Assessment of professional competencies of Peruvian physicians: A scoping review of published studies.

INTRODUCTION: Evaluating the professional competencies of Peruvian doctors is crucial for proposing necessary improvements. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the specific characteristics and competencies that are assessed in these studies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to characterize published studies focusing on the assessment of professional competencies among physicians in Peru. METHODS: A comprehensive scoping review was conducted, encompassing scientific journal publications that evaluated the professional competencies of physicians in Peru. The search was performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and SciELO, with the review period extending until 2022. The identified competencies were classified using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Ministry of Health of Peru (MINSA) frameworks. The findings were presented using absolute and relative frequency measures. RESULTS: A total of forty-nine studies focused on the assessment of professional competencies among physicians were identified, indicating an upward trend over the years. The primary focus of these studies was on evaluating competencies related to medical knowledge (79.6% according to ACGME classification) and the treatment of health problems (57.1% according to MINSA classification). However, there was a noticeable lack of emphasis on assessing behavioral competencies such as ethics, professionalism, and communication. Most of the included studies (65.3%) were exclusively conducted in Lima. Among the studies that disclosed their funding sources, 61% were self-funded. CONCLUSION: Most studies primarily concentrated on evaluating knowledge-based competencies, specifically in the areas of diagnosis and treatment. There is a scarcity of studies assessing other important competencies. Additionally, centralization and limited funding appear to be areas that require improvement in the evaluation of professional competencies among Peruvian physicians.

Immune responses in COVID-19 and tuberculosis coinfection: A scoping review.

Background and aim: Patients with COVID-19 and tuberculosis coinfection are at an increased risk of severe disease and death. We therefore sought to evaluate the current evidence which assessed the immune response in COVID-19 and tuberculosis coinfection. Methods: We searched Pubmed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify articles published between 2020 and 2021. We included observational studies evaluating the immune response in patients with tuberculosis and COVID-19 compared to patients with COVID-19 alone. Results: Four cross-sectional studies (372 participants) were identified. In patients with asymptomatic COVID-19 and latent tuberculosis (LTBI), increased cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and humoral responses were found. In addition, patients with symptomatic COVID-19 and LTBI had higher leukocytes counts and less inflammation. Regarding patients with COVID-19 and active tuberculosis (aTB), they exhibited decreased total lymphocyte counts, CD4 T cells specific against SARS-CoV-2 and responsiveness to SARS-CoV-2 antigens compared to patients with only COVID-19. Conclusion: Although the evidence is limited, an apparent positive immunomodulation is observed in patients with COVID-19 and LTBI. On the other hand, patients with COVID-19 and aTB present a dysregulated immune response. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and expand knowledge.

Revalidation of an ultra-short scale for the measurement of perceived job security in Latin America. / Revalidación de escala ultracorta para la medición de la seguridad percibida para conservar el trabajo en Latinoamérica.

Introduction: Due to the measures imposed by governments to reduce the spread of this new virus, the economic sector was one of the most affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several labor sectors had to undergo a virtual adaptation process resulting in job instability and job loss. The objective of this study was to revalidate an ultra-short scale for measuring perceived job security in Latin America. Methods: A revalidation study was done on a short scale that measures worker's perceived security about losing or keeping their job in the near future. Results: The four items remained on the revalidated scale, where all four explained a single factor. The goodness-of-fit measures confirmed the single-factor model (χ: 7.06; df: 2; p = 0.29; mean square error: 0.015; goodness-of-fit index: 0.998; adjusted goodness-of-fit index: 0.991; comparative fit index: 0.999; Tucker-Lewis index: 0.997; normalized fit index: 0.998; incremental fit index: 0.999; and root mean square error of approximation: 0.036). The scale's reliability was calculated using McDonald's omega coefficient, obtaining an overall result of ω = 0.72. Conclusions: The scale was correctly revalidated in Latin America, and the four items were kept in a single reliable factor.

