Proactive Attitude Research Articles

“Coordination Of “Pest Control” Activities (Uni En 16636: 2015) For Healthcare Structures.

2020 has been a year marked by a terrible pandemic, caused by a Coronavirus named Covid-19. This virus will go down in history for radically changing the world population’s life habits and leading death, suffering and terrible moments among countless family, in addition to severe economic and financial damages. In just over a year and despite all the restrictive containment measures implemented by the the world countries’ governments, the pandemic itself has caused over 163 million cases and 3 million global deaths, of which over 53 million cases and 1 million deaths i Europe, while in Italy there have been over 4 million cases and 123.000 deaths. The only way to stop pandemic is to be able to produce and test, as soon as possible, an effective vaccine to be given to the whole global population. Finally, in early 2021, the European Medicines Agency ( E.M.A.) and subsequently the Italian medicines agency ( IMA) approved to use various anti covid-19 vaccines produced by some pharmaceutical companies. In this context, the ASL NAPOLI 1 centro strategic direction, in compliance with state and regional provisions, promptly took action through the creation of numerous vaccination hubs with a dosing total capacity of 15.000-18.000 doses of vaccine per day, distributed throughout the area of competence. In particular, the vaccine centre set up in the rooms called “La fagianeria” located in the “real bosco di Capodimonte”, a luxuriant park with various botanical wonders that covers about 134 hectares with over 400 different plant species. Just due to the location peculiarity, it was necessary to implement a pest control procedure according to the “UNI EN 16636:2015” standard, for infestations control and damages verification that pests can cause to the environment, to people’s health and goods.The presence of endemic pests such as small rodents, crawling and winged insects or micro-organisms can represent, in fact, a serious risk for users health and health personnel since they can act as “vectors” for the introduction and the spreading of diseases and possible allergens for humans.Pest management, therefore, plays an important role in protecting public health and also in protecting health facilities from direct and indirect damages that can cause significant losses both in financial terms and in service quality offered to users. The study aim is to coordinate the “pest control” procedures implementation, verification and validation according to “UNI EN 16636:2015” at the vaccination center set up by ASL Napoli 1 centre in rooms called “la fagianeria” located inside the real bosco di Capodimonte, verifying their efficiency and effectiveness. The evolution of health care organisations towards socio-assistance intervention system characterised by a certain operational complexity, also through the multi-professional participation of various operators, has entailed the need to pay more attention to pay more attention to pest control activities to citizen users some quality healthcare services as a response to its ever-growing and more complex health demand, due to the progressive population ageing, which makes even more necessary a multitude of professional interventions, increasingly integrated, to ensure a compete and satisfying response.I would like to thank my company for giving me the chance to carry out this great professional experience that brought a cultural, behavioural and professional change in me. thanks also to the proactive attitude of the company strategic management which, in SARS-COV-2 pandemic emergency, has been able to integrate the work of various specialists among health health personnel, including “environmental and workplace prevention technician” and “ specialist in prevention health professions sciences”.

Senad Bećirović and Edda Polz. Fostering giftedness. Challenges and opportunities. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2021. Pp. i-xi, 1-234. ISBN: 978-1-53619-098-4

Senad Bećirović and Edda Polz. Fostering giftedness. Challenges and opportunities. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2021. Pp. i-xi, 1-234. ISBN: 978-1-53619-098-4

“Coordination Of “Pest Control” Activities (Uni En 16636: 2015) For Healthcare Structures.

