Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) pediatric resident training course: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is becoming increasingly crucial in the Pediatric Emergency Department for objective patient examination. However, despite its growing interest and wide-ranging applications, POCUS remains relatively unexplored in general pediatric training and education. Many physicians still find it challenging to comprehend and implement.

METHODS

A theoretical-practical POCUS course for pediatric residents was conducted at the University of Catania, Italy. The course's effectiveness and practical impact on residents was assessed through a pre-post training survey. The first part of the questionnaire focused on the self-perceived time needed to learn how to recognize the following conditions using POCUS: (i) Pleural effusion (ii) Lung consolidation (iii) Pneumothorax (PNX) (iv) Cardiac contractility (v) Pericardial effusion (vi) Perisplenic effusion (vii) Morison's pouch effusion (viii) Douglas' pouch effusion (ix) Filling and collapsibility of the inferior vena cava. In the second part, we compared the potential role of POCUS in (i) Reducing the use of ionizing radiation in children (ii) Increasing the sense of security in diagnosis and treatment decisions making and (iii) Increasing the residents' confidence level with POCUS after the course on a 1-to-10 rating scale.

RESULTS

Seventy-two residents participated in the study. The statistical analysis showed significant pre-post differences in almost all the items considered, except for "cardiac contractility" and "PNX". Furthermore, the perceived potential role of POCUS in reducing ionizing radiation usage and the sense of security in diagnosis and treatment decisions showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) before and after the course. Data analysis also revealed a consistently high confidence level with POCUS after the course.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the importance of including a POCUS track course in pediatric post-graduate programs due to its simplicity, rapid learning time, and clinical usefulness. Based on these findings, it would be recommended to increase the teaching hours dedicated to the recognition of pneumothorax and cardiology POCUS examination. Emphasizing POCUS training in pediatric education can enhance patient care and diagnostic accuracy while minimizing radiation exposure.

An evaluation of an open access iPSC training course: "How to model interstitial lung disease using patient-derived iPSCs"

BACKGROUND

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a group of rare lung diseases with severe outcomes. The COST Innovator Grant aims to establish a first-of-a-kind open-access Biorepository of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and to train researchers in the skills required to generate a robust preclinical model of ILD using these cells. This study aims to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of a training course designed to train researchers in iPSC techniques to model ILD.

METHODS

74 researchers, physicians and stakeholders attended the training course in Dublin in May 2022 with 31 trainees receiving teaching in practical iPSC culturing skills. The training course learners were divided into the Hands-on (16 trainees) and Observer groups (15 trainees), with the Observers attending a supervised live-streamed experience of the laboratories skills directly delivered to the Hands-on group. All participants were asked to participate in an evaluation to analyse their satisfaction and knowledge gained during the Training Course, with means compared using t-tests.

RESULTS

The gender balance in both groups was predominantly females (77.4%). The Hands-on group consisted mainly of researchers (75%), whereas all participants of the Observer group described themselves as clinicians. All participants in the Hands-on group were at least very satisfied with the training course compared to 70% of the participants in the Observer group. The knowledge assessment showed that the Hands-on group retained significantly more knowledge of iPSC characteristics and culturing techniques compared to the Observers (* < 0.05; p = 0.0457). A comprehensive learning video detailing iPSC culturing techniques was produced and is included with this manuscript.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of participants were highly or very satisfied with the training course and retained significant knowledge about iPSC characteristics and culturing techniques after attending the training course. Overall, our findings demonstrate the feasibility of running hybrid Hands-on and Observer teaching events and underscore the importance of this type of training programme to appeal to a broad spectrum of interested clinicians and researchers particularly in rare disease. The long-term implications of this type of training event requires further study to determine its efficacy and impact on adoption of iPSC disease modelling techniques in participants' laboratories.

Identification of critical quality factors and critical satisfaction gaps in emergency training courses for new nurses by the multi-criteria network structure model

OBJECTIVE

To identify critical quality factors and critical satisfaction gaps in emergency training courses for new nurses through a systematic decision-making model.

METHODS

Firstly, the service quality (SERVQUAL) was used in the evaluation index system of this study. Then, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was used to analyze the relationship structure and the corresponding weights between the indicators. Finally, the importance-performance analysis (IPA) method was used to identify the categories of all indicators and the corresponding strategic directions. Fifteen new nurses in Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province were selected as participants in this study.