Introducción: El sector económico fue uno de los más afectados durante la pandemia de COVID-19, debido a las medidas impuestas por los gobiernos para reducir la propagación de este nuevo virus. En consecuencia, varios sectores laborales tuvieron que pasar por un proceso de adaptación virtual, resultando en la inestabilidad o pérdida de empleos. El objetivo fue revalidar una escala ultra corta para la medición de la seguridad percibida para conservar el trabajo en Latinoamérica. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de validación de una escala corta que mide la seguridad percibida por el trabajador acerca de poder perder o mantener su trabajo en un corto tiempo. Resultados: Los cuatro ítems se mantuvieron en la escala revalidada, también estuvieron en un único factor. Los índices de bondad de ajuste confirmaron dicho factor único: χ2: 7,06; df: 2; p = 0,29; junto a los índices de error de cuadrático medio: 0,015; de bondad de ajuste: 0,998; ajustado de bondad de ajuste: 0,991; de ajuste comparativo: 0,999; de Tucker-Lewis: 0,997; de ajuste normalizado: 0,998; de ajuste incremental: 0,999 y el error cuadrático medio de aproximación: 0,036. En todo momento se mostró un ajuste adecuado. Posterior a eso se midió la confiabilidad, la cual se calculó con el coeficiente de Ω de McDonald, obteniendo un resultado de 0,72.

Revalidación de escala ultracorta para la medición de la seguridad percibida para conservar el trabajo en Latinoamérica / Revalidation of an ultra-short scale for the measurement of perceived job security in Latin America

Introducción El sector económico fue uno de los más afectados durante la pandemia de COVID-19, debido a las medidas impuestas por los gobiernos para reducir la propagación de este nuevo virus. En consecuencia, varios sectores laborales tuvieron que pasar por un proceso de adaptación virtual, resultando en la inestabilidad o pérdida de empleos. El objetivo fue revalidar una escala ultra corta para la medición de la seguridad percibida para conservar el trabajo en Latinoamérica. Métodos Se realizó un estudio de validación de una escala corta que mide la seguridad percibida por el trabajador acerca de poder perder o mantener su trabajo en un corto tiempo. Resultados Los cuatro ítems se mantuvieron en la escala revalidada, también estuvieron en un único factor. Los índices de bondad de ajuste confirmaron dicho factor único: χ2: 7,06; df: 2; p = 0,29; junto a los índices de error de cuadrático medio: 0,015; de bondad de ajuste: 0,998; ajustado de bondad de ajuste: 0,991; de ajuste comparativo: 0,999; de Tucker-Lewis: 0,997; de ajuste normalizado: 0,998; de ajuste incremental: 0,999 y el error cuadrático medio de aproximación: 0,036. En todo momento se mostró un ajuste adecuado. Posterior a eso se midió la confiabilidad, la cual se calculó con el coeficiente de Ω de McDonald, obteniendo un resultado de 0,72. Conclusiones La escala se revalidó de forma correcta en Latinoamérica y se mantuvieron los cuatro ítems en un único factor, siendo fiable.

Introduction Due to the measures imposed by governments to reduce the spread of this new virus, the economic sector was one of the most affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several labor sectors had to undergo a virtual adaptation process resulting in job instability and job loss. The objective of this study was to revalidate an ultra-short scale for measuring perceived job security in Latin America. Methods A revalidation study was done on a short scale that measures worker's perceived security about losing or keeping their job in the near future. Results The four items remained on the revalidated scale, where all four explained a single factor. The goodness-of-fit measures confirmed the single-factor model (χ: 7.06; df: 2; p = 0.29; mean square error: 0.015; goodness-of-fit index: 0.998; adjusted goodness-of-fit index: 0.991; comparative fit index: 0.999; Tucker-Lewis index: 0.997; normalized fit index: 0.998; incremental fit index: 0.999; and root mean square error of approximation: 0.036). The scale's reliability was calculated using McDonald's omega coefficient, obtaining an overall result of ω = 0.72. Conclusions The scale was correctly revalidated in Latin America, and the four items were kept in a single reliable factor.