Skill Verification Research Articles

Skill Verification Using Blockchain Technology : Ensuring Transparency and Trust

Blockchain technology, with its decentralized, immutable, and transparent nature, offers a promising solution for verifying skills and credentials. This paper explores the potential of blockchain in skill verification, highlighting its advantages, challenges, and potential applications. We delve into the technical aspects of implementing blockchain-based skill verification systems, discussing key considerations such as consensus mechanisms, smart contracts, and data privacy. Additionally, we examine the challenges that may arise in the adoption and implementation of blockchain technology for skill verification, including scalability, interoperability, and regulatory compliance. Finally, we conclude by discussing the future prospects and potential impact of blockchain-based skill verification on various industries

Skill Verification System using Blockchain: SkillVio

Abstract: In today's dynamic work environment, where skills and competencies are the key drivers of success, it is crucial to have an effective skill verification system. Traditional methods of verifying skills and competencies can be time-consuming, cumbersome, and often lack transparency. A blockchain-based skill verification system can provide a secure, transparent, and decentralized platform to record and verify an employee's skills, experience, learning goal progress, and competency level. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the benefits of using blockchain technology for skill verification, the challenges associated with implementing such a system, and the potential future scope of this project.

Skill Verification System Using Blockchain Technology

Skill Verification System Using Blockchain Technology

A Multistate Survey of Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator Activities.

Pediatric emergency care coordinators (PECCs) are associated with pediatric readiness of emergency departments (EDs). National organizations have called for PECCs in all EDs. Although the National Pediatric Readiness Program provides a list of suggested tasks for each PECC, little is known about implementation. Our objective was to describe the role of PECCs in EDs. We analyzed data from the 2019 National ED Inventory-USA to identify EDs with PECCs in 8 states (Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, Vermont, and Wisconsin). We called each ED that reported having a PECC to administer a standardized survey assessing NRPP tasks, specifically quality improvement (QI), education provision, skill verification, equipment responsibilities, and how many hours the PECC devoted to the role. Of the 201 of 830 EDs (24%) that reported a PECC, 167 (83%) completed the survey, with >80% response rate in each state. Of these, 153 EDs (92%) confirmed a PECC, and during the past year, 81% participated in QI initiatives, 93% provided pediatric education, 90% verified staff skills, and 90% were responsible for ensuring medications, equipment, supplies, and resources for children. The median number of hours per week that PECCs devoted to this role was 12 (interquartile range, 5-40). There was wide variation between states (eg, 50% of PECCs in Vermont participating in QI activities, as compared with 100% in Nebraska). Most PECCs report participating in the suggested National Pediatric Readiness Program tasks, although there was variation by state. Future directions for this work include assessing the association between PECC tasks and patient outcomes.

Localization of Hand and Wrist Anatomic Structures Among Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residents: Implication of Ultrasonography in Palpation Skill Verification.

The objective of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the accuracy of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) resident palpation skills of hand and wrist joint and soft tissue structures using ultrasonography (US) verification. PM&R residents palpated hand and wrist anatomic structures in an outpatient musculoskeletal (MSK) clinic. Once the presumed structures were localized, residents marked a one centimeter size circle on the overlying skin with an ink marker. The accuracy of the circle over the joint line and soft tissue structures was verified using US. Overall palpation accuracy for 16 joint line and soft tissue structures was 40.6%. There was no significant difference in palpation accuracy with advanced educational level (37.5% in PGY-2, 33.8% in PGY-3, 50% in PGY-4, p = 0.12). The percentage of combined accurate palpation and less than one centimeter error in accurate palpation revealed a significant improvement along the advancement of PGY training (50%, 61.3%, 69.8% in PGY-2, 3, 4 respectively, p = 0.01). This study demonstrated an overall suboptimal accuracy of hand and wrist palpation skills by PM&R residents and a need to improve palpation skills among PM&R residents.

Improving Observations of Precipitation Type at the Surface: A 5-year Verification of a Radar-derived Product from the United Kingdom Met Office.