RESULTS

The IPA results showed that "(C₁₃)," "(C₂₂)," "(C₅₂)," "(C₅₃)," "(C₅₄)," "(C₅₅)," "(C₅₆),"and "(C₅₇)" are critical satisfaction gaps. From the results of influence network and weight, empathy (C₅) was the critical quality factor of the entire training course. The influence network relationship structure and weight had a 98.1% significant confidence level, indicating good stability.

CONCLUSION

Teachers' empathy is key to the learning outcomes of new nurses in emergency nursing training courses. Hence, teachers should be attentive to the empathetic quality of their teaching methods to help new nurses gain knowledge and experience in emergency care, especially when they come from different professions and departments.

The Otolaryngology boot camp: a scoping review evaluating commonalities and appraisal for curriculum design and delivery

OBJECTIVE

Surgical boot camps are becoming increasingly popular in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) residency programs. Despite pioneering virtual reality and simulation-based surgical education, these boot camps have lacked critical appraisal. The objective of this article was to examine the adoption and utility of surgical boot camps in OHNS residency training programs around the world.

DATA SOURCES

Ovid Medline and PubMed databases were systematically searched in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews. Additionally, a grey literature search was performed.

REVIEW METHODS

Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed publications and grey literature sources that reported on OHNS boot camps for the novice learner. The search was restricted to human studies published in English. Studies were excluded if they were not examining junior trainees.

RESULTS

A total of 551 articles were identified. Following removal of duplicates, screening, and full text review, 16 articles were included for analysis. Seven major boot camps were identified across various academic sites in the world. Most boot camps were one-day intensive camps incorporating a mixture of didactic, skill specific, and simulation sessions using an array of task trainers and high-fidelity simulators focusing on OHNS emergencies. Studies measuring trainee outcomes demonstrated improvement in trainee confidence, immediate knowledge, and skill acquisition.

CONCLUSION

Surgical boot camps appear to be an effective tool for short term knowledge and skill acquisition. Further studies should examine retention of skill and maintenance of confidence over longer intervals, as little is known about these lasting effects.

Oral and Subcutaneous Anticancer Therapy Training Course for Non-physician Healthcare Professionals: a Survey Evaluating the Relevance of its Content and its Implications in the Practice of Cancer Care

The creation of antitumor agents with an oral or subcutaneous route of administration has had important positive implications in the development of drugs to treat cancers, but issues such as false drug intake, uncontrolled side effects, and limited supervision may jeopardize the ability of these agents to improve treatment. A potential solution is the recruitment of non-physician healthcare professionals (i.e., nurses and physician assistants) and a special training course for them that focuses on the improvement of patient compliance. We developed and implemented three special professional training modules for non-physician healthcare professionals, which focus on the pharmacological aspects and side effects of oral and subcutaneous antitumor medications in regard to management strategies and communication issues that these non-physician healthcare professionals should address. Subsequently, we administered a questionnaire survey evaluating the course content and the implementation of the course in practice to the training participants to collect data for its implementation. Of 165 questionnaires that were administered, 44 (27%) were answered. The participants rated the course as being highly useful for their daily work. The participants reported a significant improvement in their professional expertise from the course. They emphasized the importance of medical topics and practical content to be included in the course delivery. The course encouraged 75% of the responders to start independent consultations with cancer patients that focused on questions of medication adherence for oral and subcutaneous antitumor medications, as well as the management of their side effects. Based on our results, at least a portion of the non-physician healthcare workforce is highly interested in engaging in active and autonomous co-supervision of patients who are treated with oral and subcutaneous antitumor medications. In addition to the theoretical basics of the treatment modalities, educational courses on oral and subcutaneous antitumor medications for non-physician healthcare professionals should focus on practical training and topics relevant to patient care.

Training types associated with knowledge and experience in public health workers

BACKGROUND

Training non-specialist workers in mental healthcare improves knowledge, attitude, confidence, and recognition of mental illnesses. However, still little information is available on which type of mental health training is important in the improvement of these capacities.

METHODS

We studied web-based survey data of 495 public health workers to examine training types associated with knowledge and experience in supporting individuals with mental illness. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between a lack of knowledge and experience (outcome) and mental health training (exposure). We fitted three regression models. Model 1 evaluated unadjusted associations. Model 2 adjusted for age and sex. Model 3 adjusted for age, sex, years of experience, mental health full-time worker status, and community population. Bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap confidence intervals (CIs) were used.

