Certification Rates Research Articles

Recommendations for Improving Incentive Systems in the Building Sector of South Korea

Purpose: Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is a primary concern throughout the world, and the building sector is a particularly efficient area for making these reductions. In South Korea, the government has recently enacted policies for "Green Growth" that, among other things, enforce regulations in the building certification rating system (BCRS) and reorganize existing incentive systems. Method: In this study, we examined regulations and incentive systems used in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States that encourage the use of energy efficient technologies in construction and compared these policies to those used in South Korea. We also disseminated surveys to experts in the fields of architecture, planning and design, and engineering to better understand their knowledge and perception of the BCRS and its incentive systems. Additionally, we sought their recommendations for improving these incentive systems. Result: Based on our comparative case studies of regulations and incentives in other countries, alongside recommendations from experts in South Korea, we concluded that incentive systems in South Korea are limited and require improvement. We make recommendations for strengthening existing regulations and incentives and for implementing new incentive programs.

Increasing nurse certification rates using a multimodal approach.

The attainment of specialty nursing certification can be beneficial for nurses, patients, and the healthcare organization alike. Barriers may prevent nurses from seeking specialty certification, which may impede healthcare organizations from increasing certification rates among nursing staff. The purpose of this article is to share the process and outcomes of 1 medical center's multimodal plan designed to prepare and support nurses seeking specialty certification in pediatric nursing practice.

Are commonly used premedical school or medical school measures associated with board certification?

To determine if there is an association between several commonly obtained premedical school and medical school measures and board certification performance. We specifically included measures from our institution for which we have predictive validity evidence into the internship year. We hypothesized that board certification would be most likely to be associated with clinical measures of performance during medical school, and with scores on standardized tests, whether before or during medical school. Achieving board certification in an American Board of Medical Specialties specialty was used as our outcome measure for a 7-year cohort of graduates (1995-2002). Age at matriculation, Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) score, undergraduate college grade point average (GPA), undergraduate college science GPA, Uniformed Services University (USU) cumulative GPA, USU preclerkship GPA, USU clerkship year GPA, departmental competency committee evaluation, Internal Medicine (IM) clerkship clinical performance rating (points), IM total clerkship points, history of Student Promotion Committee review, and United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 score and USMLE Step 2 clinical knowledge score were associated with this outcome. Ninety-three of 1,155 graduates were not certified, resulting in an average rate of board certification of 91.9% for the study cohort. Significant small correlations were found between board certification and IM clerkship points (r = 0.117), IM clerkship grade (r = 0.108), clerkship year GPA (r = 0.078), undergraduate college science GPA (r = 0.072), preclerkship GPA and medical school GPA (r = 0.068 for both), USMLE Step 1 (r = 0.066), undergraduate college total GPA (r = 0.062), and age at matriculation (r = -0.061). In comparing the two groups (board certified and not board certified cohorts), significant differences were seen for all included variables with the exception of MCAT and USMLE Step 2 clinical knowledge scores. All the variables put together could explain 4.1% of the variance of board certification by logistic regression. This investigation provides some additional validity evidence that measures collected for purposes of student evaluation before and during medical school are warranted.

Career accomplishments of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences medical graduates: classes 1980-2001.

To report accomplishments of graduates of the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine who have left, retired, or are near the end of their uniformed career in several professional domains: military career milestones, medical professional education, academic landmarks, and leadership. This study utilized an earlier questionnaire that was modified to capture additional career landmarks and improve the clarity of several items. The modified survey was sent electronically to alumni who graduated from 1980-2001 in March, 2012. The questionnaire was sent to 2,825 alumni for whom we had e-mail addresses. We estimate that we reached 2,400 alumni. A total of 1,189 alumni returned the questionnaire, yielding an estimated response rate of 50%. For this cohort, the board certification was 95%, over 20% obtained additional degrees, 92.8% had worked as a full-time physician, nearly two-thirds had deployed for combat, 13.9% had received the Legion of Merit, and 68.6% had published at least one peer-reviewed manuscript. Many accomplishments including board certification rates, deployment experience, academic and military leadership positions, military awards, promotion rates, and academic medicine contributions are indicators that USU is continuing to meet its unique mission.

HarvardX and MITx: Two Years of Open Online Courses Fall 2012-Summer 2014

What happens when well-known universities offer online courses, assessments, and certificates of completion for free? Early descriptions of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have emphasized large enrollments, low certification rates, and highly educated registrants. We use data from two years and 68 open online courses offered by Harvard University (via HarvardX) and MIT (via MITx) to broaden the scope of answers to this question. We describe trends over this two-year span, depict participant intent using comprehensive survey instruments, and chart course participation pathways using network analysis. We find that overall participation in our MOOCs remains substantial and that the average growth has been steady. We explore how diverse audiences — including explorers, teachers-as-learners, and residential students — provide opportunities to advance the principles on which HarvardX and MITx were founded: access, research, and residential education.

