Pre-test Survey Research Articles

Institutionalizing Internships: Enhanced Civic Culture via State Capital Internship Programs

Decades of scholarship on teaching and learning affirm the benefits of public service internships on student learning outcomes. Studies emphasize how hands-on fieldwork can increase students’ substantive knowledge, political efficacy, trust in government, and civic participation, among other factors. However, most articles treat internships equally without accounting for the variation in the institutionalization of experiential-learning programs within and across universities. We theorize that more structured internship programs (e.g., more student credits, intentionally designed curricula, additional faculty guidance) yield larger impacts on learning objectives centered on civic culture and education. We test this theory by analyzing three years of student data from two public universities’ fieldwork programs. We compare pretest and posttest survey results from undergraduates (1) participating in structured public service internship programs run in a state capital, (2) participating in internships pursued independently, and (3) majoring in a social science degree but having yet to complete an internship. We find that students pursuing a solo internship or via a structured program begin and end with higher political knowledge, efficacy, civic engagement, and related attitudes than the control group. We also find the more systematized an internship experience, the bigger the effect on key student learning outcomes. These results underscore how political science departments can fortify civic culture through more structured public service internship programs.

Impact of an Interactive, Animation-Based Electroencephalography Curriculum on Learner Confidence and Knowledge

BackgroundThere is a national need for innovative electroencephalography (EEG) education with efficacy evaluated by rigorous statistical analysis. We created a dynamic, online resource that includes a series of animated videos at a single academic medical center. MethodsFor the animations and interactive module, we used VideoScribe and Articulate, respectively. The module comprised three chapters: (1) Origin & Technical Aspects of EEG, (2) Normal Adult EEG in Wakefulness & Sleep, and (3) Abnormal EEG, with appendices on artifacts, variants, activation procedures, seizure/epilepsy classification, and neonatal/pediatric EEG. The curriculum and knowledge assessments were reviewed independently by two fellowship-trained physicians before distribution. Linear mixed-effects models with bootstrapping were used to compare paired pre- and post-tests as well as Likert scale questionnaires. ResultsForty-nine learners participated in the pretest survey; 38 matched participants completed post-tests (78%). Learners across fields perceived benefit (100% would recommend to colleagues), indicated improved self-efficacy (P < 0.0001), and performed better on post-test knowledge assessments (54.1 vs 88.2%, P < 0.0001). In the neurology providers subgroup (n = 20), pretest scores correlated with years in training (Spearman r = 0.52, P = 0.039), neurology rotations (r = 0.70, P = 0.003), epilepsy/EEG rotations (r = 0.6, P = 0.014), and EEG teaching hours (r = 0.62, P = 0.01); content knowledge and self-efficacy improvement for neurology providers remained significant in a multivariate model adjusting for these covariates. ConclusionsThis animation-based, interactive EEG module proved effective in elevating learner confidence and knowledge across several medical specialties and training levels. Further study across institutions and subspecialties is needed to substantiate broad applicability, but our data appear promising for early EEG learners.

Assessing the Link Between Bible Reading and Flourishing Among Military Families: Preliminary Findings

This study examines whether participating in a Bible reading program for military families (called “Hero Squad”) is positively related to overall human flourishing among children, family units, and parents/caregivers. Previous research shows salutary associations between multiple dimensions of religiosity (including reading sacred texts) and different aspects of flourishing (e.g., physical health, psychological well-being, character and virtue, social connections and support), so it was hypothesized that program participation would promote flourishing over time. Two waves of survey data were collected on a sample of 175 U.S. military families in 2021 and 2022, and differences between pretest and posttest surveys were analyzed. As hypothesized, improvements in indicators of flourishing were observed over time. These findings contribute to published work on religious participation by showing that Bible reading may promote overall mental, physical, and social well-being. Implications and limitations of these preliminary findings are discussed.

