied health professions, has improved. In the field of occupational therapy most national professional bodies now have a focus on supporting research through funding and the dissemination of research findings. How does a novice clinical researcher go about funding, designing, implementing and publishing a research study? One of the keys for novice researchers is to find an academic or clinical research mentor, who is able to support you in navigating the muddy waters of clinical research. Clinical research is key to ensuring research projects are designed to meet the needs of our rapidly changing clinical environment, emerging clinical areas and interventions. There are many challenges in being a clinical researcher. These include a lack of research competency and training, the pressure of large clinical caseloads, a lack of support from within nursing and allied health departments, as well as at a hospital level, where the priority is primarily for patient intervention, not research. In this presentation I will outline how I navigated my initial clinical research in lung cancer and progressed over time to become an applied public health researcher in cancer control. Throughout this research progression I have had the support of mentors and supervisors while completing higher degrees, as well as clinical champions in my workplaces. I will outline the steps required to develop a research project, including protocol development, practical tips for managing Human Research Ethics and Governance Committee applications, data collection and management. Once your research study is complete what next? Publish or perish remains a key concept for nursing and allied health professionals. While in some health conditions, such as paediatrics, spinal cord injury, and acquired brain injury to name a few, there is a strong body of evidence for allied health interventions, in oncology, specifically lung cancer, a dearth of evidence from the allied health professions continues. There has been an improvement in research in some specific areas of lung cancer management which involves allied health professionals, such as in exercise, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support. However, significant gaps in the evidence base for allied health interventions for people living with lung cancer remain. There has been a growth in nursing research, particularly in lung cancer, but how robust is this research output? Is the nursing profession producing robust RCT studies that inform clinical practice? Internationally, both nursing and allied health professionals may be completing research or quality improvement activities that are building on their evidence base. However, they may not be publishing these important findings. It is critical that the work being done is published and further built on, with ongoing research and investigation, to ensure a robust and evolving evidence base for all nursing and allied health interventions being provided to patients. There continues to be a dearth of research studies by allied health professionals, particularly in the area of oncology and more specifically lung cancer. For our professions to continue to grow in this speciality area and demonstrate our benefit, we need to engage and support clinicians to bring research into their daily clinical practice, to ensure a robust evidence base in oncology, and more specifically lung cancer, is developed. Nursing, Clinical research, Allied health

An introduction to OTLA

The Education & Training Foundation (ETF) is the government-backed, sector-owned national professional development body for the Further Education (FE) and training sector. Our role is to support the continuing transformation of our technical and vocational education system by ensuring the sector has world-class leaders, teachers, and trainers. It is the expectation that this leads to ever-improving learner outcomes, a more highly-skilled workforce for employers, and a stronger economy, country, and society. We do this by improving, driving, and championing the quality of leadership, teaching, and training.

A multi-centre quality improvement project to reduce the incidence of obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI): study protocol

BackgroundThird and fourth degree perineal tears, or obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI), sustained during childbirth can result in anal incontinence and psychosocial problems which require ongoing treatment. Within the English National Health System (NHS) reported rates of OASI have gradually increased. In response, a care bundle was developed incorporating four elements: 1) antenatal information to women, 2) manual perineal protection during all vaginal births, 3) episiotomy to be performed with a 60° mediolateral angle at crowning (when clinically indicated) and 4) perineal examination (including per rectum) after childbirth. Implementation of the OASI Care Bundle is aided by a skills development module and an awareness campaign. The project is a collaboration between two national professional bodies, an NHS hospital trust and an academic institution.MethodsImplementation of the OASI Care Bundle will be evaluated using a stepped-wedge design. From January 2017 sixteen maternity units across England, Wales and Scotland will participate in the study over a 15-month period, with sequential roll-out of the intervention in four blocks (regions) of four units. The primary clinical outcome is OASI rate. Regression analysis will adjust for differences in organisational characteristics and obstetric risk factors in women who gave birth before and after implementation of the care bundle. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with clinicians will evaluate the feasibility of integrating the care bundle into routine practice. Interviews with women will explore the acceptability of the intervention.DiscussionThis protocol outlines the evaluation of our quality improvement project which aims to prevent OASI using a bundle of evidence-based interventions that are each widely used in practice. The OASI project aims to 1) standardise practice to prevent OASI in a way that is acceptable to clinicians and women and 2) identify the barriers and enablers associated with upscaling interventions within maternity units. If found to be effective, feasible and acceptable, the OASI Care Bundle will be shared with a range of audiences using the communication channels available to the professional bodies.Trial registrationThe OASI Project was retrospectively registered on the ISCTRN12143325 database date assigned 03/10/2017.

Discursively framing physicians as leaders: Institutional work to reconfigure medical professionalism

Physicians are well-known for safeguarding medical professionalism by performing institutional work in their daily practices. However, this study shows how opinion-making physicians in strategic arenas (i.e. national professional bodies, conferences and high-impact journals) advocate to reform medical professionalism by discursively framing physicians as leaders. The aim of this article is to critically investigate the use of leadership discourse by these opinion-making physicians. By performing a discursive analysis of key documents produced in these strategic arenas and additional observations of national conferences, this article investigates how leadership discourse is used and to what purpose. The following key uses of medical leadership discourses were identified: (1) regaining the lead in medical professionalism, (2) disrupting ‘old’ professional values, and (3) constructing the ‘modern’ physician. The analysis reveals that physicians as ‘leaders’ are expected to become team-players that work across disciplinary and organizational boundaries to improve the quality and affordability of care. In comparison to management that is negatively associated with NPM reform, leadership discourse is linked to positive institutional change, such as decentralization and integration of care. Yet, it is unclear to what extent leadership discourses are actually incorporated on the work floor and to what effect. Future studies could therefore investigate the uptake of leadership discourses by rank and file physicians to investigate whether leadership discourses are used in restricting or empowering ways.