Has the fit note reduced general practice sickness certification rates?

In 2010, the fit note replaced the sick note to help focus on what people are capable of doing, rather than signing patients 'off sick'. To compare proportions of work-related ill-health issued with sickness certification pre- and post-fit note introduction and assess sickness absence trends. General practitioners (GPs) report data on work-related ill-health and sickness absence via The Health and Occupation Research network in General Practice. The proportion of cases issued with sickness certification 4 years before and 3 years after the fit note introduction were compared. Changes in certification incidence rate ratios were measured over time. Participating GPs reported 5517 cases of work-related ill-health. Pre-fit note introduction 50% of cases were certified sick. There was no change in the proportion of cases certified sick in the first year post-fit note, despite 13% of cases classified as 'maybe fit'. However, in the second year, the proportion of cases certified sick had reduced significantly (41%) and a larger proportion (19%) was advised on workplace adjustments. In the third year post-introduction, there was a slight rise in the proportion of cases certified sick; therefore, although there was a fall of 2% per annum in certification rates, this was not significant. In the first year post-fit note introduction, modifications to work were recommended for people who would previously have been declared fit. Trends analyses showed a slight decrease in the certification rate, possibly indicating GPs will become more practised in advising on workplace adjustments.

Disadvantaged Language Minority Students and Their Teachers: A National Picture

BackgroundEducational outcomes for language minority (LM) children are of great concern across the nation because these students have lower grades, are rated by their teachers as having lower skills, perform worse on standardized tests, and are more likely to drop out than are non-LM students. Given this context of underperformance, there is a need for educators to better understand the factors that are associated with their academic outcomes.PurposeThis national study examines demographic and school contexts of LM students as compared to their non-LM peers to highlight the disparities between them that extend beyond language differences. A nationally representative sample of LM students and their peers participated in this study, along with their parents and teachers, beginning with kindergarten in fall 1998 and continuing in first, third, and fifth grades. In particular, data on key student variables (race, gender, etc.) and the characteristics of their teachers were examined. Teacher characteristics included: years of experience, certification status, highest educational level achieved, and specialized coursework (reading methodology and ESL). By comparing descriptive statistics for LM students and their non-LM peers, the authors hoped to identify possible factors that may contribute to the achievement gap between these two groups.Research DesignFor this descriptive and comparative study using secondary data, the authors analyzed a full sample of kindergarten students, including both LM and non-LM students (n = 15,026), in order to describe key demographic variables (i.e., gender, race, SES, etc.) for the two subgroups. Proportions for each subgroup variable and Fisher's exact test results were reported, in order to determine statistically significant differences between groups for categorical variables. The analytic subsample was then restricted to students from homes in the two lowest SES quintiles to compare mean values, associated t-tests, and histograms for five dimensions of teacher background to identify differences related to LM status.Conclusions/RecommendationsThis study demonstrated some of the great disparities that exist between LM and non-LM students that go beyond language differences including: 70% of LM students come from the lowest SES group versus 37% of their non-LM peers. Also, teachers of LM students had fewer years of experience and lower rates of certification than teachers of non-LM students. Finally, many teachers of LM students (as much as 50% in first grade) reported feeling inadequately prepared to teach LEP (limited English proficient) students. These findings suggest the need for careful attention in the form of educational policies that acknowledge the disproportionate effect of poverty and low SES on LM students. The negative effects of limited resources and inadequate social capital overshadow limited English proficiency and their ability to overcome academic challenges. Furthermore, it is important for education decision-makers to recognize the role that inexperienced, uncertified teachers may play in the educational outcomes of LM students.

Certifications for sight impairment due to age related macular degeneration in England

ObjectivesTo examine variability across England in certification rates for age related macular degeneration (AMD) between 1st April 2011 and 31st March 2012. Study designCross-sectional survey. MethodsAn electronic version of the CVI, the ECVI, was used at the Certifications Office, London, to transfer information from paper based certificates into a database. The electronic certifications data set was queried for all certificates completed in England between April 1st 2011 and March 31st 2012 with the main cause of certifiable visual loss being AMD or with the main cause of certifiable visual loss being multiple pathology but a contributory cause being AMD. Data were explored by type of AMD, visual status, age and sex and then directly standardized rates were computed by English region. ResultsThe Certifications Office received 23,616 CVIs for England between April 2011 and March 2012, of which 10,481 (44%) were people certified severely sight-impaired (blind) (SSI) and 12,689 (54%) were certified as sight-impaired (partial sight) (SI). The remainder did not have visual status classified. AMD contributed to 11546 causes of certification on the CVI forms during this period, 53% of forms being for geographic atrophy (GA)/dry AMD which is currently mostly untreatable. The median (interquartile) age at certification for AMD was 86 (81, 90) years and women were more commonly certified than men (66%). Considerable variability was seen across English regions, although there was consistency in that GA was the more common form in all areas. ConclusionsThere is considerable regional variability in CVI rates in England, which are not attributable to differences in age or sex. Reasons for such variability need examination yet this should not undermine the value of these data in terms of describing those newly registered with sight impairment due to AMD who are predominantly female and over 85 years of age.