RESULTS

For all training types, the association between a lack of knowledge and experience and mental health training attenuated as the model developed. In Model 3, a lack of knowledge and experience was significantly associated with training in specific illness (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.32-0.93) and screening and assessment (OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.39-0.99). Non-significant results were produced for training in counseling, psychosocial support, collaborative work, and law and regulation in Model 3.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that the present study provides meaningful information that training in specific illness and screening and assessment may lead to knowledge and experience of public health workers. Further studies should employ a longitudinal design and validated measurements.

Training courses on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to strengthen cross-sectoral care in underserved areas

OBJECTIVE

To strengthen cross-sectoral care by disseminating specialized knowledge about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer across underserved areas.

METHODS

We report on a training course about genetic counseling and testing of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer patients for gynecologists from certified cancer centers. In total, 50 gynecologists attended the course which was offered once annually between 2017 and 2019. Before and after the course, participants were asked to answer a self-assessment questionnaire and completed the training with a multiple-choice test. The results of the self-assessments and knowledge tests were analyzed to steadily improve the training.

RESULTS

The self-assessments imply a perceived increase in certainty regarding the inclusion criteria for specialized genetic counseling, pedigree analysis, and contents of the initial consultation. Both the knowledge tests and self-assessments showed that participants had difficulties in interpreting and differentiating between age-specific and lifetime risks.

CONCLUSION

The courses successfully conveyed knowledge necessary to identify patients at risk and to provide timely genetic analyses even in rural areas.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The results are a promising basis for creating additional training courses addressing specialists in hospitals and gynecological practices. Further education of physicians might improve cross-sectoral cooperation and thereby enable specialized care supply in rural areas.

Implementation of a contextually appropriate pediatric emergency surgical care course in Uganda

BACKGROUND

Low- and middle-income countries like Uganda face a severe shortage of pediatric surgeons. Most children with a surgical emergency are treated by nonspecialist rural providers. We describe the design and implementation of a locally driven, pilot pediatric emergency surgical care course to strengthen skills of these providers. This is the first description of such a course in the current literature.

METHODS

The course was delivered three times from 2018 to 2019. Modules include perioperative management, neonatal emergencies, intestinal emergencies, and trauma. A baseline needs assessment survey was administered. Participants in the second and third courses also took pre and postcourse knowledge-based tests.

RESULTS

Forty-five providers representing multiple cadres participated. Participants most commonly perform hernia/hydrocele repair (17% adjusted rating) in their current practice and are least comfortable managing cleft lip and palate (mean Likert score 1.4 ± 0.9). Equipment shortage was identified as the most significant challenge to delivering pediatric surgical care (24%). Scores on the knowledge tests improved significantly from pre- (55.4% ± 22.4%) to postcourse (71.9% ± 14.0%, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Nonspecialist clinicians are essential to the pediatric surgical workforce in LMICs. Short, targeted training courses can increase provider knowledge about the management of surgical emergencies. The course has spurred local surgical outreach initiatives. Further implementation studies are needed to evaluate the impact of the training.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in cardiac arrest: results of a hands-on training for a simplified TEE protocol

Background

Integration of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with Focused Cardiac Ultrasound (FoCUS) can impact decision-making, assist in the diagnosis of reversible etiologies and help guiding resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest.

Objective

To evaluate the ability of emergency physicians (EPs) to obtain and maintain skills in performing resusTEE after a course with clinical training in the cardiac surgery theatre.

Methods

Ten EPs without previous TEE experience underwent a resusTEE course, based on a 2-h workshop and an 8-h hands-on training. The training was performed in a cardiac surgery theatre tutored by cardiovascular anesthesiologists. The six taught views were mid-esophageal four-chamber (ME4CH), mid-esophageal long axis (MELAX), mid-esophageal two-chamber (ME2CH), mid-esophageal bicaval view (MEbicaval), transgastric short axis (TGSAX) and aorta view (AOview). The EPs were evaluated by a cardiovascular anesthesiologist at the end of the course as well as after 12 weeks according to a standardized evaluation method. Once the course was completed, resusTEE exams, performed by EPs in Emergency Department (ED), were monitored for a 12-week period.

