Perspectives Of Specialists Research Articles

Implementation fidelity of the family finding intervention: the perspectives of permanency specialists

ABSTRACT Family Finding is a six-step intervention designed to support older youth lingering in foster care. Through the intervention, permanency specialists discover and engage family members and significant adults who can support youth in their transition to independent living. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the intervention’s implementation fidelity, learn about permanency specialists’ experiences using the Family Finding intervention, and to offer recommendations for ways to improve on the implementation of the intervention. The findings suggest that permanency specialists do not deliver the intervention according to the six steps as intended. The participants modified the actual steps of the intervention and reported that they lack specific measurements against which to assess implementation fidelity. The findings of this study are significant to those who apply the intervention such as program developers, policy practitioners, and researchers.

Defining Employment Specialist Competencies: Results of a Participatory Research Study.

The preponderance of research conducted on supported employment has focused on the structure of interventions with little empirical investigation into the contribution of employment specialists to work outcomes. Using a participatory approach, we identified competencies essential to the role of the employment specialists, operationalized and refined those competencies using the perspectives of experts, service recipients, and employment specialists themselves. We conducted an online survey with 34 candidate items and n = 142 respondents. Results suggested good psychometric properties, stability and coherence of the Vocational Practices and Relationship Scale. A total of n = 23 finalitems tapping the working alliance coalesced into a strong factor, as did strategies for promoting vocational recovery, suggesting that the scale warrants wide-scale testing for predictive validity. We consider these constructs and competencies to be a potential blueprint for training employment specialists, not only in technical skills and strategies, but also to increase the hope for vocational recovery among those they serve.

تصور مقترح لبرنامج إعداد معلمی الریاضیات للمرحلة الابتدائیة فی ضوء معاییر هیئة تقویم التعلیم بالمملکة العربیة السعودیة

