Why the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Has Failed to Effectively Fund Workforce Development for the Indian Health Service.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) faces severe workforce shortages due to underfunding and underdevelopment of clinical training programs. Unlike other direct federal health care systems that have implemented clinical training paradigms as central parts of their success, the IHS has no formalized process for developing such programs internally or in partnership with academic institutions. While the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) authorizes mechanisms by which the IHS can support overall workforce development, a critical portion of the act (U.S. Code 1616p) intended for developing clinical training programs within the agency remains unfunded. Here, we review the funding challenges of the IHCIA, as well as its authorized and funded workforce development programs that have only partially addressed workforce shortages. We propose that through additional funding to 1616p, the IHS could implement clinical training programs needed to prepare a larger workforce more capable of meeting the needs of American Indian/Alaska Native communities.

Testing telediagnostic obstetric ultrasound in Peru: a new horizon in expanding access to prenatal ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Ninety-four percent of all maternal deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and the majority are preventable. Access to quality Obstetric ultrasound can identify some complications leading to maternal and neonatal/perinatal mortality or morbidity and may allow timely referral to higher-resource centers. However, there are significant global inequalities in access to imaging and many challenges to deploying ultrasound to rural areas. In this study, we tested a novel, innovative Obstetric telediagnostic ultrasound system in which the imaging acquisitions are obtained by an operator without prior ultrasound experience using simple scan protocols based only on external body landmarks and uploaded using low-bandwidth internet for asynchronous remote interpretation by an off-site specialist. METHODS: This is a single-center pilot study. A nurse and care technician underwent 8 h of training on the telediagnostic system. Subsequently, 126 patients (68 second trimester and 58 third trimester) were recruited at a health center in Lima, Peru and scanned by these ultrasound-naïve operators. The imaging acquisitions were uploaded by the telemedicine platform and interpreted remotely in the United States. Comparison of telediagnostic imaging was made to a concurrently performed standard of care ultrasound obtained and interpreted by an experienced attending radiologist. Cohen's Kappa was used to test agreement between categorical variables. Intraclass correlation and Bland-Altman plots were used to test agreement between continuous variables. RESULTS: Obstetric ultrasound telediagnosis showed excellent agreement with standard of care ultrasound allowing the identification of number of fetuses (100% agreement), fetal presentation (95.8% agreement, κ =0.78 (p < 0.0001)), placental location (85.6% agreement, κ =0.74 (p < 0.0001)), and assessment of normal/abnormal amniotic fluid volume (99.2% agreement) with sensitivity and specificity > 95% for all variables. Intraclass correlation was good or excellent for all fetal biometric measurements (0.81-0.95). The majority (88.5%) of second trimester ultrasound exam biometry measurements produced dating within 14 days of standard of care ultrasound. CONCLUSION: This Obstetric ultrasound telediagnostic system is a promising means to increase access to diagnostic Obstetric ultrasound in low-resource settings. The telediagnostic system demonstrated excellent agreement with standard of care ultrasound. Fetal biometric measurements were acceptable for use in the detection of gross discrepancies in fetal size requiring further follow up.

London 2017: Lessons learned in transfusion emergency planning.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hospitals prepare for emergencies, but the impact on transfusion staff is rarely discussed. We describe the transfusion response to four major incidents (MIs) during a 6-month period. Three events were due to terrorist attacks, and the fourth was the Grenfell Tower fire. The aim of this paper was to share the practical lessons identified. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of four MIs in 2017 using patient administration systems, MI documentation and post-incident debriefs. Blood issue, usage and adverse events during the four activation periods were identified using the Laboratory Information Management System (TelePath). RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were admitted (18 P1, 4 P2, 11 P3 and 1 dead). Forty-five blood samples were received: 24 related to nine MI P1 patients. Four P1s received blood components, three with trauma and one with burns, and 35 components were issued. Total components used were six red blood cells (RBC), six fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and two cryoprecipitate pools. Early lessons identified included sample labelling errors (4/24). Errors resolved following the deployment of transfusion staff within the emergency department. Components were over-ordered, leading to time-expiry wastage of platelets. Careful staff management ensured continuity of transfusion services beyond the immediate response period. Debriefing sessions provided staff with support and enabled lessons to be shared. CONCLUSIONS: Transfusion teams were involved in repeated incidents. The demand for blood was minimal. Workload was related to sample handling rather than component issue. A shared situational awareness would improve stock management. A laboratory debriefing system offered valuable feedback for service improvement, staff training and support.