AbstractThis study aims to verify the skill of a radar-based surface precipitation type (SPT) product with observations on the ground. Social and economic impacts can occur from SPT because it is not well forecast or observed. Observations from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office’s weather radar network are combined with post-processed numerical weather prediction (NWP) freezing level heights in a Boolean logic algorithm to create a 1 km resolution cartesian-gridded map of SPT. Here 5 years of discrete non-probabilistic outputs of rain, mixed phase, and snow are compared against surface observations made by trained observers, automatic weather stations, and laser disdrometers. The novel skill verification method developed as part of this study employs several tolerances of space and time from the SPT product, indicating the precision of the product for a desired accuracy. In general the results indicate that the tolerance verification method works well and produces reasonable statistical score ranges grounded in physical constraints. Using this method, we find that the mixed precipitation class is the least well diagnosed which is due to a negative bias in the input temperature height field, resulting in rain events frequently being classified as mixed. Snowis capturedwell by the product which is entirely reliant upon a post-processed NWP temperature field, although a single period of anomalously cold temperatures positively skewed snow scores with low-skill events. Furthermore, we conclude that more verification consistency is needed amongst studies to help identify successful approaches and thus improve SPT forecasts.

Regulating Critical Care Ultrasound, It Is All in the Interpretation.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use is rapidly expanding as a practice in adult and pediatric critical care environments. In January 2020, the Joint Commission endorsed a statement from the Emergency Care Research Institute citing point-of-care ultrasound as a potential hazard to patients for reasons related to training and skill verification, oversight of use, and recordkeeping and accountability mechanisms for clinical use; however, no evidence was presented to support these concerns. Existing data on point-of-care ultrasound practices in pediatric critical care settings verify that point-of-care ultrasound use continues to increase, and contrary to the concerns raised, resources are becoming increasingly available for point-of-care ultrasound use. Many institutions have recognized a successful approach to addressing these concerns that can be achieved through multispecialty collaborations.

Quantitative Analysis of Transnasal Anterior Skull Base Approach: Report of Technology for Intraoperative Assessment of Instrument Motion.

To develop a method to measure intraoperative surgical instrument motion. This model will be applicable to the study of surgical instrument kinematics including surgical training, skill verification, and the development of surgical warning systems that detect aberrant instrument motion that may result in patient injury. We developed an algorithm to automate derivation of surgical instrument kinematics in an endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery model. Surgical instrument motion was recorded during a cadaveric endoscopic transnasal approach to the pituitary using a navigation system modified to record intraoperative time-stamped Euclidian coordinates and Euler angles. Microdebrider tip coordinates and angles were referenced to the cadaver's preoperative computed tomography scan allowing us to assess surgical instrument kinematics over time. A representative cadaveric endoscopic endonasal approach to the pituitary was performed to demonstrate feasibility of our algorithm for deriving surgical instrument kinematics. Technical feasibility of automatically measuring intraoperative surgical instrument motion and deriving kinematics measurements was demonstrated using standard navigation equipment.

ASEAN Economic Community and its Effects on University Education and Job Market: A Case Study of Skill Verification by the Means of Professional Certification Examination

The objective of this research is to study the implication of AEC on university education system and the job market after its implementation in 2015. This study reveals that lack of unified standard in university education system is the key challenge faced by universities in the AEC. Uniformity in standard is defined as a standard acceptable to all member countries. This study rejects the idea of harmonization of education in the AEC. AEC is a common market comprised of ten member countries. Each country has its own education system, and it embodies the history, culture and the political will of the people. It is rigged with national sentiment and is closely guarded by all state governments; therefore; any attempt of harmonization of education is a failed idea in the AEC. This paper proposes a practical model that establishes a uniform standard in the university education system in the AEC. Such model is based on standardization through professional certification examination by chartered professional associations, such as the ACCA for the accounting profession, CFA for the finance profession, and ICPM for the management profession. The data of this research comes from the quantitative survey conducted among group of students, professors, employees, corporate officers and HR managers from different private universities and business centers in Bangkok. This research proves that professional certification examination establishes uniformity in the standard; as it verifies the skills of the graduates, despite diversity in the university education system in the AEC. The result is considered significant as at 95% confidence level.

Abstract T P270: Effectiveness of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale Training