Results

The average assessment of the ten EPs by the tutors was higher than 4 points out of 5, both at the end of the course and after 12 weeks. Probe insertion, acquisition and interpretation of the different views scored on average more than 4 points out of 5 except for TGSAX that showed worsening after 12 weeks. Trainees performed twelve resusTEE exams in ED in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) over 12 weeks after the course. EPs used only four out of six taught views in clinical practice, in the following order of frequency: ME4CH, AOview, MEbicaval and MELAX.

Conclusions

EPs, after a course with clinical training in the cardiac surgery theatre, can successfully acquire and maintain the skills needed to perform resusTEE. However, among the six views learned in the course, EPs used only four of them (ME4CH, MEbicaval, MELAX and AOview).

Standardizing training for Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

PIPAC is a novel mode of intraperitoneal drug delivery for patients with peritoneal cancer (PC). PIPAC is a safe treatment with promising oncological results. Therefore, a structured training program is needed to maintain high standards and to guarantee safe implementation.

METHODS

An international panel of PIPAC experts created by means of a consensus meeting a structured 2-day training course including essential theoretical content and practical exercises. For every module, learning objectives were defined and structured presentations were elaborated. This structured PIPAC training program was then tested in five courses.

RESULTS

The panel consisted of 12 experts from 11 different centres totalling a cumulative experience of 23 PIPAC courses and 1880 PIPAC procedures. The final program was approved by all members of the panel and includes 12 theoretical units (45 min each) and 6 practical units including dry-lab and live surgeries. The panel finalized and approved 21 structured presentations including the latest evidence on PIPAC and covering all mandatory topics. These were organized in 8 modules with clear learning objectives to be tested by 12 multiple-choice questions. Lastly, a structured quantifiable (Likert scale 1-5) course evaluation was created. The new course was successfully tested in five courses with 85 participants. Mean overall satisfaction with the content was rated at 4.79 (±0.5) with at 4.71 (±0.5) and at 4.61 (±0.7), respectively for course length and the balance between theory and practice.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed PIPAC training program contains essential theoretical background and practical training enabling the participants to safely implement PIPAC.

Analysis on external competency assessment for malaria microscopists in China

BACKGROUND

In order to meet the requirement of malaria elimination (ME), three courses of the External Competency Assessment of Malaria Microscopists (ECAMM) were conducted during 2017-2018 in China by facilitators designated by the World Health Organization (WHO-ECAMM). A training course with a model copied from the WHO-ECAMM course was also held a week ahead of ECAMM in March 2018. Thirty-six participants completed these courses and obtained different results.

METHODS

The slide structures, agendas, score calculations, and the levels of certifications of the four courses strictly adhered to the WHO guidelines. All the data were collected in Excel 2016 and analysed in Graphpad Prism5 or SPSS 23. Significant differences were evaluated in Graphpad Prism5 by two-tailed paired t tests between the pre-assessment and final-assessment for each of the four courses, as well as one-way ANOVAs with Kruskal-Wallis tests and Dunn's post hoc tests among the final assessments of the four courses. Correlations between participants' competency results and their ages, years working on malaria, and numbers of malaria cases reported in their provinces were evaluated by bivariate correlations (two-tailed) and linear regression (excluding cases pairwise) in SPSS 23. The Pearson correlation coefficients (r values), P values (two tailed), adjusted R square (Adjusted R2), standardized coefficients (β) and Sig. P values were recorded. The percentages of participants who gave the right answer to each slide (PPS) in the final assessments of the three WHO-ECAMM courses were calculated. Correlation analysis between PPS and parasitaemia (100-2000 parasites/μL) of Plasmodium falciparum slides used in species identification and parasite counting, were also evaluated via bivariate correlations (two-tailed) tests.

RESULTS

Among the 36 participants, 16 participants were certificated as Level 1 (two from NRL), 10 were certified as Level 2 (one from NRL). Within the same course, participants had improved their average scores from pre-assessments to final assessments. The numbers of malaria cases reported in participants' provinces were strongly correlated to their species identification (SI) scores; r = 0.45, P = 0.040, n = 21; r = 0.57, P = 0.001, n = 32; r = 0.56, P = 0.007). The parasitaemia of P. falciparum within 100-2000 parasites/μL was correlated significantly (r = 0.44, P = 0.008, n = 36) with the PPS of all counting slides but not with slides for identification (r = - 0.018, P = 0.93, n = 30).

