Measuring organizational mentoring climate: Importance and availability scales.

INTRODUCTION: Although organizational climate may affect faculty's mentoring behaviors, there has not been any way to measure that climate. The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of two novel scales to measure organizational mentoring climate importance and availability at two public research universities. METHODS: We developed 36 content-valid mentoring climate items in four dimensions: Structure, Programs/Activities, Policies/Guidelines, and Values. In total, 355 faculty completed an anonymous, structured, online survey asking about the importance (very important to very unimportant) and availability (no, don't know, yes) of each of the items. We conducted reliability analyses and construct validity testing using exploratory common factor analysis, principal axis factoring, and oblique rotation. RESULTS: The majority of the predominantly female, White non-Hispanic, senior, tenure-track faculty were not currently mentoring another faculty or being mentored. Analyses demonstrated a 15-item solution for both the Organizational Mentoring Climate Importance (OMCI) and the Availability (OMCA) Scales, with three factors each: Organizational Expectations, Mentor-Mentee Relationships, and Resources. Standardized Cronbach alphas ranged from 0.74 to 0.90 for the subscales, and 0.94 (OMCI) and 0.87 (OMCA) for the full scales. Faculty rated all items as somewhat to very important; however, perceived availability was very low ranging from mentor training programs (40%) to guidelines for evaluating mentoring success or managing conflict (2.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The scales will allow studying of how organizational climate may affect mentoring behavior and whether climate can be changed to improve faculty mentoring outcomes. We provide recommendations for furthering the science of organizational mentoring climate and culture.

Willingness of women to participate in obstetrical and pediatric research involving biobanks.

Use of biobanks for future genetic/genomic testing has increased. Biospecimens are increasingly being collected from infants/children; however, little is known about attitudes towards collection of biospecimens from postpartum women and their child. Using a hypothetical consent, this study investigated willingness to participate and attitudes, beliefs, and concerns related to consent materials requesting the biobanking genetic samples. A cross-sectional mixed methods design included women who reviewed a hypothetical consent related to biobanking genetic samples. Women were asked about their willingness to participate, followed by a focus group about biobanks and genetic/genomic testing. Post-focus group questionnaires assessed willingness to participate, the influence of study characteristics, and attitudes about genetic testing. Women (N = 37) were 29.0± 7.3 years of age (range 19-44); 51% had children and 28% were currently pregnant. A total of 46% were Hispanic (H), 38% were White non-Hispanic (WNH), and 16% were Native American (NA). Seventy-six percent (28/37) initially indicated that they would participate in the hypothetical study. Race and ethnicity impacted whether women would participate. Fewer NA women indicated that they would participate compared with H women and with WNH women (p < 0.02). Age, pregnancy status, having children, education level, insurance status, and income had no impact on participation decision and willingness to biobank specimens. NA and H women indicated that they were less likely than WNH women to agree to participate in a long-term biobank study. Given the importance of determining the genetic influence of health and disease, it is critical to attend to the questions and concerns of minority women regarding genetic studies.

Measuring quality and outcomes of research collaborations: An integrative review.

INTRODUCTION: Although the science of team science is no longer a new field, the measurement of team science and its standardization remain in relatively early stages of development. To describe the current state of team science assessment, we conducted an integrative review of measures of research collaboration quality and outcomes. METHODS: Collaboration measures were identified using both a literature review based on specific keywords and an environmental scan. Raters abstracted details about the measures using a standard tool. Measures related to collaborations with clinical care, education, and program delivery were excluded from this review. RESULTS: We identified 44 measures of research collaboration quality, which included 35 measures with reliability and some form of statistical validity reported. Most scales focused on group dynamics. We identified 89 measures of research collaboration outcomes; 16 had reliability and 15 had a validity statistic. Outcome measures often only included simple counts of products; publications rarely defined how counts were delimited, obtained, or assessed for reliability. Most measures were tested in only one venue. CONCLUSIONS: Although models of collaboration have been developed, in general, strong, reliable, and valid measurements of such collaborations have not been conducted or accepted into practice. This limitation makes it difficult to compare the characteristics and impacts of research teams across studies or to identify the most important areas for intervention. To advance the science of team science, we provide recommendations regarding the development and psychometric testing of measures of collaboration quality and outcomes that can be replicated and broadly applied across studies.

Effectiveness of community outreach and engagement in recruitment success for a prebirth cohort.

INTRODUCTION: We describe the effectiveness of community outreach and engagement in supporting recruitment for the US National Children's Vanguard Study between 2009 and 2012. METHODS: Thirty-seven study locations used 1 of 4 strategies to recruit 18-49-year-old pregnant or trying to conceive women: (1) Initial Vanguard Study used household-based recruitment; (2) Direct Outreach emphasized self-referral; (3) Enhanced Household-Based Recruitment enhanced Initial Vanguard Study strategies; and (4) Provider-Based Recruitment recruited through healthcare providers. Outreach and engagement included advance letters, interactions with healthcare providers, participation in community events, contacts with community organizations, and media outreach. RESULTS: After 1-2 years, 41%-74% of 9844 study-eligible women had heard about the National Children's Vanguard Study when first approached. Women who heard were 1.5-3 times more likely to consent. Hearing via word-of-mouth or the media most frequently predicted consent. The more sources women heard from the higher the odds of consent. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that tailored outreach and engagement facilitate recruitment in cohort studies.

Adherence to the Women's Preventive Services Guidelines in the Affordable Care Act.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the adherence of women's health providers in New Mexico to the Women's Preventive Services Guidelines and to examine how providers' knowledge, attitudes, and external barriers are associated with adherence. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive survey. SETTING: New Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: Women's health providers in New Mexico, including nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and family practice and obstetrician-gynecologist physicians. METHODS: Participants completed a self-administered survey to measure knowledge, attitudes, external barriers, and adherence to each of the eight guidelines. Adherence was defined as following a guideline more than 90% of the time. RESULTS: The response rate was 22% (399/1,798). Among the eight guidelines, participant adherence ranged from 17.2% to 88.4%. Only 39.7% of participants indicated adherence to most of the guidelines (four or more). Overall, provider adherence was directly associated with familiarity with the guidelines (odds ratio = 3.69; 95% confidence interval [1.96, 6.96]), self-efficacy to implement them (odds ratio = 4.25; 95% confidence interval [2.21, 8.20]), and younger age (odds ratio = 0.97; 95% confidence interval [0.94, 1.00]). CONCLUSION: Adherence to the Women's Preventive Services Guidelines by providers in New Mexico is variable and, for many recommended practices, less than optimal. New targeted implementation strategies are needed to address barriers to adherence.