2020 has been a year marked by a terrible pandemic, caused by a Coronavirus named Covid-19. This virus will godown in history for radically changing the world population’s life habits and leading death, suffering and terrible moments among countless family, in addition to severe economic and financial damages. In just over a year and despiteall the restrictive containment measures implemented by the the world countries’ governments, the pandemic itselfhas caused over 163 million cases and 3 million global deaths, of which over 53 million cases and 1 million deathsi Europe, while in Italy there have been over 4 million cases and 123.000 deaths. The only way to stop pandemic isto be able to produce and test, as soon as possible, an effective vaccine to be given to the whole global population.Finally, in early 2021, the European Medicines Agency ( E.M.A.) and subsequently the Italian medicines agency (IMA) approved to use various anti covid-19 vaccines produced by some pharmaceutical companies. In this context,the ASL NAPOLI 1 centro strategic direction, in compliance with state and regional provisions, promptly took actionthrough the creation of numerous vaccination hubs with a dosing total capacity of 15.000-18.000 doses of vaccineper day, distributed throughout the area of competence. In particular, the vaccine centre set up in the rooms called“La fagianeria” located in the “real bosco di Capodimonte”, a luxuriant park with various botanical wonders thatcovers about 134 hectares with over 400 different plant species. Just due to the location peculiarity, it was necessaryto implement a pest control procedure according to the “UNI EN 16636:2015” standard, for infestations control anddamages verification that pests can cause to the environment, to people’s health and goods.The presence of endemicpests such as small rodents, crawling and winged insects or micro-organisms can represent, in fact, a serious risk forusers health and health personnel since they can act as “vectors” for the introduction and the spreading of diseasesand possible allergens for humans.Pest management, therefore, plays an important role in protecting public healthand also in protecting health facilities from direct and indirect damages that can cause significant losses both infinancial terms and in service quality offered to users. The study aim is to coordinate the “pest control” proceduresimplementation, verification and validation according to “UNI EN 16636:2015” at the vaccination center set up byASL Napoli 1 centre in rooms called “la fagianeria” located inside the real bosco di Capodimonte, verifying theirefficiency and effectiveness. The evolution of health care organisations towards socio-assistance intervention systemcharacterised by a certain operational complexity, also through the multi-professional participation of various operators, has entailed the need to pay more attention to pay more attention to pest control activities to citizen users somequality healthcare services as a response to its ever-growing and more complex health demand, due to the progressivepopulation ageing, which makes even more necessary a multitude of professional interventions, increasingly integrated, to ensure a compete and satisfying response.I would like to thank my company for giving me the chance to carryout this great professional experience that brought a cultural, behavioural and professional change in me. thanksalso to the proactive attitude of the company strategic management which, in SARS-COV-2 pandemic emergency, hasbeen able to integrate the work of various specialists among health health personnel, including “environmental andworkplace prevention technician” and “ specialist in prevention health professions sciences”.

Social Integration and Attitudes towards the Integration of Immigrants in Relation to Witnessing Domestic Aggression

The association between witnessing domestic aggression and respondents' level of social integration and their proactive attitudes towards the integration of immigrants was assessed with a questionnaire in a sample of the Swedish-speaking minority in Ostrobothnia, Western Finland ( n = 298; 208 females and 90 males). The age span was between 16 and 90 years with a mean age of 31.6 years ( SD = 13.5). Respondents scoring higher than average on witnessing domestic aggression scored lower than others on the following scales measuring social integration: Access to Social Benefits, Positive Social Relations, and Trust in the Finnish Judiciary System. They also scored lower than others on the following scales measuring proactive attitudes towards the integration of immigrants: (the need for making) Cultural Efforts, Structural Efforts, and Openness to Diversity. They also tended to have a lower level of education than other respondents. The implications of the findings are discussed. Â

Alex Plank: building bridges

Autism advocate, neurodiversity champion, writer, actor, and filmmaker Alex Plank “had a harder time than most” growing up. “I was bullied a lot; I didn't know how to make friends, and I'd blame myself”, he says. There is nothing self-pitying in his tone; now in his mid-thirties, Plank is simply describing the way things were for an autistic young person growing up in Charlottesville, VA, USA, in the early 1990s. At the age of 9 years, Plank finally received a formal diagnosis of Asperger syndrome. He found out about it in a way typical of the proactive and investigative attitude that characterises his adult life. Plank has, he tells me, always been “a very curious person”. “I go through papers and read every little detail…I went through [his parents'] entire cabinet…and found the document outlining the diagnosis, which they were intending on telling me, but they were trying to just figure out the right way to say it.” Plank laughs, but it is clear that this was not an easy experience. He was at an age “when you see a diagnosis as being something wrong with you…unfortunately, that is a stigma that still exists, and it doesn't really help.” The Lancet Commission on the future of care and clinical research in autismAffecting about 78 million people worldwide, autism is a condition of global importance because of its prevalence and the degree to which it can affect individuals and families. Autism awareness has grown monumentally in the past 20 years, yet most striking is that much more could be done to improve life outcomes for the highly heterogeneous group of people with autism. Such change will depend on investments in science focused on practical clinical issues, and on social and service systems that acknowledge the potential for change and growth as well as the varied, complex needs of the autistic individuals and their families whose lives could be changed with such an effort. Full-Text PDF