هدفت الدراسة إلى تعرف واقع برامج إعداد معلمي الرياضيات للمرحلة الابتدائية في المملکة العربية السعودية في ضوء معايير هيئة تقويم التعليم, وتقديم تصور مقترح لها, واستخدمت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي التحليلي في تحليل وثائق برنامجي کلية التربية بجامعة الملک سعود وجامعة أم القرى لإعداد معلمي الرياضيات للمرحلة الابتدائية کعينة للدراسة, بينما استخدمت المنهج الوصفي المسحي لمعرفة مدى مناسبة التصور المقترح لبرنامج إعداد معلمي الرياضيات للمرحلة الابتدائية من وجهة نظر الخبراء والمختصين, والبالغ عددهم تسعة کعينة للدراسة, وتوصلت الدراسة إلى مجموعة من النتائج أهمها: أن معايير هيئة تقويم التعليم قد تراوح تکرارها بين (0-23) لبرنامج جامعة الملک سعود, حيث ظهر معيار (الإلمام بالمهارات اللغوية والکمية والرقمية) بأعلى تکرار, وبنسبة بلغت 41.07% وبدرجة توافر متوسطة, بينما تراوح تکرارها بين (0-22) لبرنامج جامعة أم القرى, حيث ظهر معيار (المعرفة بمحتوى التخصص وطرق تدريسه) بأعلى تکرار, وبنسبة بلغت 45.83% وبدرجة توافر متوسطة, أما أضعف توافر لهذه المعايير فکان لمعيار (التطوير المهني المستمر) في کلا البرنامجين, حيث لم يظهر له أي تکرار, وکذلک معيار (التفاعل المهني مع التربويين والمجتمع) حيث توافر مرة واحدة في کلا البرنامجين, وبشکل عام يظهر انخفاض توافر معايير هيئة تقويم التعليم في کلا البرنامجين, حيث أن 90% منها توافرت بدرجتي منخفضة جدا, ومنخفضة في کلا البرنامجين, ثم قدمت الدراسة تصورا مقترحا لبرنامج إعداد معلمي الرياضيات للمرحلة الابتدائية في ضوء معايير هيئة تقويم التعليم, بلغ متوسط مناسبته من وجهة نظر الخبراء والمختصين (4.96 من 5), وبدرجة عالية جدا, وفي ضوء ذلک أوصت الدراسة برفع معايير القبول في برامج إعداد معلم الرياضيات للمرحلة الابتدائية, وتأهيل وتوفير أعضاء هيئة تدريس على درجة عالية من الکفاءة, ورفع مستوى الاهتمام بالتربية العملية، وتطوير أسلوب الإشراف عليها, وربط الجوانب النظرية بالبرامج بمهارات تعليم الرياضيات وتعلمها, ومشکلات تدريسها. Abstract: The current study aimed to identify the reality of the programs of preparing elementary mathematics teachers in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in light of the standards of the Education Assessment Authority, and present a proposal about these programs. The study adopted the analytical survey approach to analyze the documents of the two programs of the faculty of education in the King Saud University and Umm Al-Qura University to prepare elementary mathematics teachers as a study sample. Moreover, the descriptive survey approach was used to determine the suitability of the suggested proposal to the preparation program of elementary mathematics teachers from the perspectives of experts and specialists totaling 9 as a study participants, the study revealed a number of findings, the most important of which are: The frequency of the standards of Education Assessment Authority have ranged between (0-23) for the King Saud University program. While the standard of (knowledge of linguistic, quantitative and digital skills) have the highest frequency with a value of 41.07% and medium availability, the frequency ranged between (0-22) for the program of Umm Al-Qura University; where the standard of (knowledge about the content of specialization and teaching methods) have the highest frequency, with a rate of 45.83% and with medium availability. The least availability of these criteria was for the standard of (continuous professional development) for both programs, as it showed no frequency, as well as the criterion of (professional interaction with the educators and the society) as the value of its frequency was one in both programs, in general, the availability of the standards of assessment of education was low in both programs because 90% of these standards were available at the levels of very low and low in both programs. After that, the study presented a proposal of the program of preparing elementary mathematics teachers in the light of the standards of the Education Assessment Authority; the arithmetic mean of its suitability from the view of experts and specialists valued (4.96 of 5) with a very high degree, in light of these findings, the study recommended enhancig the admission criteria in the preparation of elementary mathematics teacher, qualifying and providing faculty members with a high degree of efficiency, raising the level of concern about practical education and developing its supervision method, and linking the theoretical aspects of the programs with the skills of teaching and learning mathematics and the issues of teaching it.

Diabetes, Care Homes, and the Influence of Technology on Practice and Care Delivery in Care Homes: Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis

BackgroundDiabetes is increasing in prevalence and complexity in the care home setting, affecting up to a quarter of care home residents. Health outcomes for these residents are impacted by management of the disease, health care professionals (HCPs)’ decision-making skills within the care home setting, and access to specialist services. The use of technology has the potential to recognize opportunities for early intervention that enables efficient responsive care, taking a fundamental role in linking the care home community to wider multidisciplinary teams for support.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper was to identify evidence that explores factors relevant to the use of technology in and around the care home setting to aid in the management of diabetes.MethodsDatabases searched using a structured prespecified approach included: PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), OVID Nursing database, Scopus, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and the King’s Fund from 2012 to 2017: handsearching was undertaken additionally for any gray literature. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocol was used as protocol with Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews a tool to assess the risk of bias across studies. Studies had to include interventions that combined technology to or from the care home setting to support residents living with diabetes.ResultsThe combined search strategy identified a total of 493 electronic records. Of these, 171 papers were screened for eligibility, 66 full papers were accessed, and 13 have been included in this study. Qualitative synthesis has identified different strands of research evidence in what and how technology is currently being used in and around care homes to enhance diabetes management. New initiatives and implementations of technology and emerging models of care that included the use of technology have also been included.ConclusionsBy triangulating the perspectives of HCPs, practitioners, specialists, and members of the care home community, the authors anticipate that this review will represent an up-to-date, evidence-based overview of the potential for using technology within the care home setting for diabetes management as well as stimulate research in this area.