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis and comparison of participants' competency results not only verified that the model of the WHO-ECAMM course had strong power in improving and assessing microscopists' competencies but also reflected the correlation between decreased numbers of indigenous malaria cases and microscopists' competencies in certain areas in China.

The Effect of Short-Term Training Course by Nurses on Body Image in Patients with Burn Injuries

BACKGROUND

Burn is the fourth most common cause of trauma worldwide and is the fourth among the injuries and surgeries requiring medical care. This study was designed to determine the effect of a short-term training course by nurses on body image in patients with burn injuries.

METHODS

This study was a semi-experimental single-group survey assessing before and after interventions. Totally, 130 subjects (65 women and 65 men) were enrolled. The training course was held in 3 sessions of two hours. The contents of the group training course (a group of 5 people) were in relation to the body image and the factors affecting it, and the ways to improve the body image. The data collection instrument was the satisfaction with appearance scale (SWAP).

RESULTS

The mean scores of the body image of patients before and after the intervention were 49.44±11.39 and 41.63±11.89, respectively. There was a significant difference between the mean scores of body image before and after educational interventions (T=6.013, P≤0.001). The mean score of body image in women before and after intervention was 49.2±10.9 and 41.2±11.65, respectively (T=4.51, P≤0.000). The mean score of body image in men before and after intervention was 49.6±11.89 and 42.07±12.19, respectively (T=4.51, P≤0.000).

CONCLUSION

Short-term courses held by nurses were shown to have a significant role in improving the body image of burn patients.

Randomized community trial on nosocomial infection control educational module for nurses in public hospitals in Yemen: a study protocol

Background

Nosocomial infections remain a global health problem and they are considered as one of the leading causes of increased morbidity and mortality. In-service training courses related to infection control measures can help nurses to make informed and therapeutic decisions which could prevent or reduce the incidence of nosocomial infections. This study protocol is of a hospital-based trial to develop, implement and evaluate an educational module on nosocomial infection control among nurses in public hospitals in Yemen. This study is currently ongoing and at the analysis stage.

Methods

A three-arm single-blinded randomized community hospital-based trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly developed nosocomial infection control educational module among nurses in public hospitals in Yemen. To ensure effective delivery and acquisition of knowledge, the Situated Learning Theory was applied during the course of the intervention. A total of 540 Yemeni in-ward nurses, who had three years nursing diploma and at least a year of working experience in the selected public hospitals were recruited in this study. The hospitals were the unit of randomization whereby eight hospitals were assigned randomly to intervention and waitlist groups. Intervention group-1 (n = 180) received an educational module supported by audio-video CD and a training course for eight weeks. Intervention group-2 (n = 180) was given only the educational module with audio-video CD (without the training course). The waitlist group received no intervention during the period of data collection but they will be given the same training and learning materials after the completion of the study.

Discussion

This study contributes to the lack of a nosocomial infection control educational module for nurses in Yemen. It is hoped that the educational module will serve as an effective approach to increase the nurses’ knowledge and improve their practices regarding nosocomial infection control measures and hence decrease the prevalence of nosocomial infections in the future.

Trial registration

ID: ISRCTN19992640, Date of registration: 20/6/2017. This study protocol was retrospectively registered.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12912-019-0333-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Participation in group-based physical activity programmes for adults in Germany and associated factors: data from a nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

Characteristics of different participation groups can provide important information to increase participation in group-based physical activity programmes (GPAPs). This study examined four types of participation in GPAPs and the factors that characterised these participant groups.

METHODS

The present sample comprised 3219 participants. The analyses were based on data from the 'German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults' (t1) conducted in 2009-2011, which included 3959 people who had participated in the 'German National Health Interview and Examination Survey 1998' (t0). The outcome variable was participation in GPAPs, classified in four groups: 'once at t1' (participation only at t1), 'twice' (participation at t0 and t1), 'once at t0' (participation only at t0) and 'no' (no participation). Predictor variables were sex, age, educational level, income, sports activity, self-rated health and counselling for physical activity, measured at t0 and t1. Frequencies with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each group were calculated. Four stepwise logistic regression models with estimated odds ratios (OR) were used to determine group differences.