Effects of the Hazardous Area Response Team Training Program on the Knowledge and Confidence in Operational Skills of Prehospital Emergency Medical Personnel in Thailand: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Hazardous areas are places emitting hazardous materials, terrorist- or war-related, which lead to public health risks in developed and developing countries globally. Hence, prehospital emergency medical personnel who work as frontliners should be trained. Data via pretest, posttest, and questionnaire surveys regarding the HART's knowledge of and confidence in operational skills were collected using the 5-point Likert scale. The cohort included prehospital emergency medical personnel aged >18 years. The training program comprised lectures, practicals, and examinations and included three subcourses: emergency medicine in the chemical, biological, radiation, and nuclear hazardous area (EM-CBRN) course; Thailand Tactical Emergency Medical Service (TTEMS) course; and cooperation and preparation for disaster (CPD) course. The HART's mean multiple choice question (MCQ) posttest knowledge score (12.80±3.11) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the mean pretest knowledge score (7.74±3.71) for the EM-CBRN course. The HART's mean MCQ posttest knowledge score (24.04±2.79) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the mean pretest knowledge score (14.34±3.92) for the TTEMS course. Further, the HART's mean MCQ posttest knowledge score (21.03±3.49) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the mean pretest knowledge score (14.40±5.08) for the CPD course. The HART's mean confidence in operational skill score for the EM-CBRN course was significantly higher (p<0.001) after training (4.45±0.59) than before training (2.77±0.90). The HART's mean confidence in operational skill score for the TTEMS course was significantly higher (p<0.001) after training (4.55±0.59) than before training (2.78±0.98). The HART's mean confidence in operational skill score for the CPD course was significantly higher (p<0.001) after training (4.70±0.41) than before training (3.03±0.90). The HART training program significantly affected the HART's knowledge development and confidence in operational skills, particularly the frontline prehospital emergency medical personnel. Therefore, prehospital emergency medical personnel should undergo training, and learning activities must be developed to reinforce capacity and improve knowledge and confidence.

Abstract C066: The SC AMEN Program for Black men: Providing education and navigation to prostate cancer screening with informed decision-making

Abstract Purpose: Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer and the second highest cause of cancer death in the United States (U.S). The prostate cancer incidence and death rates in the U.S. are twice as high among Black men vs White men. To address this issue, the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center (MUSC HCC) developed the South Carolina Prostate Cancer Education and Navigation to Screening Program for African American Men (SC AMEN Program). This new program provides prostate cancer information and includes patient navigators who help to overcome the social determinants of health barriers (e.g., lack of transportation, lack of a primary care provider, co-pays) that could prevent Black men from receiving prostate cancer screening. The navigators guide the participants to a physician for an informed decision-making discussion related to prostate cancer screening. Methods: The SC AMEN Program includes a one-hour evidence-based prostate cancer educational session that is delivered to each enrolled participant. The pre-test survey assesses prostate cancer knowledge using the validated PROCASE scale. The survey is administered again at post-test, following the educational session. Each participant is then navigated to a physician to discuss prostate cancer screening over the next three months. The navigation intervention is modeled after the National Cancer Institute’s patient navigation training modules, which integrate adult learning theory, social cognitive theory, and social support theory into the intervention. Results: Among the 122 study participants, 2.8% reported having Hispanic/American Indian ethnicity. The age range of the 122 participants was 40-69 years old; 5.7% had less than a high school education, 26.2% stopped education after high school, 18.9% completed high school and some college, and 49.2% were college graduates/had completed a postgraduate degree. In terms of health insurance coverage, only 45.1% of participants had current or former employer or labor union insurance coverage. The other participants had a mix of Medicare, military, and private insurance coverage. Eighty-seven percent of the participants had an identified primary care physician, while 9.8% did not. 87.7% of participants have primary care and 9.8% of participants did not. The total average pretest score was 6.5/10 with a standard deviation of 1.7. The total average post-test score was 7.2/10 with a standard deviation of 1.5. The total point increase from pretest to post-test was 0.7. Across all study sites, the change in prostate cancer knowledge results from pre-test to post-test was statistically significant (p&amp;lt;0.001). Ninety-three percent of the participants in this ongoing study have received prostate cancer screening or have made a screening appointment. Conclusion: The SC AMEN Program appears to be successful in increasing the study participants’ knowledge of prostate cancer and informed decision making for prostate cancer screening. Citation Format: Marvella E. Ford, Melanie Slan, Angel M. Malek, Claudia Lawton, Lee Moultrie, Adam Pressley, Ellen Gomez, Jessica Zserai, Joan McLauren, Mina Platt, Nhi Phuong Le, Chloe Keeve, Joie Zabec, Marla Sagatelian, Nicholas Shungu. The SC AMEN Program for Black men: Providing education and navigation to prostate cancer screening with informed decision-making [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C066.