Quality Assurance in Private Higher Education in Ghana: Perspectives of Administrators and International Higher Education Specialists

Quality Assurance in Private Higher Education in Ghana: Perspectives of Administrators and International Higher Education Specialists

THE ELECTORAL CONNECTION IN AN OPEN-LIST PR SYSTEM: INFORMAL CONSTITUENCIES, BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND PUBLIC POLICIES IN RIO DE JANEIRO

This article aims to highlight the effects of the electoral connection on the behavior of Brazilian legislators, examining specifically the Rio de Janeiro chamber of councillors. The analysis covers the fourteen-year period from 1997 and 2010. The decisive influence of the electoral connection on the councillors’ process of decision making in relation to the financing of public policies is presented through a set of multiple regressions. The results show contrasts between the mutually excluding perspectives of comparatists and specialists in Brazil. A more diversified description of the electoral connexion in OLPR system emerge. The discoveries show that the transformation of the constituent group from several formal members into many informal groups accommodates geographical and non-geographical representations. Although focused on Brazil, this article approaches a gap in the literature about OLPR systems, which are adopted in other aspects of national elections, in places such as Peru and Colombia, and in subnational elections, as in many states from Germany.

Barriers and Facilitators to Effective Inpatient Palliative Care Consultations: A Qualitative Analysis of Interviews With Palliative Care and Nonpalliative Care Providers.

To identify factors that hinder or facilitate the palliative care consultation team's (PCCT) successful collaboration with other providers from the perspectives of both PCCT and nonpalliative specialists. Qualitative study, including semistructured interviews with PCCT and nonpalliative care providers from various specialties at 4 Midwestern hospitals. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into written text documents for thematic analysis. Palliative care consultation team (n = 19) and nonpalliative care providers (n = 29) were interviewed at their respective hospital sites or via telephone. Palliative care consultation team providers included physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, and one chaplain. Specialists included critical care physicians, surgeons, hospitalists, nephrologists, oncologists, and cardiologists. Six themes emerged reflecting barriers to and facilitators of successful collaboration between the PCCT and other providers. Primary barriers included attitudes about palliative care, lack of knowledge about the role of the PCCT, and patient and family resistance. Facilitators included marketing of the palliative care service and education about the expertise of the PCCT. In order to engage in more effective collaboration with other specialty providers, the PCCT may consider strategies including structured educational interventions, increased visibility in the hospital, and active marketing of the utility of palliative care across disciplines.

Perspectives of Medical Specialists From Different Disciplines on the Management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: An Interview Study.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease that can affect multiple organ systems, with specialists from many disciplines often involved, which may lead to inconsistent care. We aimed to describe the attitudes and perspectives of specialists from different medical disciplines on the management of people with SLE. Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with rheumatologists (n = 16), nephrologists (n = 16), and immunologists (n = 11) providing care to adults with SLE from 19 centers across Australia in 2015. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Five themes were identified: uncertainties in judgments (hampered by unknown and unclear etiology, inapplicable evidence, comprehending information dispersion), reflexive responses (anchoring to specialty training, anticipating outcomes, avoiding disaster, empathy for the vulnerable), overarching duty to patients (achieving patient priorities, maximizing adherence, controlling the disease, providing legitimate information, having adequate and relevant expertise), safeguarding professional opportunities (diversifying clinical skills, protecting colleagues' interests), and optimizing access to treatment (capitalizing on multidisciplinary care, acquiring breakthrough therapies). Specialists strive to deliver evidence-informed patient-centered care, but recognize that they are anchored by their training. To overcome uncertainties in clinical management due to lack of high-quality evidence and specialty silo structures, specialists translated evidence from other disease settings and collaborated with other specialists in routine care. Developing robust evidence, tools to support evidence-informed decisions, and multidisciplinary shared-care pathways may improve the management of people with this complex disease.

