[Soft tissue-cutting law, i.e. the career concept of an autopsy assistant]. / Lágyrészbe vágó jog, avagy egy boncmester-életpálya koncepciója.

Practical experience shows that the autopsy assistant society is fairly divided. There are some people who would have needed a thorough basic training, and there are those who - due to their diligence and the close cooperation with physician colleagues - would deserve an opportunity for further progress due to their extensive knowlegde. As regards the autopsy assistant profession the training, and the training system as well has changed significantly, and it requires further changes. Examining the issue in a wide spectrum, the aim of the authors is, as much as possible, to promote the formation of an "Autopsy assistant career," in which they want to create a predictable way for the members of the profession from the phase of becoming a student (competency, training, exams, vocational training, single note) to obtaining the master's degree. The authors would like to provide a summary about their experience and plans regarding this issue.

[Treating accident or chemical attack casualties in hospital]. / Préparer l'accueil de victimes d'accident ou d'attentat chimique à l'hôpital.

It is mandatory for all hospitals to be prepared for the occurrence of a chemical biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) event. This preparation requires specific investment on the part of the hospital management, as well as from the nursing teams on the frontline. Teams from Lariboisière hospital in Paris have been working on these risks for several years.

[Hygienic training of the workers occupied in food industry].

The system of professional hygienic training for the workers of enterprises in various branches of food industry needs updating. Suggestions how to improve this work are made.

The Health Professions: developments in legislation and training, from student application to employment.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The legislation and training of health workers have undergone various changes during the course of the last 90 years. In addition to the Degrees Medicine in Surgery and Dentistry, with a duration of six years, the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery also offers three-year degree courses in the 22 health professions, including Nursing, Obstetrics, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Laboratory work, Radiology, Neurophysiopathology and Dietetics. METHOD: A data research study was carried out over the last 18 years, on the legislation and training requirements for health workers, including the availability of University places and the applications presented, as well as the number of university lecturers and the employment opportunities. RESULTS: Data reveal a steady increase from 1997 to 2011 in the number of student admission applications for Medicine and Surgery as well as for the other Health Professions, reaching a peak in 2012 and currently continuing to fall. The trend is different for lecturers, who, apart from a slight increase up to 2008, have remained at around 9400 in number since 1997. CONCLUSIONS: The drop in applications for places would appear to be linked to the fall in employment in the last six years, from 86% in 2007 to 62% in 2012. Although the health sector is still in first place among all the other sectors, careful reflection would seem to be warranted on the part of the Regions and the Ministries of Health and University Education when defining the annual training requirements for each of the 22 Health Professions.

A framework for an institutional high level security policy for the processing of medical data and their transmission through the Internet.

BACKGROUND: The Internet provides many advantages when used for interaction and data sharing among health care providers, patients, and researchers. However, the advantages provided by the Internet come with a significantly greater element of risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. It is therefore essential that Health Care Establishments processing and exchanging medical data use an appropriate security policy. OBJECTIVE: To develop a High Level Security Policy for the processing of medical data and their transmission through the Internet, which is a set of high-level statements intended to guide Health Care Establishment personnel who process and manage sensitive health care information. METHODS: We developed the policy based on a detailed study of the existing framework in the EU countries, USA, and Canada, and on consultations with users in the context of the Intranet Health Clinic project. More specifically, this paper has taken into account the major directives, technical reports, law, and recommendations that are related to the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, and the protection of privacy and medical data on the Internet. RESULTS: We present a High Level Security Policy for Health Care Establishments, which includes a set of 7 principles and 45 guidelines detailed in this paper. The proposed principles and guidelines have been made as generic and open to specific implementations as possible, to provide for maximum flexibility and adaptability to local environments. The High Level Security Policy establishes the basic security requirements that must be addressed to use the Internet to safely transmit patient and other sensitive health care information. CONCLUSIONS: The High Level Security Policy is primarily intended for large Health Care Establishments in Europe, USA, and Canada. It is clear however that the general framework presented here can only serve as reference material for developing an appropriate High Level Security Policy in a specific implementation environment. When implemented in specific environments, these principles and guidelines must also be complemented by measures, which are more specific. Even when a High Level Security Policy already exists in an institution, it is advisable that the management of the Health Care Establishment periodically revisits it to see whether it should be modified or augmented.