The Academic Fellowship in Physician Assistant Education.

The rapid growth of the physician assistant (PA) profession has required PA programs to increase their efforts in the recruitment and retention of experienced faculty. One approach was the establishment of the academic fellowship concept in 1998. Since then, 5 PA programs have designed fellowships, 3 of which were implemented and graduated fellows. To institute and develop an academic fellowship takes time, resources, and buy-in from faculty and students. The structure of the curricula within the fellowships has been similar since 1998 and includes faculty development opportunities, lecture development and delivery, student assessment, small group facilitation, interprofessional education, and committee work. Most fellowship-trained educators have entered faculty positions after completion of their fellowship. They appear to use sound educational strategies in their teaching and are successful in their scholarly productivity. Academic fellowships are just one route in the transition to PA education, and while they may require a significant investment from the sponsoring institution and program, they can provide a unique opportunity for PAs to immerse themselves in the faculty experience before the full commitment to a career change.

[Contingency plan for the intensive care services for the COVID-19 pandemic]. / Plan de contingencia para los servicios de medicina intensiva frente a la pandemia COVID-19.

In January 2020, the Chinese authorities identified a new virus of the Coronaviridae family as the cause of several cases of pneumonia of unknown aetiology. The outbreak was initially confined to Wuhan City, but then spread outside Chinese borders. On 31 January 2020, the first case was declared in Spain. On 11 March 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. On 16 March 2020, there were 139 countries affected. In this situation, the Scientific Societies SEMICYUC and SEEIUC have decided to draw up this Contingency Plan to guide the response of the Intensive Care Services. The objectives of this plan are to estimate the magnitude of the problem and identify the necessary human and material resources. This is to provide the Spanish Intensive Medicine Services with a tool to programme optimal response strategies.

Job satisfaction of staff in agencies for disease prevention and control in Hainan Province, China.

This study done in Hainan from March 2017 to June aimed to assess job satisfaction status and influencing factors among the staff of agencies for disease prevention and control in Hainan Province. A questionnaire survey was administered to some staff members at 6 centers for disease control and prevention in Hainan Province, job satisfaction in the questionnaire was rated on a 5-points Likert scale (totally agree, agree, not sure, disagree, totally disagree). The average score of job satisfaction for the six centers was 3.35±0.77, which was relatively low. According to the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, job satisfaction showed significant differences among different job titles (P <0.05). Logistic regression showed that the factors influencing job satisfaction were personal development space, rulesand regulations in CDC, personal safety, public health system, and workload. The factors influencing the staff's satisfaction are personal development space, rules and regulations in CDC, personal safety, public health system and workload.

NurseTRUST: A Leadership Model for Advancing Population Health.

An interview with one of the current leaders for NurseTRUST tells the story of a newly formed organization to advance nursing leadership to address population health. The vision has always been to prepare nurse leaders for advanced positions in senior leadership roles in healthcare. The RWJ-Nurse Executive Fellowship created national leaders to influence population health. The postprogram Fellows are leveraging this design for the next generation of leaders through the NurseTRUST organization. The network of trusted colleagues can address emerging issues with their national colleagues who are leaders in their field while mentoring the next generation of nurse leaders.

Working well: strategies to strengthen the workforce of the Indigenous primary healthcare sector.