ПІДГОТОВКА ФАХІВЦІВ З ІНФОРМАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ У ЗАКЛАДАХ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ: СТАН, ПРОБЛЕМИ І ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ

The following article presents general state, problems and perspectives of specialists in information technologies training in higher education institutions of Ukraine, defines main problems of their training and outlines the prospects for improving informational and communicational competence of this area graduates.Ukrainian legislative base is studied on the point of programming students training, general directions of work connected to the development of mathematical, informational and software information systems in the field of information technologies are given. Also, the article contains a comparative diagram of tables with technologies and programming languages studied in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, a survey of 2-year students of the Department of Automated Systems for Information Processing and Management of the Faculty of Computer Science and Elecrtonic Devices of the National Technical University of Ukraine Kyiv Polytechnic Institute named after Igor Sikorsky as well as market analysis of informational - communicational technologies of the IT market in Ukraine. We study web-oriented technologies of learning the basics of programming: compilers, automated programming verification systems, mind maps.

Two Doctors, One Patient, and a Common Goal.

Navigating end-of-life care is never easy. In this narrative, two physicians collaborate to convey the emotional strain and unique perspectives of different specialists caring for the same patient at the end of life.

The Perspectives of Medical Oncology Specialists in Screening Methods of Cancer

The Perspectives of Medical Oncology Specialists in Screening Methods of Cancer

Physician Moral Distress and End-of-Life Physician-Parent Communication and Care

Objective: By exploring perspectives of pediatric specialists on end-of-life (EOL) communication and care through narrative interviews, we aim to examine the extent to which interactions about death lead to feelings of moral distress. Methods: 17 pediatric emergency medicine and pediatric critical care physicians practicing in a 380-bed academic children’s medical center in the southeast went through 2 rounds of narrative interviews. The overarching interview question in Phase I was: “How has your background influenced the way you communicate with and care for dying children and their families?” The data generated from the interviews in Phase I led to additional questions and topics for exploration in Phase II. Grounded theory informed the design of this study and analysis of the data. Results: Although most participants felt that EOL decisions were the families’ jurisdiction, the physicians described experiencing moral distress in some cases, especially when they felt they were forced to put the parents’ prerogatives over the child-patients’ best interests. Moral distress ensued from observing other physicians withdrawing life-sustaining care too soon, from parents prolonging care contrary to what these physicians thought were the child best interests, and issues surrounding resuscitation and organ donation. Conclusion: Research indicates that physician burnout is more prevalent among those physicians in palliative care who feel inadequately trained in communication skills. In addition to promoting better patient care, more education and training in communication and EOL issues may prevent physician moral distress which can decrease physician burnout and ensure more efficacious humane patient care.

Sustainable construction and socio‐technical transitions in London's mega‐projects

Sustainable construction attempts to mitigate the destructive impacts of building on the global environment. Mega‐projects in London, such as Blackfriars Station and the Shard, symbolise urban renewal and are promoted as engines for sustainable development, principally through their use of sustainably procured materials. Unique buildings which are monumental and often state backed act as niches or incubators for sustainable construction, because they operate as protected spaces where the general rules of construction do not apply. Decision making in sustainable construction is complicated by the multiple state and public stakeholders involved in projects such as large stations and skyscrapers, and the different perspectives of architects, developers, procurement specialists, end users and others. While there are diverse actors involved, there has been some international convergence in the construction sector around how to deliver sustainability, and sustainable procurement has become the primary social and technological change through which more sustainable approaches to construction are delivered. Using interviews and questionnaires undertaken with six leading contractors involved in some of London's mega property and transport infrastructure projects, we analyse how sustainability procurement is deployed in the construction industry. Socio‐technical transition theory provides a way to understand the context‐specific developments led through mega‐projects, which are at the forefront of promoting the use of sustainably procured materials and technologies. Our research demonstrates that moves to deploy a more sustainable approach are based around modifications to current practices rather than fundamental transformation. Cost and risks are frequently cited as barriers to the sustainable procurement of materials, while some contractors are sceptical of the improvements that can be delivered through sustainable procurement.

A global perspective on assisted reproductive technology fertility treatment: an 8-country fertility specialist survey.