Designing the Conditions for the Proactive Attitude of Employees to Increase Organizational Resilience

Designing the Conditions for the Proactive Attitude of Employees to Increase Organizational Resilience

Students as a subject of the e-learning environment

The article is devoted to the subjective role of the student community in the e-learning environment. The basic personal attributes of a modern student required for successful learning in the electronic learning environment were defined, including proactive attitude, motivation, creativity, independence, persistence. The tasks that should be overcome by students to achieve the goal of successful learning were outlined as follows: to take personal responsibility for the process and the final result of learning, to increase their motivation and interest in a positive outcome, to be able to develop communication with other students and the lecturer, to associate the acquired theoretical knowledge with their experience and practical skills. Distant learners were outlined to face a variety of challenges from technical issues and lack of guidance materials to communication difficulties, which are just as important. The conclusion to be drawn is that the functions and competencies of both students and teachers are changing in the e-learning environment. Communication moves to a different level and starts to be from a peer to peer perspective. The e-learning environment requires students to be more self-organized, goal-oriented, self-conscious in the process of education, to realize the purpose of their cognitive activity, to be inquisitive and passionate.

Vaccination coverage in hematological patients undergoing chemotherapy: Should we move towards personalized vaccination?

IntroductionImmunocompromised patients are at high-risk for severe influenza and invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD). Despite the French Public Health Council (FPHC) and the 7th European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL7) recommendations, vaccination coverage remains insufficient. This study aimed to estimate the coverage and determinants of influenza, pneumococcal and diphtheria-tetanus-poliomyelitis (dTP) vaccinations in hematological patients underlying chemotherapy. MethodsA survey was distributed to all patients of the hematology day hospital assessing vaccine uptakes and general opinion about vaccination. Vaccine uptakes were collected from medical and vaccination records; knowledge of and attitudes towards vaccinations in immunocompromised patients were evaluated for each general practitioner (GP) by phone call. Adequacy between vaccine uptakes and indication or not to vaccinate according to ECIL7 guidelines was assessed. Factors associated with vaccine uptakes were assessed by multivariate logistic regression. ResultsAmong 145 patients, 66 % were aged 65 years or older, 40 % were followed for lymphoma and 38 % for multiple myeloma, 39 % were treated with anti-CD20 antibodies. Vaccination coverage was suboptimal for influenza (45–56 %), dTP (44 %) and IPD (16–19 %) regardless of the guidelines followed, with a wide variation in rates by information source (19–76 %). Adequacy rate with ECIL7 recommendations were 63 % and 87 % for influenza and IPD respectively. Information of patients on specific vaccinations was positively associated with flu and IPD vaccinations, as well as favorable attitude toward vaccination and age ≥ 65 years for flu vaccination, and recommendation by hematologist for pneumococcal vaccination. ConclusionDespite vaccination opportunities, the complexity of these specific recommendations and the lack of communication between the health actors could explain the suboptimal vaccination coverage in this high-risk population. A proactive attitude of all actors in the city and hospital, including better patient information and a personalized and evolving vaccination schedule to help GPs to coordinate vaccination would allow to improve vaccine coverage.