Students’ perceived benefits of chess: Differences across age and gender

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in students’ perceived benefits of chess by gender and age after being exposed to chess during instruction for an entire academic year as part of a Chess in Schools initiative in a southeastern state of the United States. Data were collected during the 2017–201 8 academic year. The sample consisted of 1,286 students across elementary, middle, and high school levels. Data were collected using a retrospective pretest survey. Seven constructs of the students’ perceptions were generated (increased enjoyment of mathematics, improvement in academic self-efficacy, improvement in collaborative skills, improvement in organizational skills, enjoyment of chess, confidence in chess playing ability, and increased engagement in learning), and all had high reliability coefficients. Data were analyzed using a two-way multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that elementary students consistently tended to have higher ratings of perceived benefits than middle and high school students across all constructs. The differences between middle and high school students were low and not statistically significant.

Why is changing students’ entrepreneurial intentions so hard? On dissonance reduction and the self-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy

While most policymakers and researchers focus on how students' entrepreneurial intentions can be increased, this study examines what makes the change so difficult, i.e., why pre- and post-course entrepreneurial intentions are strongly related. Building on dissonance reduction theory pursuant to the self-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon, we tested a serial mediation model in contexts that give rise to differing expectations regarding the role of inspiration: entrepreneurship versus other courses, in developed versus developing countries. Using pre-test post-test survey data collected from (mostly business) students at 16 universities across nine countries, we analysed an internationally representative sample of 580 valid responses through structural equation modelling. The results confirmed the serial mediation mechanism: pre-course intentions are positively related to students' expected entrepreneurial inspiration, enhancing in turn their experienced entrepreneurial inspiration, which ultimately leads to higher post-course intentions. This mechanism is significantly stronger among students taking entrepreneurship (versus other) courses but is unaffected by the economic context, as it is equally significant across developed and developing countries. Our findings shed light on exploring the determinants of intention fixedness, which is severely under-researched. Furthermore, our study enables policymakers and entrepreneurship educators to draft a more realistic expectation of students’ post-course entrepreneurial intentions.

Mentorship Education for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

Background: Mentorship is a vital part of the nursing profession. The evidence suggests that competent mentors aid in facilitating role transitions, improving job satisfaction, enhancing patient care, and decreasing nursing turnover. Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) have the skills and knowledge to provide safe, high-quality, patient-centered care; however, they may be lacking in mentorship abilities. Objective: Currently, there is no formal mentorship training in the organization, which may cause variability in the mentoring of new staff. The focus of this project was to create a staff educational intervention to improve the mentoring competency of surgical APRNs. The knowledge gap, lack of mentoring education given to APRNs acting as mentors to novice practitioners, was noted, and this project identified a staff educational intervention on mentorship training that was developed and implemented. Methods: The project practice-focused question asked if a formal APRN mentorship training program geared toward the six elements of mentoring (as measured by the Mentoring Competency Assessment [MCA]) increased the mentoring competency of APRNs serving in a mentorship role. Benner's theory guided the planning and development of this project, while the MCA was used for the self-reflection survey. Following a pretest survey, participants experienced an educational intervention geared toward mentoring and mentoring competencies. Formal APRN mentorship training program with an educational intervention that addressed the six domains of mentoring competency geared toward increasing the mentoring competency of APRNs who serve in a mentorship role. Results: A total of 18 surgical APRNs (N = 18) with more than 2 years of experience participated in the staff educational intervention. There was a statistically significant difference in six of the 26 individual items and in the overall pretest mean scores and the posttest mean scores (z = -3.41, p < .01), indicating that the APRN mentorship training increased the mentoring competency of the APRNs. Conclusion: The results of this quality improvement project demonstrated how an educational intervention geared toward mentoring competencies can increase the knowledge among a group of APRNs. Educating APRNs in mentorship competencies may enhance mentorship abilities and result in positive patient and organizational outcomes. Implications for Nursing: Educating APRNs in mentorship competencies may enhance mentorship abilities and result in positive patient and organizational outcomes.