BackgroundProcedures that may optimize success in achieving live births from assisted reproductive technology (ART) continue to be examined. Not yet considered are the perspectives of fertility specialists regarding important developments in the fertility treatment field, current unmet needs, and anticipated future advances. In the current study, an 8-country survey of fertility specialists was conducted to provide a comprehensive, global depiction of fertility treatments across different regions.MethodsFertility specialists from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), China, and Japan were invited to participate in an online survey. Participants were eligible if they personally managed ≥25 patients/month who were experiencing difficulty conceiving, and if they had performed ART fertility treatment with ≥1 patient in the previous month. Quantitative questions addressed the number of patients seen, main infertility causes, number of cycles performed, ART procedure type, and ART outcomes. Qualitative questions covered diagnostic trends, unmet needs, important advances, and expected future developments.ResultsThe number of fertility specialists who completed the survey included 29 in France, 33 in Germany, 23 in Italy, 38 in Spain, 34 in the UK, 91 in the US, 50 in China, and 65 in Japan. Patient volume increased over the prior 2 years according to 67 % (242/363) of the fertility specialists. As expected, ART outcomes all declined with age in all countries. ART outcomes varied by country, with the highest implantation, pregnancy, and live birth rates reported by fertility specialists in the US and China and the lowest rates reported in France and Italy. The most frequently reported unmet needs in fertility treatment were financial coverage, improved implantation rate, and egg donation. Most frequently named future advancements expected to change the fertility treatment field included improved embryo selection through imaging and/or metabolomics, improved embryo implantation rate, and use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis.ConclusionsThis study, which follows a rigorous survey methodology, elucidates the current state of fertility specialists’ practices and perspectives on the global fertility treatment field, which highlights differences and similarities among countries. This research may inform further studies and procedural developments that might better improve and standardize ART.

English

This paper aims to analyze the perceptions of professionals from psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and psychology vis-a-vis the perspectives of specialists from the area of organizational studies on neuroscience and their implications on the Leadership construct, and to identify the contributions and constraints arising from the connections between both. A qualitative survey was carried out in the form of in-depth interviews with 18 Brazilian individuals belonging to the groups mentioned above. The survey indicated that neuroscience in Brazil might be characterized as an emerging field in its early stages of development. More significant contributions from neuroscience were reported by the members of the group involved with health care when compared to the group of specialists on organizational studies. The data also suggested that the ethical principles pertaining to the use of neuroscience within the context of organizations requires further discussion. Key words: Leadership, neuroscience, connection between different fields of knowledge.

Perspectives of Medical Specialists on Sharing Decisions in Cancer Care: A Qualitative Study Concerning Chemotherapy Decisions With Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma.

In cancer care, difficult decisions concerning advanced treatment need to be made, weighing possible life prolongation against harmful side effects. Treatment is frequently started, showing the need to explore how decisions are made. Little is known about the perspectives of physicians on sharing decision making with patients. This qualitative study aimed to describe the perspectives of medical specialists on the decision-making process with patients with glioblastoma concerning starting new treatment. Qualitative interviews were held with medical specialists. One focus group was organized with medical professionals. Their opinions about elements of shared decision making and the applicability in the context of patients with glioblastoma were assessed. The topic list for the focus group was based on the analysis of the interviews. Qualitative analysis of the transcripts was performed by three researchers independently. Medical specialists considered shared decision making to be important; however, they did not adhere to its elements. Stopping treatment was not considered equal to continuing treatment. Exploration of the patients' wishes was done implicitly, and shared responsibility for the decision was not highly recognized. The main barriers to shared decision making were preferences of both patients and specialists for starting or continuing treatment and assumptions of physicians about knowing what patients want. Medical specialists recognized the importance of patient involvement but experienced difficulty in sharing decision making in practice. Elements of shared decision making are partly followed but do not guide decision making. To improve cancer care, education of medical specialists and adjustment to the elements are needed to involve patients.

First Dutch Consensus of Pain Quality Indicators for Pain Treatment Facilities.