RESULTS

The largest participant group was 'no' (80.8%). Among those who participated in GPAPs, the 'once at t1' group was the largest (13.1%), followed by the 'once at t0' (4.0%) and 'twice' (2.1%) groups. 'Once at t1' participation was associated with female sex (OR 2.58), being active in sports (OR 6.59), a high level of education (OR 1.88). If additionally health status and the physician's counselling are included into the models, then having fair/poor/very poor health (OR 1.71) and having had physician counselling on physical activity (OR 2.50) are relevant factors. For 'twice' participation, being female (OR 5.19) and practising sports (OR 4.51) were predictors.

CONCLUSIONS

GPAPs should be tailored to build on previous experience of sports activities and to reach men as well as people with low education, groups that have been the least reached. To reach more people and encourage participation in GPAPs, providing opportunity for physician counselling for physical activity may be promising, especially with groups of poorer health.

The Pros and Comms of Gene Sequencing

Full-gene sequencing undoubtedly comes with its pluses and its minuses. In this article, the authors aim to weigh up the pros and cons not only from the point of view of the patient but also in view of the doctor's possible perspective. Either party may be for or against it for a variety of reasons - for example, a fear of knowing too much on the part of the patient, and concerns about possible over-treatment on the part of the healthcare professional. One thing is certain: the possibility of full-gene sequencing is here and here to stay. At the very least, doctors need to make patients aware of their options, while offering balanced advice.

THISTLE: trial of hands-on Interprofessional simulation training for local emergencies: a research protocol for a stepped-wedge clustered randomised controlled trial

Background

Many adverse pregnancy outcomes in the UK could be prevented with better intrapartum care. Training for intrapartum emergencies has been widely recommended but there are conflicting data about their effectiveness. Observational studies have shown sustained local improvements in perinatal outcomes associated with the use of the PRactical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training – (PROMPT) training package. However this effect needs to be investigated in the context of randomised study design in settings other than enthusiastic early adopter single-centres. The main aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of PROMPT to reduce the rate of term infants born with low APGAR scores.

Methods

THISTLE (Trial of Hands-on Interprofessional Simulation Training for Local Emergencies) is a multi-centre stepped-wedge clustered randomised controlled superiority trial conducted across 12 large Maternity Units in Scotland. On the basis of prior observational findings all Units have been offered the intervention and have been randomly allocated in groups of four Units, to one of three intervention time periods, each six months apart.

Teams of four multi-professional clinicians from each participating Unit attended a two-day PROMPT Train the Trainers (T3) programme prior to the start of their allocated intervention step. Following the T3 training, the teams commenced the implementation of local intrapartum emergency training in their own Units by the start of their allocated intervention period. Blinding has not been possible due to the nature of the intervention. The aim of the study is to follow up each Unit for at least 12-months after they have commenced their local courses.

The primary outcome for the study is the proportion of Apgar scores <7 at 5 min for term vaginal or emergency caesarean section births (≥37 weeks) occurring in each of the study Units. These data will be extracted from the Information Services Division Scottish Morbidity Record 02, a national routine data collection on pregnancy and births. Mixed or marginal logistic regression will be employed for the main analysis.

Discussion

THISTLE is the first stepped wedge cluster randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an intrapartum emergencies training programme. The results will inform training, trainers and policy going forward.

Trial registration

ISRCTN11640515 (registered on 09/09/2013).

Building capacity for information and communication technology use in global health research and training in China: a qualitative study among Chinese health sciences faculty members

Background

The demand to use information and communications technology (ICT) in education and research has grown fast among researchers and educators working in global health. However, access to ICT resources and the capacity to use them in global health research remains limited among developing country faculty members. In order to address the global health needs and to design an ICT-related training course, we herein explored the Chinese health science faculty members’ perceptions and learning needs for ICT use.

Methods

Nine focus groups discussions (FGDs) were conducted during December 2015 to March 2016, involving 63 faculty members working in areas of health sciences from six universities in China. All FGDs were audio recorded and analysed thematically.