MODERN APPROACHES TO ENTERPRISE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EVALUATION

Purpose. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important feature of modern business. It provides a certain level of voluntary response to social problems, compliance with moral requirements of society. Companies have already realized the benefits of a socially proactive position and are increasingly involved in solving social and environmental problems. This raises the issue of CSR evaluation from a cost / benefit standpoint. The aim of the article is to study the existing approaches to assessing the level of CSR and determine the scope of their use. Design/methodology/approach. Abstract and logical method was used for generalization of theoretical and methodological provisions for the assessment of CSR. A systematic approach was used to form a system of ESG-indicators and to develop a system of indicators for assessing the benefits of implementing CSR activities. Economic and statistical methods were used for the assessment of CSR Ukrainian companies. Finding. The article presents the key characteristics of CSR. The focus is on the positive impact of the implementation of CSR practices on the activities of companies. A critical analysis of the approaches of Ukrainian scientists to the assessment of CSR was made, which allows to distinguish the assessment of CSR in general and the effectiveness of CSR activities. The authors identified three methodological approaches to the assessment of CSR. A general description of these approaches is given, their advantages and disadvantages are identified. The authors note that there is no universal form of financial reporting, businesses have a choice of what form it is. The most common are sustainable development reports, which are formulated for GRI standards. More Ukrainian companies publish their social reports, thus declaring their commitment to CSR concepts. It is proved that CSR is gradually transformed into a system of environmental, social and management parameters - ESG. The content of ESG-factors is determined and a system of indicators in the context of ecological, social and management spheres is formed. The system of indicators for assessing the benefits of implementing CSR activities is formed. A special place in the article is given to the international rankings of companies according to their ESG indicators. Based on the data of the catalog of social initiatives of companies, the general state of CSR in Ukraine is analyzed. It is established that the development of CSR in Ukraine is in line with European trends. The modern practice of social responsibility assessment is systematized. Practical implications. The practical significance of the obtained results is to develop the theoretical and methodological basis for the assessment of CSR. The results of the study can be used by entrepreneurs and managers seeking to achieve long-term success in the global business environment. Originality/value. The theoretical basis of CSR evaluation is developed by distinguishing three groups of methodological approaches, including analysis of non-financial reporting, calculation of quantitative and qualitative indicators, as well as index and rating methods. A system of indicators based on the maximum consideration of stakeholders' interests has been developed to assess the benefits of CSR activities.

Supply disruptions and protection motivation: Why some managers act proactively (and others don't)

AbstractSupply (chain) disruptions present considerable managerial challenges with potentially severe consequences. To protect their firms, managers often must decide whether or not to take proactive measures. Protection motivation theory suggests that individuals' intention to respond to a threat proactively results from their cognitive appraisal (situational interpretation) processes. These processes evaluate the characteristics of potential coping responses (e.g., its effectiveness in averting the threat) and the threat itself (e.g., its severity). Building on this framework, this study presents an analysis of what drives managers to, or deters them from, proactively responding to the threat of a disruption. The results from a discrete choice experiment suggest that decision makers have a strongsubconsciousfocus on cost‐related aspects of a specific proactive action, all the whileconsciouslyprioritizing the efficacy (effectiveness) of the action over its costs. Moreover, decision makers' perceptions of the relative importance of proactive action attributes deviate considerably from their actual choice behavior. This study investigates additional behavioral aspects of supply chain risk management such as a proactive personality, risk attitude, control appraisal, and experience, many of which have significant effects on the relative importance of certain proactive action attributes. The improved understanding has three relevant messages for managerial practice, which are related to the perception–action gap, the importance of self‐assessment and self‐awareness, and training.

A Mediating Model of Emotional Balance and Procrastination on Academic Performance.

Deficit in the management of time continues to be an important difficulty students are faced with. The present work aimed to test the hypothesis that self-regulation is the major predictor of academic performance and that this effect can be mediated both by the student’s emotional regulation and his propensity for procrastination. Participants were 450 university students who were administered MPP and AIP. The procedures involved the administration of instruments and the collection of average exam grades as a measure of academic performance. The effect of a specific component of self-regulation on academic performance, namely action orientation, was significant, while procrastination showed a limiting effect on the performative quality of the student. The model confirmed the mediation role of emotional balance on the effect that action orientation exerts on procrastination, and the mediation of procrastination in the relationship between action orientation and Academic Performance. Results of the study suggest focusing on student support and on prevention of procrastinating behavior through programs that enhance first of all student’s proactive attitude, planning skills, self-monitoring and effective/efficient time management, and secondly, emotional awareness and regulation of emotional response in situations of stress and performance anxiety.