There is a general consensus about the need to define and improve the quality of pain treatment facilities. Although guidelines and recommendations to improve the quality of pain practice management have been launched, provision of appropriate pain treatment is inconsistent and the quality of facilities varies widely. The aim of the study was to develop an expert-agreed list of quality indicators applicable to pain treatment facilities. The list was also intended to be used as the basis for a set of criteria for registered status of pain treatment facilities. The University Pain Center Maastricht at the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management of the Maastricht University Medical Center conducted a 3-round Delphi study in collaboration with the Board of the Pain Section of the Dutch Society of Anesthesiologists (NVA). Twenty-five quality indicators were selected as relevant to 2 types of pain treatment facilities, pain clinics and pain centers. The final expert-agreed list consisted of 22 quality indicators covering 7 quality domains: supervision, availability of care, staffing level and patient load, quality policy, multidisciplinarity, regionalization, and research and education. This set of quality indicators may facilitate organizational evaluation and improve insight into service quality from the perspectives of patients, pain specialists, and other healthcare professionals. Recommendations for improvements to the current set of quality indicators are made. In 2014 the process of registering pain treatment facilities in the Netherlands started; facilities can register as a pain clinic or pain center.

Organizational Effectiveness of Training Prospective Specialists in Student Extracurricular Activitiesat the University Level

This article examines theorganizational effectivenessoftraining prospective specialists in student extracurricular activitiesat the university level by first evaluating the competence of penultimate-year students and then comparing theirinitial competence level to the moral and volitional perspectives of prospective specialists in extracurricular activities.After the summarized data was compared with the survey results, the findings indicate that when utilizing student competence as the main criteria, it effectively presented an ideal model of a specialist in extracurricular activities at the university level. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p2608

Perspectives of Physical Education Specialists who Teach in Large Class Settings

Perspectives of Physical Education Specialists who Teach in Large Class Settings Dr. Michael K. Gross, Dr. Alice M. Buchanan Abstract This paper examines the perspectives of eight elementary physical education specialists who teach children’s physical education in classes with large student: teacher ratios. The physical education specialists taught classes with student: teacher ratios of up to 54:1 per class. Interviews were conducted with each physical education specialist. The questions were written to inquire about specific variables that effect elementary physical education: biggest issue faced when teaching, delivering daily quality physical education, class management time, adequate equipment, safe learning environment, learning opportunities, adequate opportunity for moderate to vigorous physical activity, class size ratios, administrator attitudes toward physical education and class sizes, professional consideration from peers, discouraging issues, and promising things that kept them going. Results indicated that large class sizes interfered with their ability to offer quality physical education programs to children. The physical educator specialists indicated that they, as well as their profession, were marginalized by others’ attitudes. In spite of teaching environments that include large class sizes, lack of administrative support, peer apathy toward physical education as a legitimate academic discipline, and insufficient equipment to provide maximum participation for all students, the participants in this study were driven by a desire to see their students excel and develop a positive attitude toward physical activity. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jpesm.v1n2a5

A Closer Look at the Recommended Criteria for Disclosing Genetic Results: Perspectives of Medical Genetic Specialists, Genomic Researchers, and Institutional Review Board Chairs

Next generation sequencing offers benefit of improved health through knowledge, but comes with challenges, such as inevitable incidental findings (IFs). The applicability of recommended criteria for disclosure of individual results when applied to disclosure of IFs is not well known. The purpose of this study was to examine how medical genetic specialists, genomic researchers, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) chairs perceive the importance of recommended criteria when applied to genetic/genomic IFs. We conducted telephone interviews with medical genetic specialists (genetic counselors, genetic nurses, medical geneticists, laboratory professionals), genomic researchers, and IRB chairs (N = 103). Respondents rated and discussed the importance of nine recommended criteria regarding disclosure of genetic/genomic IFs. Stakeholders agreed the most important criteria for disclosure were: (1) the IF points to a life-threatening condition; (2) there is a treatment; (3) individuals indicate in writing they wanted to be informed of IFs. Criteria rated less important were: analytic validity, high penetrance, association with a young age of onset and relative risk more than 2.0. Respondents indicated that some technical criteria were confusing, and in need of context. Our findings suggest that development of guidelines regarding management of IF include multiple stakeholders' perspectives and be based on a common language.