Beyond Time-on-Task: The Relationship between Spaced Study and Certification in MOOCs

A long history of laboratory and field experiments has demonstrated that dividing study time into many sessions is often superior to massing study time into few sessions, a phenomenon widely known as the “spacing effect.” Massive open online courses (MOOCs) collect abundant data about student activity over time, but little of its early research has used learning theory to interrogate these data. Taking inspiration from this psychology literature, here we use data collected from MOOCs to identify observational evidence for the benefits of spaced practice in educational settings. We investigated tracking logs from 20 HarvardX courses to examine whether there was any relationship between how students allocated their participation and what performance they achieved. While controlling for the effect of total time on-site, we show that the number of sessions students initiate is an important predictor of certification rate, across students in all courses. Furthermore, we demonstrate that when students spend similar amounts of time in multiple courses, they perform better in courses where that time is distributed among more sessions, suggesting the benefit of spaced practice independently of student characteristics. We conclude by proposing interventions to guide students’ study schedules and for leveraging such an effect.

A Systemic Analysis of Professional Certification Rates: The Case of a Six Sigma Training Certificate Program

:Professional certificate training is a challenge for trainees and trainers. A certification program's financial success depends not only on its quality, but also on certification rates. In this study, the authors theorize that trainee performance in the field project component of a training certificate program is the key variable to success; therefore, identifying bottlenecks in a trainee certification process is vital to increasing the probability of certification. In order to test this hypothesis, the authors use a hybrid methodology to identify bottlenecks through the analysis of a Six Sigma certification program. The goal is to evaluate the impact that the academic components have on the successful implementation of field projects and, therefore, on certification rates. The latter is a requirement to be certified in the program studied. As a result, managers in charge of training certificate programs can assess, elaborate, and corroborate hypotheses about causes and effects of training practices and their efficiency within their program. The proposed solution combines statistical methods in the form of regression analysis and systemic tools like system dynamics (SD) to provide further understanding when early detection and intervention on trainees' deviations from expected performance is required. Findings from this research can be used as the basis for a future confirmatory analysis.

Application of Social Cognitive Theory on the Motivations and Expectations of Developers’ and Investors’ to Commit to Green Building Construction and Supply

While Social cognitive theory has received wide applications in the health communication and education, it has gained little attention in green building market despites its relevance and applicability. The study builds upon social cognitive theory major attributes such as intention, forethought, motivation and expectation to conceptualize a motivation and expectation model for commitment of developers and investors to green building construction and supply. Based on the conceptualized model we infer that motivational expectations of developers and investors in green building construction and supply are rooted in the quest for profit maximization, financial viability of green construction, expected rate of return, monetary incentives, green certification and awards, public image, social and ethical responsibility. However, it is predicted that the nature and strength of relationships among some of these factors will be moderated by available green building skills.

Estimating Minimum Program Volume Needed to Train Surgeons: When 4 × 15 Really Equals 90

Work-hour restrictions have decreased flexibility in scheduling and reduced exposure to certain operative cases. These restrictions may affect a resident's ability to meet certification requirements, particularly for rare, unscheduled cases (e.g., cardiothoracic transplants). We developed a computer-based simulation model using variables such as case volume and program size to demonstrate the influence of these factors on the likelihood of certifying a set of residents on rare cases. We built a simulator to predict the probability of attaining certification for surgical residents, using cardiothoracic transplants as a test case. Inputs to the model included operating times, call schedules, and procurement travel times, as well as information on the distribution of times between transplants. We simulated 100 years of schedules using our current system parameters of an average of 33 heart and 31 lung transplants per year, and assuming an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-compliant daily-rotating call schedule. Despite having enough transplants to certify all residents for lungs if all opportunities were distributed equally among residents, the certification rate achieved when constrained by arrival time (and call schedules) and work restrictions was only 55%. Our calculations show that meeting minimum transplant-certification requirements for all residents would require at least 1.5 times the expected number of annual transplants. Our model enables analysis of a given program's ability to certify its residents based on program size and volume. These results could be used to design alternative scheduling paradigms to improve certification rates, without requiring reductions in certification requirements or program size.

A study of general practitioners’ sickness certification rates and their role in sickness absence

A study of general practitioners’ sickness certification rates and their role in sickness absence

Examining the sustainment of the Adolescent-Community Reinforcement Approach in community addiction treatment settings: protocol for a longitudinal mixed method study.