Reducing Perceived Transactional Distance in Distance Education: The Impact of the Chatbot

This study investigates the impact of utilizing a chatbot named 'YakınDost' on the perceptions of transactional distance among distance education students. Transactional distance, which involves communication and interaction between students and instructional personnel, is a critical aspect of distance education. To address this, chatbots are increasingly being employed as tools to facilitate engagement. Developed using IBM Watson Assistant, 'YakınDost' serves as a conversational agent to address common inquiries related to courses, assignments, instructors, exams, and technical matters. The primary objective of this research is to assess how the integration of the 'YakınDost' chatbot influences students' perceptions of transactional distance. To achieve this, the 'Transactional Distance Perception Scale' was administered at the outset and conclusion of the fall semester to first-year students at a state university. Additionally, during the mid-semester, students were introduced to the YakınDost chatbot and were invited to participate in the 'Chatbot Usability Scale.' Out of 2000 students, the data analysis focused on 583 students who completed both pre-test and post-test surveys, among which 398 students interacted with the chatbot. The findings highlight a significant reduction in students' perceptions of transactional distance due to the implementation of the YakınDost chatbot.

Exploring the effects of positive emotions and attribution on helping behaviors after exposure to meaningful and pleasurable movies

ABSTRACT This study examined whether elevation elicited by meaningful movie clips led to helping regardless of whether a stranger’s need for help is attributed to a controllable or an uncontrollable cause. It also compared elevation against positive-valenced affective state in facilitating prosocial behavior. A randomized, between-subject laboratory experiment was conducted with 208 undergraduate participants in the United States approximately one week after they completed a pretest survey. Although participants experienced the induced emotional state, neither of these two types of positive emotions explained their helping behavior. This points to the nuanced nature of the relationships between positive emotions and helping. The role of media content types, attribution, and prosocial personality are also discussed.

Addiction is treatable: effectiveness of media toolkits in a public health campaign to reduce stigma toward substance use disorder

ABSTRACT Background West Virginia (WV) has been cited as the epicenter of the opioid epidemic. Misinformation has exacerbated stigmatizing behaviors among community members in WV. To evaluate the impact of an initiative addressing substance use disorder (SUD) stigma, a WV-based media campaign and associated study were conducted to analyze the use of media and marketing tools to improve public perception of SUD. Methods This study incorporated a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. Baseline measures of stigma toward SUDs were assessed via a pretest survey in August 2019. A community-wide media and marketing campaign was released September 2019. Participants were reevaluated to assess attitude change after exposure to the campaign. Results The e-mail marketing strategy was the most successful component of the campaign. The majority of survey participants found stigmatizing behavior to be a serious problem. Statistically significant results (p < .05) were noted among specific pre- and post-survey elements including hope for recovery, trust, openness toward drug therapies, and fixation on drug seeking behavior. Conclusions A generalized approach to reduce stigmatizing attitudes toward individuals with SUD was not statistically significant; however, results from this research lay the groundwork for future studies to employ targeted approaches to reduce stigmatizing attitudes and bias toward individuals with SUD.