COVID-19 and dental workers: The Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SIdP) survey.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the proportion of COVID‐19 infections among a population of Italian Dental workers across different geographical area of Italy and to analyze the impact of both the preventive measures/strategies adopted and the psychological influences.Subjects and MethodsThe current cross‐sectional survey was administered with a web‐based form. To be eligible for the study, participants had to be 18 years and being dentists or dental hygienists members of the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SIdP). A 23‐item questionnaire concerning positiveness to COVID‐19, clinical strategies and psychological attitude within the pandemic was administered. Sub‐group analysis was conducted according to geographical macro‐area.ResultsA total of 790 dentists and dental hygienists were included. A total of 4.7% participants developed a positive diagnosis to COVID‐19. The Northwest of Italy experienced almost double of COVID‐19‐positive participants (p < 0.05). Preoperatory mouthwashes together with natural air change/ventilation were the most frequent approaches used to prevent COVID‐19 outbreak. Positive and proactive attitudes were predominant among participants. Only a reduced proportion feels some concerns for the future.ConclusionsPrevalence of positive COVID‐19 among dental workers in Italy was double in Northwest area in comparison with the whole country proportion. Preventive strategies comprise mainly ultrasound reduction and preoperative mouthwashes.

Disaster risk reduction education that enhances the proactive attitudes of learners: A bridge between knowledge and behavior

Research on disaster risk reduction education (hereafter, DRR education) focuses on educational acts that take place between instructors and learners. Current research principally analyzes the knowledge and skills transmitted from instructors to learners, with the expectation that instructors teach learners knowledge and skills so that learners can engage proactively in DRR-related activities and respond appropriately to an actual disaster. However, previous studies have pointed out that increased knowledge and skills do not necessarily lead to behavioral changes in learners. Based on a literature review, the current study discusses why proactive attitudes are not fostered by current DRR education, which is underpinned by three approaches: (1) active instructor/passive learner approach, (2) knowledge-transmission approach, and (3) short-term knowledge evaluation approach. These three approaches, collectively termed the “transmission paradigm,” inhibits the fostering of a proactive attitude. Hence, this study proposes a new “proactive attitude paradigm” which consists of the (1) instructor/learner fusion approach, (2) participation in a community of practice approach, and (3) long-term commitment evaluation approach. The proactive attitude paradigm suggested in this study has been applied to a teacher training project in Nepal in which teachers developed a proactive attitude toward continuous DRR education. Further practical study of DRR education aimed at closing the gap between knowledge and behavior through adoption of the proactive attitude paradigm will be the focus of future research.

Faktor-Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Perilaku Proaktif Perawat dalam Melaksanakan Handover di Ruang Intensive Care Rumah Sakit

This study aims to determine the factors associated with proactive behavior in the handover process in the intensive care unit of RSUD Aceh. The method used is a cross-sectional study. Data were analyzed using chi-square and logistic regression analysis with the Backward stepwise test. The results showed that 100 out of 124 respondents were in the category of strong proactive behavior. The results of the chi-square test showed that proactive personality (p-value 0.041), self-efficacy (p-value 0.002) and learning orientation (p-value 0.013) had a relationship with nurses' proactive attitude in carrying out handovers. The results of the logistic regression test showed that the most dominant factor related to the proactive behavior of nurses in carrying out handovers was self-efficacy, with a significance value of 0.020 and an odds ratio of 5.419. In conclusion, self-efficacy is the most significant factor related to the proactive behavior of nurses in the handover process in the intensive care unit of the Aceh General Hospital.&#x0D; Keywords: Handover, Nurse, Proactive Behavior, Intensive Care Room

Teaching Social Entrepreneurship in Higher Education: Active Pedagogy in a Deweyan Perspective

Social entrepreneurship education has achieved academic recognition as a subject matter and field of research. However, there is no consensus about how this subject should be taught. The paper explores the potential of active pedagogy for social entrepreneurship education, presenting a Deweyan perspective focussed on reflection and ownership of learning. It draws on a three-year interinstitutional project that aimed at disseminating active pedagogy among in-service teachers in Latin America, and it presents the case of a Brazilian university, where the project was implemented. Findings show that reflecting on concrete cases regarding local social issues triggered students’ empathy and fostered proactive attitudes. By using reflection-based active pedagogy, participant teachers developed a higher level of awareness about their need for constant self-assessment. The paper concludes that social entrepreneurship education can benefit from a stronger focus on empowerment, as a first step for social change.