BackgroundAlthough evidence-based treatments are considered the gold standard for clinical practice, it is widely recognized that evidence-based treatment implementation in real world practice settings has been limited. To address this gap, the federal government provided three years of funding, training and technical assistance to 84 community-based treatment programs to deliver an evidence-based treatment called the Adolescent-Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA). Little is known about whether such efforts lead to long-term A-CRA sustainment after the initial funding ends.Methods/DesignWe will use a longitudinal mixed method data analytic approach to characterize sustainment over time and to examine the factors associated with the extent to which A-CRA is sustained. We will use implementation data collected during the funding period (e.g., organizational functioning, staff certification rates and penetration) and supplement it with additional data collected during the proposed project period regarding implementation quality and the hypothesized predictors of sustainment (i.e., inner and outer contextual variables) collected over three waves from 2013 to 2015 representing program sustainment up to five years post-initial funding.DiscussionGaining a better understanding of the factors that influence the evidence-based treatment sustainment may lead to more effective dissemination strategies and ultimately improve the quality of care being delivered in community-based addiction treatment settings.

0302 Incidence of sickness absence among brazilian public workers

ObjectivesInvestigate the incidence and risk factors of sickness absence (SA) among Brazilian public workers.MethodIt is a dynamic cohort composed by all public workers of the Goiania municipality hired from January,...

Supporting nurse manager certification.

Professional certification is desirable for nursing staff and leaders to demonstrate high levels of knowledge and expertise. Nurse managers can be role models for staff by attaining certification. The organization highlighted in this article developed a process that included an in-house nurse manager certification review course resulting in increased certification rates from 33% to 50% for nurse managers in a 14-month period.

Increasing Certification Through Unit-Based Education

Certification has been identified by multiple organizations as an important component and means of elevating the level of nursing care provided to patients and demonstrating to the public that the nursing staff has subspecialty knowledge. Certification may lead to improved patient satisfaction and outcomes as well as increased nurse satisfaction and retention. Despite the known potential benefits associated with certification, institutions struggle to improve certification rates. One possible method to overcome system barriers to certification is the implementation of a unit-based study course to prepare nurses for the Certified Breast Care Nurse (CBCN) examination. Data collected by an author-developed tool as one institution created and executed a unit-based study course suggest that such an approach increased certification rates and improved disease-specific knowledge and confidence among the staff, despite no official data existing on the tool's reliability and validity. Implementation of similar programs may be successful in improving certification at other institutions seeking to raise certification rates.

A Perspective on Medicolegal Death Investigation in the United States: 2013

The status of medicolegal death investigation in the United States is reviewed based on the literature, reports, surveys, and vital statistics data. The vast majority of chief medicolegal death investigation system officers are coroners, but the majority of the U.S. population is served by medical examiner systems. Conversion of coroner systems to medical examiner systems has come nearly to a halt. More forensic pathologists are needed to enable autopsy performance at a rate of one per thousand population and comply with the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) standards regarding autopsy caseload. Efforts are needed to recruit and retain forensic pathology trainees in the specialty of forensic pathology. More medicolegal death investigators are needed and measures need to be taken to train and certify more of them. Regional medicolegal death investigation and autopsy centers are needed in some parts of the country and some areas of the U.S. lack ready access to forensic pathologists. Only a small portion of medical examiner and coroner offices is accredited by NAME or the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IAC&ME). Medical examiner/coroner death certification and autopsy rates in the states vary considerably, probably due to variations in statutes, funding, staffing, practice preferences, and practice patterns that have evolved through tradition and custom. Although death investigation in the United States seems to be adequate to meet basic needs in the various states, there is room for further improvement in the scope and quality of service and manpower.

The Dermatology Milestone Project

The educational Milestones represent a developmental framework from less to more advanced for each of the 6 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies. They are outcome-based descriptors and targets for resident performance as the resident moves from entry into residency through graduation. In the Next Accreditation System (NAS), dermatology resident achievement of the educational Milestones also will be 1 of several indicators of the educational effectiveness of dermatology residency programs, and the Dermatology Residency Review Committee (RRC) will examine Milestone performance data to determine whether residents overall are progressing.

Trends in the History of Certification and Recertification of the American Board of Internal Medicine

This commentary reviews the trends of pass rates for certification and recertification in internal medicine. This is true for certification since the 1930s and recertification since 2000. Predictors of performance, such as program director ratings and the in-training examination, are discussed in addition to positive clinical outcomes in relation to recertification. Differences in examinations pass rates due to gender, geographic location and number of attempts are reviewed. Recent trends in internal medicine demonstrate a decline, which may be multifactorial in reasoning. This is not unique to internal medicine as declines in certification rates have been noted in general surgery as well. Methods of preparing for the examination are discussed to maximize performance on the examination.