Results

The findings suggest that the understandings of ICT were not clear among many researchers; some thought that the concept of ICT was too wide and ambiguous. Most participants were able to cite examples of ICT application in their research and teaching activities. Positive attitudes and high needs of ICT use and training were common among most participants. Recommendations for ICT training included customised training programmes focusing on a specific specialty, maintaining a balance between theories and practical applications, more emphasis on the application of ICT, and skills in finding the required information from the bulk information available in the internet. Suggestions regarding the format and offering of training included short training programmes, flexible timing, lectures with practicum opportunities, and free of charge or with very minimal cost to the participants. Two participants suggested the linking of ICT-related training courses with faculty members’ year-end assessment and promotion.

Conclusions

This study among health sciences faculty members in China demonstrated a high level of need and interest in learning about ICT use in research and training. The results have important implications for the design and implementation of ICT-related educational programmes in China and other developing countries.

[Current status of teaching in lung ultrasound : Query of knowledge, utilization, need, and preferred teaching method]

BACKGROUND

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a point-of-care technique which can quickly identify or rule out pathological findings. To date, it is unclear if knowledge about the use of LUS is readily available.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to identify how much knowledge about the use of LUS is present, if there is a need for teaching in LUS, as well as the preferred teaching method in LUS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 54 participants from two university departments of anesthesiology were randomized into the groups Online, Classroom, and Control. The Online group was taught by videos, the Classroom group by a traditional lecture with hands-on training, and the Control group was not taught at all. We conducted a pre- and posttest as well as a retention test 4 weeks after the end of the study by means of a survey (comparison with Mann-Whitney U test or t‑test, respectively, with p < 0.05 considered to be significant).

RESULTS

LUS is used "rarely" or "never", and mainly if there is a suspicion for pleural effusion (41.3%). There is a need for LUS (Online: 21.7%; Classroom: 60.9%; Control: 62.5%, p < 0.05). Hybrid teaching consisting of classroom-based and online-based teaching is preferred by the users (Online: 52.2%; Classroom: 56.5%; Control: 62.5%). At the end of the study, 32.6% of the participants of the intervention groups had used LUS in the diagnosis of a pneumothorax. Of the participants, 93.5% planned to use LUS more often in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

LUS is rarely used. There is a considerable need for teaching of LUS. Internet-based teaching and traditional lectures are considered equal. Both teaching methods improve the knowledge about LUS and lead to increased use of LUS in daily practice. The participants prefer hybrid teaching incorporating both teaching methods.

A Training Course for Psychologists: Learning to Assess (Alleged) Sexual Abuse Among Victims and Perpetrators Who Have Intellectual Disabilities

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at greater risk of being a victim of sexual abuse and may also be more predisposed to perpetrating sexual abuse. Although the prevalence of sexual abuse among people with ID is difficult to determine, it is clear that there are serious consequences for both victims and perpetrators, and professional support is needed. Psychologists play an important role in the assessment of sexual abuse in both victims and perpetrators and require specific knowledge and skills to execute the assessments. We therefore developed a training course for psychologists aimed at increasing their (applied) knowledge of sexual abuse and the related assessment process in people with ID. In a five-day training course, sessions focusing on theories about diagnostic models were combined with sessions focusing on the assessment of sexual abuse of victims and perpetrators. The effectiveness of the training course was determined in terms of (applied) knowledge via the administration of a study-specific questionnaire including a hypothetical case vignette before, immediately after, and six months after completion of the course. The results show that the knowledge of the psychologists related to sexual abuse and the assessment process for sexual abuse increased significantly, and remained above pre-test level at six-month follow-up. These results are promising, but more research is needed to see if the increased (applied) knowledge in turn leads to application in practice and better care for both victims and perpetrators.

[Analysis of demands of African students for China-Africa malaria prevention training]

OBJECTIVE

To understand the demands of African students on the China-Africa malaria prevention training programs as well as explore further suggestions on the student selection and course content design.

METHODS

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted, and all the students who attended in the malaria prevention training courses in 2014 and 2015 were included. The Chi-square test was conducted to analyse the correlations between professional backgrounds, work statues and training needs.