Outcome of capacity building intervention for malaria vector surveillance, control and research in Nigerian higher institutions

BackgroundDespite the availability of effective malaria vector control intervention tools, implementation of control programmes in Nigeria is challenged by inadequate entomological surveillance data. This study was designed to assess and build the existing capacity for malaria vector surveillance, control and research (MVSC&R) in Nigerian institutions.MethodsApplication call to select qualified candidates for the capacity building (CB) intervention training programme was advertised in a widely read newspaper and online platforms of national and international professional bodies. Two trainings were organized to train selected applicants on field activities, laboratory tools and techniques relevant to malaria vector surveillance and control research. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics of participants, knowledge and access of participants to field and laboratory techniques in MVSC&R. Similarly, pre and post-intervention tests were conducted to assess the performance and improvement in knowledge of the participants. Mentoring activities to sustain CB activities after the training were also carried out.ResultsA total of 23 suitable applicants were shortlisted out of the 89 applications received. The South West, South East and North Central geopolitical zones of the country had the highest applications and the highest selected number of qualified applicants compared to the South South and North East geopolitical zones. The distribution with respect to gender indicated that males (72.7%) were more than females (27.3%). Mean score of participants’ knowledge of field techniques was 27.8 (± 10.8) before training and 67.7 (± 9.8) after the training. Similarly, participants’ knowledge on laboratory techniques also improved from 37.4 (± 5.6) to 77.2 (± 10.8). The difference in the mean scores at pre and post-test was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Access of participants to laboratory and field tools used in MVSC&R was generally low with insecticide susceptibility bioassays and pyrethrum spray collection methods being the most significant (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe capacity available for vector control research and surveillance at institutional level in Nigeria is weak and require further strengthening. Increased training and access of personnel to relevant tools for MVSC&R is required in higher institutions in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“Now I feel like a true parasitologist” -Concept-based training for early career scientists

One of the allures of parasitology is its breadth of aspects spanning everything from molecules to ecosystems. Very few institutions have the capability to cover this breadth in educating parasitologists. As the national professional body, the Australian Society for Parasitology has developed a training course that aims to fill this gap. The course offers a comprehensive overview over the field, highlights the current research foci and introduces key methods. The program equips participants with an appreciation of parasites and with strategies to deal with the complexity of parasitological systems. The course provides an innovative model for training parasitological key concepts with a focus on professional development for early career researchers.

Emerging information technologies in accounting and related security risks – what is the impact on the Romanian accounting profession

This study investigates whether aspiring and professional accountants understand the benefits and security challenges brought by emerging technologies such as: Big Data, data analytics, cloud computing and mobile technologies. 115 participants took part in a survey during January and February 2017, all having at least one year of practical experience in accounting or audit and 80% of them being affiliated with national or international accounting professional bodies. The research has three key findings: (1) Professional accountants and auditors are having in average a theoretical knowledge of the emerging technologies in the accounting field, but they still need to enhance their skills to exploit them efficiently, (2) Mobile technologies started to be adopted by the Romanian practitioners and (3) The profession has become aware of the security risks brought by emerging technologies in the digital accounting. The accounting profession is on the verge of change and the practitioners do not yet possess sufficient skills regarding the analyzed emerging technologies. As per this, the professional bodies and academic environment should reassess their curricula to enforce the necessary changes for preparing practitioners to successfully face the future challenges and avoid their replacement by other professions more qualified.

Vaccine Safety and Surveillance for Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) in India.

Assured quality vaccines and safe immunization practices are pre-requisite to successful immunization programs. All vaccines go through stringent safety checks during pre-licensure stage. Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) Surveillance program is an integral part of routine immunization program in India to monitor the vaccine safety in the post licensure phase. Indian AEFI Program: National AEFI surveillance relies on passive surveillance and reporting by the health functionaries and practitioners. Vigorous strengthening of AEFI surveillance has resulted in manifold rise in absolute number of AEFI reports across several reporting units in the country in the last decade. Establishment of National AEFI Secretariat, National Technical Collaborating Centre, and development of risk communication strategy as well as quality management certification are some of the unique aspects of this public health program. All serious AEFI reports undergo a systematic causality assessment as per WHO-algorithm by trained committees. National AEFI surveillance system has forged formal linkages with national pharmacovigilance program, the regulators, and professional bodies. Challenges: The number of the reported serious AEFIs are still far less than the expected numbers. Although the AEFI committees at the district and state levels have been established, a large proportion are far from functional. Way forward: As the national immunization program introduces newer vaccines for different age groups and coverage improves, the issues of vaccine hesitancy and confidence are likely to be raised more often and the AEFI surveillance program will have to assume greater responsibility to comprehensively respond to the community concerns and sustain public confidence in vaccines.