Using simulation to enhance primary care sexual health services for breast cancer survivors: a feasibility study.

To evaluate the impact of a virtual simulation game (VSG) to improve primary care sexual health services for breast cancer survivors. We developed a VSG to help primary care providers (PCPs) address sexual health disturbances among breast cancer survivors. We used a pretest-posttest design with a series of validated tools to assess the feasibility and perceived impact of the VGS, including an open-ended question about participants' perceptions. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative data through an inductive content analysis approach. Of the 60 participants, the majority were nurse practitioner students (n = 26; 43.3%), female (n = 48; 80%), and worked full-time (n = 35; 58.3%). Participants perceived the VSG as feasible and potentially effective. The intervention elicited an improvement in PCPs' perception of knowledge between pretest and posttest surveys (z = - 1.998, p = 0.046). Professional background and previous exposure to sexual health training were predictors of knowledge perception. Participants described the intervention as an engaging educational strategy where they felt safe to make mistakes and learn from that. VSGs can be a potentially effective educational approach for PCPs. Our findings indicate that despite being an engaging interactive strategy, VSG interventions should be tailored for each professional group. This intervention has potential to improve the knowledge and practice of PCPs related to breast cancer follow-up care to support comprehensive care for survivors, resulting in a better quality of life and patient outcomes.

Training to Transition: Using Simulation-Based Training to Improve Resident Physician Confidence in Hospital Discharges.

Hospital discharge is a highly critical and complex process that is prone to medical errors, poor communication, and ineffective synchronization of transitional teams. Improving safety during postacute care transitions has become a national focus. Simulation-based training is an underutilized method of instruction for medical resident transitions of care education. As an integral part of a transitions curriculum, 36 PGY 1 residents from internal medicine and transitional year residency programs underwent a discharge simulation utilizing a trained simulated participant (SP) and a lay caregiver. The objective of the training was to implement a simulation-based education intervention to improve transition practices and discharge communication in graduate medical education. A faculty observer used a case-specific discharge rubric to standardize feedback to the resident and observed the resident navigate the electronic medical record (EMR) for discharge orders. Pretest and posttest surveys assessing resident attitudes and confidence regarding specific areas of the discharge process were distributed to all participating residents for completion. Thirty-six internal medicine and transitional year residents (100%) completed an observed discharge simulation with an SP and a separate encounter with the EMR discharge navigator. All 36 residents (100%) completed the pretest survey, and 23 (63%) completed the postsurvey evaluation. Postsurvey results showed residents agreed (92%, p < .05) that the simulation increased their confidence in safely discharging a patient. Simulation encounters are an effective adjunct to postacute care transition education.

The efficacy of an anatomy and ultrasonography workshop on improving residents’ confidence and knowledge in regional anesthesia

BackgroundUltrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia (UGRA) has become the standard for regional anesthesia practice, but there is not a standardized educational approach for training residents. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an UGRA workshop utilizing the theoretical framework of embodied cognition for anesthesiology residents.MethodsA workshop was developed consisting of didactics, scanning training on standardized patients (SPs) and anatomy reviews on prosected cadavers that focused on the most common UGRA procedures for the upper and lower extremity. At the beginning of the workshop and at the end of the workshop residents completed pre-test and pre-confidence surveys, as well as post-test and post-confidence surveys, respectively to assess the impact of the workshop.Results39 residents (100% of the possible residents) participated in the workshop in 2019. Residents’ confidence in identifying relevant anatomy for the most common UGRA procedures significantly increased in 13 of the 14 measurements. Residents’ knowledge gain was also statistically significant from the pre-test to post-test (20.13 ± 3.61 and 26.13 ± 2.34; p < .0001). The residents found the course overall to be very useful (4.90 ± 0.38) and in particular the cadaveric component was highly rated (4.74 ± 0.55).ConclusionsIn this study, we developed a workshop guided by the embodied cognition framework to aid in shortening the overall learning curve of UGRA for anesthesiology residents. Based on our results this workshop should be replicated by institutions that are hoping to decrease the learning curve associated with UGRA and increase residents’ confidence in identifying the relevant anatomy in UGRA nerve blocks.