Evaluation and pharmacists perspective of repeat prescribing process in refill clinics

IntroductionRepeat prescription refers to a re-prescribed medications list issued by a refill clinic, commonly for stable chronic illnesses. The issues regarding repeat prescriptions have garnered increasing important in recent years, as no general agreement about a standardized protocol exists between organizations. Due to the importance of pharmacists’ involvement and intervention in the process of repeat prescription and the lack of local studies discussing this topic, the aim of this study was to assess pharmacists’ perspectives toward the repeat prescription process and identify the issues related to repeat prescriptions in refill clinics at tertiary hospitals. MethodologyA self-developed questionnaire was used to assess outpatient pharmacists’ perspectives toward the repeat prescription process. This was followed by a comprehensive review of the electronic health records (EHR) of patients who requested repeat prescriptions to identify related issues. The study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital from September 2019 to January 2020. ResultsBased on the questionnaire, 34 pharmacists reported receiving less than 10 repeat prescriptions per week (82.35%); nevertheless, around 88.24% of pharmacists have faced issues with the repeat prescription process, and only 15.65% of the issues got resolved. Most of the pharmacists (88.24%) showed a proactive attitude toward modifying the work process to reduce issues. Further, the review of the patients’ EHR identified 1766 prescriptions with related issues in 617 (14.02%) patients’ profiles. Most of these issues were seen in the elderly (46.7%). The most common issue encountered was “Patients came too early to request,” which accounted for 986 (55.8%) of the total issues, followed by the issue of “Refilling a restricted medication” reported at 247 (14%). Only 11% of these issues were completely resolved by pharmacists. ConclusionThe repeat prescription service might be associated with issues that lead to preventable adverse effects, especially among the elderly who are prone to such effects. Comprehensive reviews of patients’ profiles are necessary to assess their needs and avoid such issues.

Educational dominant of the information economy development: a case of Latvia for Ukraine

Introduction. In recent years, digitalization is one of the defining trends of the development in the leading countries of the world. The development of information economy is influenced by a combination of factors; however, the most powerful is an educational dominant. The higher education institutions (HEIs) carry out training activities for information economy, the development of digital skills of the personnel, as well as carrying out studies of the personnel’s digital skills, and conducting research, generating innovations and their transfer to the real sector of economy. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the impact of higher education on the dynamics of information economy on the example of Latvia with further identification of the best practices and their adaptation to the Ukrainian social and economic conditions. The research methodology is conditioned by the implementation of the in-depth comparative analysis of the development of higher education systems in Latvia and Ukraine; within the study, were used the method of constructing cubic regression models of the relationship between indicators. The hypothesis: 1) there is an objective interaction between the level of economic development of the country and the amount of public funding for higher education; 2) the information economy development is largely determined by the level of higher education development, and funding for research at HEIs. Results. The study revealed the following constraints on the development of the national higher education system: complex geopolitical, demographic, migration situation, which affects the parameters of the student body of HEIs; low competitiveness level of HEIs in the global educational services market; low level of financial autonomy of HEIs; lack of financing, low level of diversification of the financing sources for HEIs, etc. These problems negatively affect the pace of the information economy development in Ukraine. The authors proved that the Latvian experience in the implementation of the digitalization strategy could be useful for Ukraine, because of some similar economic, social, mental, historic conditions and factors of development of both countries. The calculations on the econometric models of relationship between funding and basic indicators of higher education development in Ukraine and Latvia showed: the amount of funding for higher education systems does not depend on the number of HEIs; the number of students depends on the amount of public funding (this indicates the important role of the state in the higher education development, in increasing the level of accessibility of higher education for citizens); close relationship between the amount of funding for higher education and the number of graduate students; positive trend in funding for higher education. Conclusions. The authors conclude that strengthening the impact of the educational dominant on the information economy development requires: ensuring a proactive position of HEIs (by modernizing their educational, research and innovation activities); activating the role of the government sector in protection of intellectual property, stimulating the development of innovatively active enterprises and their cooperation with universities, involving investments in the development of the HEIs’ innovative infrastructure, commercialization of innovative results of the research in the real sector of the economy.