BACKGROUND: The capacity of the Indigenous primary healthcare (PHC) sector to continue playing a crucial role in meeting the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is in large part reliant on the skills, motivation and experience of its workforce. While exhibiting many workforce strengths, the sector faces significant challenges in building and maintaining a strong and stable workforce. Drawing on data from one Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS), this study reports what is working well and what could be improved to strengthen the Indigenous PHC sector workforce. METHODS: Using grounded theory methods, interviews with 17 ACCHS staff from a range of organisational positions were transcribed, coded and analysed. This paper focuses on the strategies identified that contribute towards strengthening the Indigenous PHC workforce. RESULTS: Four overarching strategies for Indigenous PHC workforce strengthening were identified. These were Strengthening Workforce Stability, Having Strong Leadership, Growing Capacity, and Working Well Together. A range of enabling factors at the macro, community, organisational and individual levels were also identified. CONCLUSION: Indigenous PHC services are already implementing many important workforce-development strategies that are having a positive impact on the sector. There are also several persistent challenges which need to be addressed through action at organisational and structural levels. Approaches to workforce strengthening in Indigenous PHC should be tailored to local needs to ensure they address the unique workforce challenges experienced in different contexts.

Factores que limitan la gestión organizacional del proceso de formación doctoral en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas / Factors affecting the organizational management of the doctoral training at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas

RESUMEN Introducción: la formación doctoral es el núcleo integrador no solo de los procesos sustantivos universitarios (docencia, investigación y extensión) sino de las diferentes formas de postgrado y garante de la calidad universitaria y, especialmente, de los egresados de la educación superior. Objetivos: identificar los factores que limitan la gestión del proceso de formación doctoral en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas. Material y métodos: se realizó la presente investigación en el área de postgrado y Ciencia e Innovación Tecnológica con un enfoque cualitativo. Se emplearon métodos empíricos y teóricos de investigación, así como integración de métodos cuantitativos-cualitativos y técnicas (grupos de especialistas, lluvia de ideas, matriz de ponderación de impactos), cuyos resultados fueron triangulados para realizar las valoraciones finales. Resultados: se identificaron las principales barreras que limitan la gestión del proceso de formación doctoral en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas determinando como tal: inadecuado funcionamiento de los Consejos Científicos, deficiente claustro de profesores, pobre disponibilidad de los tutores necesarios para el desarrollo de la actividad, insuficiente organización de la Ciencia y Técnica, poca importancia conferida por los directivos a la obtención de la categoría científica. Conclusiones: las principales barreras que limitan la gestión del proceso de formación doctoral en la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas fueron identificadas.

ABSTRACT Introduction: The doctorate training is not only the integrating kernel of the substantive university processes (teaching, research and extension) but also of the different postgraduate activities and guaranty of the university quality, especially of the high education graduates. Objective: to identify the factors affecting the management process of the doctorate training at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas. Materials and methods: the following qualitative research was made in the area of Postgraduate Studies and Science and Technology Innovation. Research empiric and theoretical methods were used, and also the integration of the quantitative-qualitative methods and techniques (groups of specialists, brain storm, and impact ranking matrix), with triangulation of results for the final valuations. Results: there were identified the main barriers limiting the management of the doctoral training at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas. They were: 1. inadequate performance of the Scientific Councils; 2. deficient teaching staff; 3. poor availability of the necessary tutors for the development of the activity; 4. insufficient organization of the Science and Technique; 5. the management staff confers few importance to obtaining the scientific category. Conclusions: the main barriers limiting the management process of the doctoral training at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas were identified.

A 360-degree assessment of teaching effectiveness using a structured-videorecorded observed teaching exercise for faculty development.