Implementing Active Reading Strategies in Virtual Settings: High School Students’ Experience During Remote Learning

This quantitative study aimed to analyze the impact of using active reading strategies on students’ learning in virtual settings during remote learning, which has special relevance after the Covid-19 pandemic. The participants included 273 English as a foreign language (EFL) students from Ecuadorian high schools located in 22 provinces. The age range of the participants was 12 to 14 years, and their language proficiency level aligned with the A1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). A quasi-experimental design was employed. A pre-test, post-test, and online survey were administered to collect data. Furthermore, four reading workshops based on active reading strategies, such as predicting, using graphic organizers, summarizing, brainstorming, and scanning, were offered through Zoom meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings demonstrate that active EFL reading strategy implementation in virtual settings improved students’ reading skills. Students perceived that the strategies used were motivating and enhanced their reading comprehension during remote learning instruction. Certainly, the effective implementation of active reading strategies and inspirational stories during remote learning instruction motivated students to continue fostering their reading habits in the future.

Optimizing the Learning with “Smart Learning” for Special Needs Children in Inclusive School

This community service was carried out at the inclusive school X in Pekanbaru involving all Children with Special Needs. Children with Special Needs or commonly called ABK is a term for children who have physical, mental, social, or emotional conditions that are different from children in general. The use of the "Smart Learning" method which is optimized for children with special needs in inclusive schools is urgently needed to facilitate learning. This service involves collaboration between research teams, inclusive teachers, and principal to design, develop, and test the effectiveness of adaptive learning models that use information and communication technology (ICT). This "Smart Learning" method is specifically adapted to facilitate an inclusive learning process, taking into account the learning needs and preferences of each student. The method is carried out with the stages of observation, implementation and evaluation by presenting pre and post test surveys to find out the effectiveness of learning. The results of the post test show that the application of "Smart Learning" to children with special needs in inclusive schools can increase their active participation, motivate and increase their academic achievement

Burden of caregivers of patients with neuronopathic and non-neuronopathic Gaucher disease in Japan: A survey-based study

BackgroundGaucher disease (GD), a rare lysosomal storage disorder, is associated with considerable patient and caregiver burden. We examined the applicability of existing caregiver questionnaires and assessed the level of burden in caregivers of patients with GD. MethodsThis cross-sectional, non-interventional study was conducted in Japan. Caregivers of patients with confirmed GD (any type) were recruited (patient association group and referral) for pre-testing (May 2021) or the main survey (October–December 2021). Caregivers completed the Caregiver Impact Questionnaire (CIQ; 30 items) and Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI; 22 items) on paper. Total CIQ and ZBI scores and subscores were determined overall and by GD type. Inter-item correlations and test-retest reliability (2 rounds, 2 weeks apart) were calculated. The relationship between caregiving duration and caregiver burden was also analyzed. ResultsNine caregivers (type 2 [GD2]: n = 6; type 3 [GD3]: n = 3) and 25 caregivers (type 1 [GD1]: n = 2; GD2: n = 17; GD3: n = 6) completed the pre-test and main survey, respectively. In the main survey, mean total CIQ score, all CIQ subscores (except emotional function), and total ZBI score were highest in caregivers of patients with GD2 compared with caregivers of patients with GD1/GD3. High test-retest reliability (Kappa >0.6) was observed for 15 CIQ items and 16 ZBI items. CIQ and ZBI scores appeared to be positively correlated with each other and negatively correlated with caregiving duration. ConclusionsThe CIQ and ZBI are applicable, reliable measures to assess burden in caregivers of patients with GD in Japan. Caregiver burden was highest in caregivers of patients with GD2 and decreased with caregiving duration.