Background and Purpose: Staff voiced a need for hands on training regarding scoring of complex stroke patients. Random reviews of medical record documentation of the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scoring and discussions with staff reflected variations in scoring for the same deficits. The primary training method utilized by all staff has been computer based with preceptor skill verification. Continued issues with confusion in scoring led to development of a unique solution for our facility and community partners using this scale. Method: Members of our nursing and medical team developed a unique learning opportunity that provided participants with both didactic and hands on participation for scoring of patients with the NIHSS. Lectures consisted of overview of stroke syndromes including complex syndromes, basic NIHSS knowledge and scoring requirements, followed by review of complex scoring strategies and a live classroom scoring presentation by a provider on a test patient. The learning opportunity was further enhanced by interactive sessions for hands on by each participant through scoring every component of the scale in a non-threatening environment. This was accomplished through the use of smart phones and computers which blinded individual responses. Standardized test patients trained by the instructors executed scenario responses ranging from normal to extremely abnormal and/or complex. Participants scored scenarios executed using the NIHSS and received immediate feedback on scoring rationales. Questions and inaccuracies were addressed and clarified in each session. Results: The initial class evaluations and changes in pre and post class scoring results indicate less variation in scoring for all items, especially related to scoring of the complex patient. Conclusion: Computer based learning is the most common and widely used approach to staff education for training staff on use of the NIHSS. However, face to face interaction with the learner and instructor appears to be the most effective method for skill attainment with scoring of complex stroke patients.

The impact of observation systems on medium-range weather forecasting in a global forecast system

To investigate the impact of various types of data on medium-range forecasts, observing system experiments are performed using an assimilation algorithm based on the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/Department of Energy (DOE) reanalysis system. Data-denial experiments for radiosonde, satellite, aircraft, and sea surface observations, and selected data experiments for radiosonde and surface data, are conducted for the boreal summer of 1997 and the boreal winter of 1997/1998. The data assimilation system used in this study is remarkably dependent on radiosonde data, which provides information about the three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere. As expected, the impact of radiosonde observations on medium-range forecasts is strongly positive over the Northern Hemisphere and tropics, whereas the satellite system is most beneficial over the Southern Hemisphere. These results are also found in experiments simulating historical changes in observation systems. Over the tropics, assimilation without radiosonde observations generates unbalanced analyses resulting in unrealistic forecasts that must be corrected by the forecast model. Forecasts based on analysis from the observation data before the era of radiosonde observation are found to be less meaningful. In addition, the impacts on forecasts are closely related to the geographical distribution of observation data. The memory of observation data embedded in the analysis tends to persist throughout forecasts. However, cases exist where the effect of forecast error growth is more dominant than that of analysis error, e.g., over East Asia in summer, and where the deficiency in observations is supplemented or the imbalance in analysis is adjusted by the forecast model during the period of forecasts. Forecast error growth may be related to the synoptic correction performed by the data assimilation system. Over data-rich areas, analysis fields are corrected to a greater extent by the data assimilation system than are those over data-poor areas, which can cause the forecast model to produce more forecast errors in medium-range forecasts. It is found that even one month per season is sufficient for forecast skill verification in data impact experiments. Additionally, the use of upper-air observations is found to benefit areas that are downstream of observation data-rich areas.

Sentinel node (SN) biopsy in patients with vulvar cancer: A Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) study

5505 Background: Vulvar cancer is a good target for SN strategy because lymphatic drainage is predictable and the morbidity of regional lymphadenectomy is significant. GOG 173 is a validation study of SN biopsy in a multi-institutional setting. Methods: Eligible patients have squamous carcinoma, nonsuspicious lymph nodes and tumor diameter between 2 cm and 6 cm. No surgeon skill verification was required. Use of radiocolloid for SN identification was an optional adjunct to blue dye until 2001 when it became mandatory. All patients underwent completion inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy. The study goal is to enroll 120 patients with nodal metastases to validate the sensitivity of SN > 88% (which would lead to a false negative predictive rate of <5% assuming the node metastases rate is ≤30%). Results: The study was opened in 12/1999 with 510 patients enrolled from 47 institutions (median = 5; range: 1–78 and 25th-75th percent: 3–14) as of 12/2008. 445 patients have data review completed. Of 403 evaluable patients, the median age was 66.9 years and 92.8% were white. 109 patients (27.1%) had lateralized lesions and unilateral groin dissections and 294 (72.9%) had midline involvement and bilateral dissections, resulting in 697 groins evaluated. SN was successfully identified in 78.8% (67/85) of patients using blue dye only and in 96.2% (306/318) using combination of radiolocalization and blue dye. For 294 patients with midline lesion treated by bilateral dissection, 159 (54.1%) had SN identified on both sides,114 (38.8%) on one side, and 21 (7.1%) not identified on either side. SN identification was successful in 373 (92.6%) patients. Nodal metastases were identified in 117 patients (31.4%). Conclusions: The combination of blue dye and radiocolloid appear superior to blue dye alone. Confirmed results for the entire cohort will be reported. No significant financial relationships to disclose.