An education approach for the Anthropocene epoch

It is now well established in the literature that there is a need to incorporate the concept of sustainability into education at all study levels. However, there is considerable uncertainty expressed concerning how it could best be achieved and how the resilience concept would enhance this idea. This article aims to address this gap. The objective is to explore aspects of socio-ecological resilience, that underlies a university case study. The methodology is exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory. Results demonstrate that civil engagement university activities are an education approach that provides students with experiences that build skills necessary for addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene Epoch. The conclusion of the article emphasizes that the education for the Anthropocene epoch should consider the enhancement of ecosystem services by demonstrating that humans are part of the social-ecological systems; considering interdisciplinarity as a methodological approach; demonstrating the variety of potentials on participation of stakeholders by civil engagement as developing autonomy both on students and stakeholders and developing the ability for proactive attitudes. Is also enhance learning and social learning by civil engagement and participation.

Management of primary hypothyroidism in adults: An analysis of the results of a survey in 546 primary care physicians

ObjectiveTo document current practices in the management of adult patients with hypothyroidism in the setting of primary healthcare. MethodsWe designed a web-based survey to inquire information on real-life practices regarding management of hypothyroidism by primary care physicians in the region of Madrid (Spain). ResultsIn total, 546 out of 3897 (14%) physicians (aged 50.9±8.5 yr, 404 females) completed the survey. More than 90% of respondents requested serum thyrotropin measurement in subjects with symptoms of thyroid hypofunction, family history of thyroid disease and history of autoimmune disease. A thyroid ultrasound was requested to evaluate subclinical and overt hypothyroidism by 27.1% and 69.6% of respondents, respectively. Only 22.1% of respondents stated that they do not treat subclinical hypothyroidism with thyrotropin values less than 10mU/l. Most physicians use brand-name formulations of levothyroxine and advise patients on how to take the tablets. To start treatment, the gradual replacement rate was the option chosen by most of the respondents, even in young patients. The thyrotropin target preferred by most respondents was 0.5–5.0mU/l, especially in older patients. In patients with persistent symptoms, 61.4% search for the causes through complementary investigations. A longer professional practice time was not always accompanied by better adherence to guidelines and expert recommendations. ConclusionOur results reveal a proactive attitude in the diagnosis and of therapy by most of the respondents. However, we observed a tendency to perform unnecessary diagnostic tests and an excessive propensity to treat mild subclinical hypothyroidism.

Home Care Patients' Experiences with Home Care Nurses' Support in Medication Adherence.

PurposeTo describe nurses’ support interventions for medication adherence, and patients’ experiences and desired improvements with this care.Patients and MethodsA two-phase study was performed, including an analysis of questionnaire data and conducted interviews with members of the care panel of the Netherlands Patients Federation. The questionnaire assessed 14 types of interventions, satisfaction (score 0–10) with received interventions, needs, experiences, and desired improvements in nurses’ support. Interviews further explored experiences and improvements. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis approach.ResultsFifty-nine participants completed the questionnaire, and 14 of the 59 participants were interviewed. The satisfaction score for interventions was 7.9 (IQR 7–9). The most common interventions were: “noticing when I don’t take medication as prescribed” (n = 35), “helping me to find solutions to overcome problems with using medications” (n = 32), “helping me with taking medication” (n = 32), and “explaining the importance of taking medication at the right moment” (n = 32). Fifteen participants missed ≥1 of the 14 interventions. Most mentioned the following: “regularly asking about potential problems with medication use” (33%), “regularly discussing whether using medication is going well” (29%), and “explaining the importance of taking medication at the right moment” (27%). Twenty-two participants experienced the following as positive: improved self-management of adequate medication taking, a professional patient–nurse relationship to discuss adherence problems, and nurses’ proactive attitude to arrange practical support for medication use. Thirteen patients experienced the following as negative: insufficient timing of home visits, rushed appearance of nurses, and insufficient expertise about side effects and taking medication. Suggested improvements included performing home visits on time, more time for providing support in medication use, and more expertise about side effects and administering medication.ConclusionOverall, participants were satisfied, and few participants wanted more interventions. Nurses’ support improved participants’ self-management of medication taking and enabled patients to discuss their adherence problems. Adequately timed home visits, more time for support, and accurate medication-related knowledge are desired.