Novel Impact Model for Mobile Learning Adoption in Higher Education

In successful mobile learning (ML) integration, factors associated with live-ware, software, and infrastructure are important. The main objective of this study is to investigate and model the influencing factors for learners and teachers at once to adopt ML in higher education. The proposed model consists of five impact factors: teacher, learner, mobile devices, ML tools, ML contents, communication technologies, and higher education institutes. Then the proposed model was implemented using a modified Moodle mobile application and evaluated using 60 teachers and 60 learners attached to the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka in 2021. According to the experimental research design approach, the proposed impact model was assessed as pre-test and post-test surveys using seven questionnaires. According to the Pearson correlation coefficient test, the most significant factor for learners and teachers to adopt ML is the mobile device. Learning content and communication technology were elected as the second most significant adoption factors for teachers and learners consecutively. However, higher correlation values were obtained for all factors denoting that they are greatly influenced the participant to adopt ML. The significant influencing factor of each impact factor was also investigated. In conclusion, it was recommended that featured smart devices, quality learning content, user-satisfied communication technology, academic enriched ML tools and higher education institutes with sound educational facilities are crucial for the university community to adopt ML in higher education. These findings help design academic community acceptable ML environments for higher education context.

Decreasing Technology Burdens to Bedside Staff Through the Introduction of a Patient Technology Technician Role: A Quality Improvement Project.

With increased technology integration into health care, the focus and time of nurses are often shifting toward technology and away from direct patient care. The goal of this quality improvement project was to implement a patient technology technician role on 3 acute care units in order to reduce the time burden of technology to nurses. During this quality improvement project, the patient technology technician role focused on addressing technology issues and ensured adequate, functioning technology supplies were available on nursing units. Outcomes assessed included self-reporting of the technology time burden, the satisfaction associated with technology, and the impact on telemetry calls from the virtual telemetry monitoring center. In the pretest survey, only 10% to 14% of bedside staff were somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with the time spent managing technology. In the posttest survey, that number increased from 92% to 96%. In the pretest survey, 64% to 83% of bedside staff reported often or frequently fixing, managing, or looking for technology. In the posttest survey that number decreased from 4% to 16%. There was also a reduction in telephone calls from the virtual telemetry monitoring center after implementation. The patient technology technician role was able to successfully relieve the technology time burden for bedside staff.

Clinical Experience and Digital Knowledge in Virtual Planning of Palatal Orthodontic Miniscrew Insertion

At present, temporary anchorage devices (TADs) are continuously gaining importance because of their usability and their possibility to broaden clinical force applications; however, how difficult can their placement planning be? Aim: The aim is to evaluate the association between clinical experience, digital knowledge and the capability of virtual planning in palatal orthodontic miniscrew insertion in various types of clinicians, divided by different levels of experience. Methods: A total of 30 participants (10 dental students, 10 orthodontics students and 10 orthodontists) with different levels of clinical and digital experience were randomly recruited in this cross-sectional study. All participants performed a pre-test survey followed by two consecutive digital planning tests and, finally a post-test survey. The digital planning test was made using software BlueSkyBio-BlueSkyPlan, a surgical guide module. The differences in terms of planning execution time, miniscrew insertion and surgical guide realization were evaluated. The Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U-tests were performed to determine the effects of independent variables and interactions between groups. Results: The relation between clinical experience and bicorticalism was statistically significant (p = 0.017); in the planning execution time, a significant difference was evident between the dental students and the orthodontics students (T1: p = 0.015 and T2: p = 0.019), who, having good digital knowledge, took an average of 4.58 min less in T1 (p = 0.025), while this difference was significantly reduced in T2 (p = 0.106). Conclusion: Clinical experience increased miniscrew placement accuracy and digital knowledge reduced execution planning time but both had a stronger impact in the first test than in the second.