BACKGROUND: Filming teaching sessions were reported in the medical literature in the 1980s and 1990s but appear to have been an underreported and/or underutilized teaching tool since that time. National faculty development programs, such as the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI) Program for Educators in Health Professions and the Stanford Faculty Development Center for Medical Teachers program, have attempted to bridge this gap in formal instruction in teaching skills through microteaching sessions involving videos for self- and peer-assessment and feedback. OBJECTIVE: Current video-feedback faculty development initiatives are time intensive and impractical to implement broadly at an institutional level. Further, results of peer feedback have not been frequently reported in the literature at the institutional level. Our research aims to propose a convenient and effective process for incorporating video analysis into faculty devleopment programs. DESIGN: Our work describes a novel technique using video-recorded, simulated teaching exercises to compile multi-dimensional feedback as an aid in faculty development programs that promote teaching-skill development. This research evaluated the effectiveness of a focused teaching practicum designed for faculty in multiple specialty departments with large numbers of older patients into a geriatrics-based faculty development program. Effectiveness of the practicum is evaluated using quantitative scoring and qualitative analysis of self-reflection as well as peer and trainee input. RESULTS: VOTE sessions demonstrate an important exportable product which enable faculty to receive a detailed 360-degree assessment of their teaching. CONCLUSION: This intervention can be easily replicated and revised, as needed, to fit into the educational curriculum at other academic medical centers.

Healthcare educational leadership in the twenty-first century.

Education leadership has to intimately lead our future champions of students and nurture them as professional, dynamic, reflective scholars to deal with the complex world of healthcare in a post-truth era. In addition the organization structure needs to develop faculty from clinical and educational supervisors through to program directors and Deans. Leadership theories have taken over from the previous decades of teaching on management. The current dogma is intransigent, and produces silos such as leadership and followership or leaders and managers as class differences which reinforces the obdurate and narrow-minded approach. This contradicts the open society of creating change agents, critical thinkers, and scholars of the conceptual age of post modernity who in a knowledge based economy need to take our world forward. Additionally healthcare is rapidly becoming unaffordable as returns on GDP investment do not give the returns that we as patients and tax payers need. There is the obvious waste of people and funding on constant reorganizations and short-term thinking. This reflects the sort of leaders and organizations we are developing and how decisions are made. This paper through ideas confronts the myths and flaws of current leadership teaching in an education framework. It makes the case for innovative, creative, adroit, adept, experiential learners who can see the bigger picture, avoid harm and be able to cope with complexity and uncertainty, thereby creating a paradigm shift so that future leaders can problem solve, through the ongoing seismic changes that healthcare faces.

Applied Epidemiology Training Needs for the Modern Epidemiologist.

Applied epidemiology training occurs throughout an epidemiologist's career, beginning with academic instruction before workforce entry, continuing as professional development while working, and culminating with mentoring the next generation. Epidemiologists need ongoing training on advancements in the field and relevant topics (e.g., informatics, laboratory science, emerging topics) to maintain and improve their skills. Even epidemiologists with advanced skills often want training on methodologic innovations or to practice a skill. Effective applied epidemiology training includes blended learning components of instruction that incorporate hands-on experiences such as simulations and experiential learning, allowing for real-time workflows and incorporation of feedback. To prepare epidemiologists for the future, public health training courses in applied epidemiology must consider the evolution in public health toward a focus on including informatics, technologic innovation, molecular epidemiology, multidisciplinary teams, delivery of population health services, and global health security. Supporting efforts by epidemiologists to increase their skills as part of their career paths ensures a strong workforce that able to tackle public health issues. We explore how to meet current training challenges for the epidemiology workforce, especially given limited resources, based on research and our experience in workforce development across federal agencies and state/local health departments, as well as with international governments and organizations.

Prioritizing Workforce Development Training in State Health Departments Using TRAIN: Challenges and Opportunities.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were (1) to obtain data on the current status of public health workforce training and the use of the Training Finder Real-Time Affiliate Network (TRAIN), a public health learning management platform, in state health departments, and (2) to use the data to identify organizational features that might be affecting training and to determine barriers to and opportunities for improving training. METHODS: We conducted structured interviews in 2014 with TRAIN administrators and performance improvement managers (n = 14) from 7 state health departments that were using TRAIN to determine training practices and barriers to training. We determined key organizational features of the 7 agencies, including training structure, required training, TRAIN administrators' employment status (full time or part time), barriers to the use and tracking of core competencies in TRAIN, training needs assessment methods, leadership support of training and staff development, and agency interest in applying for Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation. RESULTS: We identified 4 common elements among TRAIN-affiliated state health departments: (1) underuse of TRAIN as a training tool, (2) inadequate ownership of training within the organization, (3) insufficient valuation of and budgeting for training, and (4) emerging collaboration and changing perceptions about training stimulated by agency preparation for accreditation. CONCLUSIONS: Public health leaders can increase buy-in to the importance of training by giving responsibility for training to a person, centralizing training, and setting expectations for the newly responsible training leader to update training policy and require the use of TRAIN to develop, implement, evaluate, monitor, and report on agency-wide training.