RESULTS

A total of 161 individuals were sampled eventually. These participants were trained in either English (58.4%) or French (41.6%). Most of the participants were male (69.3%), the major of them were mainly clinical technology specialty (40.0%), and most of them worked in malaria area within 10 years (56.4%). Moreover, 48.2% of the participants used more than 76% of total work time on malaria control, and more than 80% worked in national or provincial/municipal level. The working areas of these participants were focused on clinical field (41.4%) and official field (29.9%), and only a few of them were from research positions (11.9%). The most needed course content in malaria training was strategy and epidemiology knowledge for malaria prevention and control (65.5%), while clinical workers were most needed to be trained (39.2%). The participants who came from French speaking countries preferred strategy training (χ² = 12.528, P < 0.01), and those worked in the national level were aslo more likely to choose strategies training course (χ² = 10.508, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Currently, the China-Africa malaria prevention training programs could basically satisfy African students'needs. However, more aimed courses should be designed according to their professional backgrounds, national situation, work experiences on malaria control, and institutional levels.

A training course for experts in diabetology in primary care

In the Netherlands so-called Diabetes Care Groups organize the primary diabetes care centrally with delegation to different health care providers. A training course for general practitioners who would like to become experts in diabetology in the primary care setting meets the need to guide the quality management processes in these care groups.

Mental health training program for community mental health staff in Guangzhou, China: effects on knowledge of mental illness and stigma

BACKGROUND

In order to reduce the huge treatment gap in mental health, WHO has called for integrating mental health into primary care. The purposes of this study are to provide a training course to improve the community mental health staff's knowledge of mental health and reduce stigma related to mental illness, as well as to evaluate the impact of this training on knowledge and stigma.

METHODS

The training intervention was a one day course for community mental health staff in Guangzhou, China. Evaluation questionnaires were given before and after the training session. Mental health knowledge was assessed using two vignettes. Stigma was evaluated by the Mental Illness: Clinicians' Attitudes Scale (MICA) and the Reported and Intended Behavior Scale (RIBS).

RESULTS

A total of 99 community mental health staff from eight regions in Guangzhou, China were recruited for the study. The training course did not lead to a significant improvement of participants' levels of mental health knowledge. The mean score of MICA decreased from 47.92 ± 8.63 to 43.53 ± 9.61 after the training (t = 6.64, P < 0.001). As for the RIBS, the mean scores increased from (14.12 ± 3.90) to (15.38 ± 3.41) at post-test (t = -5.44, P < 0.001), indicating a significant improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this study show that the training course is an effective way to improve community mental health staff's attitudes toward people with mental illness in the short term, as well as to lessen the social distance between staff and people with mental illness.

Basic life support training for single rescuers efficiently augments their willingness to make early emergency calls with no available help: a cross-over questionnaire survey

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of basic life support (BLS) training on willingness of single rescuers to make emergency calls during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) with no available help from others.

METHODS

A cross-over questionnaire survey was conducted with two questionnaires. Questionnaires were administered before and after two BLS courses in fire departments. One questionnaire included two scenarios which simulate OHCAs occurring in situations where help from other rescuers is available (Scenario-M) and not available (Scenario-S). The conventional BLS course was designed for multiple rescuers (Course-M), and the other was designed for single rescuers (Course-S).

RESULTS

Of 2,312 respondents, 2,218 (95.9%) answered all questions and were included in the analysis. Although both Course-M and Course-S significantly augmented willingness to make early emergency calls not only in Scenario-M but also in Scenario-S, the willingness for Scenario-M after training course was significantly higher in respondents of Course-S than in those of Course-M (odds ratio 1.706, 95% confidential interval 1.301-2.237). Multiple logistic regression analysis for Scenario-M disclosed that post training (adjusted odds ratio 11.6, 95% confidence interval 7.84-18.0), age (0.99, 0.98-0.99), male gender (1.77, 1.39-2.24), prior BLS experience of at least three times (1.46, 1.25-2.59), and time passed since most recent training during 3 years or less (1.80, 1.25-2.59) were independently associated with willingness to make early emergency calls and that type of BLS course was not independently associated with willingness. Therefore, both Course-M and Course-S similarly augmented willingness in Scenario-M. However, in multiple logistic regression analyses for Scenario-S, Course-S was independently associated with willingness to make early emergency calls in Scenario-S (1.26, 1.00-1.57), indicating that Course-S more efficiently augmented willingness. Moreover, post training (2.30, 1.86-2.83) and male gender (1.26, 1.02-1.57) were other independent factors associated with willingness in Scenario-S.

CONCLUSIONS

BLS courses designed for single rescuers with no help available from others are likely to augment willingness to make early emergency calls more efficiently than conventional BLS courses designed for multiple rescuers.