Tracing our roots: a new era in clinical laboratory science education.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the emergence of laboratory personnel at the technician and assistant levels and discuss educational issues that arose between 1962 and 1977. DESIGN: A survey of literature on the history of clinical laboratory science (CLS) was conducted. References consulted include various books and professional journals. CONCLUSION: Advances in scientific and medical knowledge and the development of new technologies created new roles and responsibilities for medical technologists (MTs) in the areas of education, research, and laboratory management. At the same time, the certified laboratory assistant (CLA) category was established as a means of providing competent personnel to work in physician office laboratories and small community hospitals in lieu of a certified MT. The growth in popularity of two-year colleges and the availability of federal funding for the development of allied health programs led to the establishment of yet another category of laboratory personnel: the medical laboratory technician (MLT). These developments prompted educators to modify their CLS curricula, develop educational programs at the CLA and MLT levels, and provide opportunities to CLAs, and MLTs for upward mobility. Furthermore, once the Board of Registry (BOR) established the baccalaureate degree as the prerequisite for MT certification, educators also began to restructure and more closely integrate the academic and clinical components of MT programs.

The evolution of optometric education in America.

BACKGROUND: The first American optometry law was passed in Minnesota 100 years ago. That law--and the others that followed--determined the minimal educational requirements to practice optometry. Legislating the practice of optometry was the first step in changing optometric education, from a short course in refraction to an accredited university program. As the practice of optometry has changed and evolved over the past 100 years, so has the optometry school education. PURPOSE: This article chronicles the changes that have occurred in optometric education during this evolutionary period.

Self-reported job responsibilities of public school adapted physical educators.

The purpose was to survey adapted physical educators, teaching in the public schools, concerning the nature of their work and the percentage of time spent weekly in 14 specific job roles or responsibilities. Of 102 respondents solicited from national conferences, 66 teachers representing 20 states provided usable data. Most respondents worked in urban settings (77%), served an average of 8 schools per week, had an average caseload of 76 students, and saw each student an average of two times a week. Percentages of time spent each week were greatest in direct instruction (43%), traveling (9%), planning instruction (9%), and assessing students (7%). Findings were similar to those reported previously and discussed in relation to job competencies taught in university classes designed to prepare specialists in adapted physical education.

Developing wider workforce regulation in England: lessons from education, social work and social care.

This paper draws on the findings of a review of regulation of professionally qualified teachers, social workers and other staff in social care. It charts the process of developing and implementing both professional and wider workforce regulation in England, focusing on the implications for generic and integrated working and the development of cross-professional procedures for the protection of vulnerable adults and children from abuse. There are many uncertainties about how best to develop workforce regulation especially when integrated working is a policy goal. In light of the paucity of evidence of outcomes and benefits for improved practice and the protection of the public, there is a need for research to address this complex arena.

Holistic versus actuarial student selection.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2003 in the Gratz et al. v. Bollinger et al. and the Grutter v. Bollinger et al. cases that affirmative action selection policies aimed at student diversity in higher and professional education are acceptable on constitutional grounds. The court also ruled that "holistic," "individualized" selection procedures, not "mechanical" methods, must be used to achieve student diversity goals. SUMMARY: This brief essay reviews and critiques professional and academic literature that addresses the two court cases and their likely sequelae. The weight of scientific evidence dating from at least 1954 shows that actuarial procedures are superior to holistic, individualized procedures to fulfill a priori student selection policy goals fairly and consistently. CONCLUSIONS: The higher and professional education community, including medicine, should support the Supreme Court's student diversity policy but should insist the court change its reliance on holistic, individualized decision making.