Nursing Professional Development and Continuing Education in 2019: Organization, Assessment, and Evaluation.

The Administrative Angles column focuses on the practical aspects of continuing education and professional development administration. At the start of 2019, this column reflects on the organization, assessment, and evaluation needed to ensure successful professional development and continuing education programs. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(1):6-8.].

How to do a Virtual Breakthrough Series Collaborative.

Despite widespread use of the breakthrough series (BTS) collaborative in healthcare, there is limited literature on how to operationalize the method in healthcare settings. A recent modification to the model is the virtual breakthrough series (VBTS), in which all work is done remotely via telephone and web-based platforms. With virtual methods gaining popularity, this manuscript presents guidance on methods to conduct a virtual breakthrough series collaborative to assist clinical teams in implementing evidence-based practices. Manuscript describes planning activities and implementation steps for individuals interested in conducting a VBTS collaborative. Topics presented include planning/preparation activities (e.g., developing a planning committee and change package of the evidence-based interventions), estimated resources required (i.e., personnel, percent effort), activities to prepare participants for the project (e.g., orientation calls), specific actions during the virtual collaborative, and evaluation approaches. The manuscript also presents examples from our work and templates for end users. This paper is a first attempt to describe the infrastructure and processes of a VBTS collaborative and offer reproducible methods currently employed in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration.

Addressing needs of diverse stakeholders: Twelve tips for leaders of health professions education programs.

Designing and evaluating health professions educational programs require a range of skills in a rapidly changing educational and healthcare environment. Not all program directors possess all the required leadership skills. In this twelve tips article, we describe a systematic approach to effectively address the complexity facing program leadership, implement robust programs and meaningfully evaluate their impact. They also offer a roadmap for managing diverse stakeholders with often competing demands. The tips are categorized under three domains: Planning, Initial Implementation, and Monitoring. Specific recommendations are provided on addressing context, organizational culture, and key relationships along with practical techniques adapted from continuous quality improvement programs. An outcomes-based approach ensures that program leaders balance competing demands. The tips provide a structure for educational leaders worldwide to reflect on what is feasible in their own context, understand and address complexities in program design and evaluation, regardless of the resources at their disposal.

Adapting a health equity tool to meet professional needs (Québec, Canada).

While numerous tools are available to better incorporate equity into population health actions, they are limited mainly by their lack of adaptation to professional practices and organizational realities. A study was conducted in Québec to identify and understand, from the perspective of future users, conditions that would facilitate use of a tool (Reflex-ISS) targeted at supporting collaborative action to improve consideration of social inequalities in health (SIH) within population health actions. Concept mapping and focus groups were implemented as complementary methods for investigating the conditions. Significant results that emerged were strong participant interest in the tool and the need for resources to better take SIH into account. The conditions for use that were identified referred to the tool itself (user-friendliness and literacy) and to resources for appropriating the tool, competency development, as well as the role and responsibilities of organizations and policies in promoting use of the tool in daily activities and more fundamentally in acting against SIH in general. Models for organizational innovation give an idea of the dimensions that need to be considered to strengthen the integration of equity into organizations and to support the changes in practice that result from using the tool. They provide a reminder that a health equity tool cannot be the cornerstone of an organizational strategy to fight against SIH; rather, it must be incorporated as part of a systemic strategy of professional and organizational development.