Public health communication professional development opportunities and alignment with core competencies: an environmental scan and content analysis. / Offres de perfectionnement professionnel en communication en santé publique et correspondance avec les compétences essentielles : analyse contextuelle et analyse de contenu.

INTRODUCTION: Communication is vital for effective and precise public health practice. The limited formal educational opportunities in health communication render professional development opportunities especially important. Competencies for public health communication describe the integrated knowledge, values, skills and behaviours required for practitioner and organizational performance. Many countries consider communication a core public health competency and use communication competencies in workforce planning and development. METHODS: We conducted an environmental scan and content analysis to determine the availability of public health communication professional development opportunities in Canada and the extent to which they support communication-related core competencies. Three relevant competency frameworks were used to assess the degree to which professional development offerings supported communication competency development. RESULTS: Overall, 45 professional development offerings were included: 16 "formalized offerings" (training opportunities such as courses, webinars, certificate programs) and 29 "materials and tools" (resources such as toolkits, guidebooks). The formalized offerings addressed 25% to 100% of the communication competencies, and the materials and tools addressed 67% to 100%. Addressing misinformation and disinformation, using current technology and communicating with diverse populations are areas in need of improved professional development. CONCLUSION: There is a significant gap in public health communication formalized offerings in Canada and many of the materials and tools are outdated. Public health communication professional development offerings lack coordination and do not provide comprehensive coverage across the communication competencies, limiting their utility to strengthen the public health workforce. More, and more comprehensive, professional development offerings are needed.

An Interprofessional Faculty Development Program for Workplace-Based Learning.

Background: Most faculty development programs in health professions education, pivotal in cultivating competent and effective teachers, focus on systematic, planned and formal learning opportunities. A large part of clinical teaching however, encompasses ad-hoc, informal and interprofessional workplace-based learning whereby individuals learn as part of everyday work activities. To fully harness the educational potential embedded in daily healthcare practices, prioritizing interprofessional faculty development for workplace-based learning is crucial. Approach: Utilizing the 'ADDIE' instructional design framework we developed, implemented and evaluated an interprofessional faculty development program for workplace-based learning. This program, encompassing seven formal training sessions each with a different theme and five individual workplace-based assignments, aimed to support clinical teachers in recognizing and optimizing informal learning. Outcomes: The pilot program (n = 10) and first two regular courses (n = 13 each) were evaluated using questionnaires containing Likert scale items and open textboxes for narrative comments. The quality and relevance of the program to the clinical work-place were highly appreciated. Additional valued elements included practical knowledge provided and tools for informal workplace-based teaching, the interprofessional aspect of the program and the workplace-based assignments. Since its development, the program has undergone minor revisions twice and has now become a successful interprofessional workplace-based alternative to existing faculty development programs. Reflection: This faculty development program addresses the specific needs of healthcare professionals teaching in clinical settings. It stands out by prioritizing informal learning, fostering collaboration, and supporting integration of formal training into daily practice, ensuring practical application of learned knowledge and skills. Furthermore, it emphasizes interprofessional teaching and learning, enhancing workplace environments.

A Renaissance in Academic Medicine-Using a Coach Approach to Develop Early-Career Faculty.

This Viewpoint discusses contemporary approaches to mentoring and coaching new physicians.

Evolving from Didactic to Dialogic: How to Improve Faculty Development and Support Faculty Developers by Using Action Research.

Problem: Since competency-based medical education has gained widespread acceptance to guide curricular reforms, faculty development has been regarded as an indispensable element to make these programs successful. Faculty developers have striven to design and deliver myriad of programs or workshops to better prepare faculty members for fulfilling their teaching roles. However, how faculty developers can improve workshop delivery by researching their teaching practices remains underexplored. Intervention: Action research aims to understand real world practices and advocates for formulation of doable plans through cycles of investigations, and ultimately contributes to claims of knowledge and a progression toward the goal of practice improvement. This methodology aligns with the aim of this study to understand how I could improve a faculty development workshop by researching my teaching practices. Context: In 2016, we conducted four cycles of action research in the context of mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX) workshops within a faculty development program aiming for developing teaching and assessment competence in faculty members. We collected multiple sources of qualitative data for thematic analysis, including my reflective journal, field notes taken by a researcher-observer, and post-workshop written reflection and feedback in portfolio from fourteen workshop attendees aiming to develop faculty teaching and assessment competence. Impact: By doing action research, I scrutinized each step as an opportunity for change, enacted adaptive practice and reflection on my teaching practices, and formulated action plans to transform a workshop design through each cycle. In so doing, my workshop evolved from didactic to dialogic with continuous improvement on enhanced engagement, focused discussion and participant empowerment through a collaborative inquiry into feedback practice. Moreover, these processes of action research also supported my growth as a faculty developer. Lessons Learned: The systematic approach of action research serves as a vehicle to enable faculty developers to investigate individual teaching practices as a self-reflective inquiry, to examine, rectify, and transform processes of program delivery, and ultimately introduce themselves as agents for change and improvement.

The effects of developmental model of peer observation on the virtual teaching quality of basic medical sciences faculty.

BACKGROUND: After the Corona pandemic, medical education has shifted to virtual education, but there has been limited time and possibilities for empowering faculty for this purpose. Therefore, it seems necessary to evaluate the quality of the provided training and provide feedback to the faculty in order to improve the quality of training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of teacher formative evaluation by peer observation method on the quality of virtual teaching of basic medical sciences faculty. METHODS: In this study, seven trained faculty members observed and based on a checklist evaluated the quality of 2 virtual sessions taught by each faculty of basic medical sciences, and provided them feedback; after at least 2 weeks, their Virtual teachings were again observed and evaluated. The results before and after providing feedback were compared through SPSS software. RESULTS: After intervention, significant improvements were observed in the average scores of "overall virtual performance", "virtual classroom management" and "content quality". Specifically, there was a significant increase in the average score of "overall virtual performance" and "virtual class management" among female faculty, and the average score of "overall virtual performance" among permanently employed faculty members with more than 5 years of teaching experience, before and after intervention (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Virtual and online education can be a suitable platform for the implementation of formative and developmental model of peer observation of faculty; and should be considered as an opportunity to empower and improve the quality of the faculty' performance in virtual education.

The process of learning and professional development according to nursing students' experience during Covid-19: A constructivist grounded theory study.

AIM: This study explored the experiences of nursing students with respect to learning processes and professional development during internships with COVID-19 patients to build a novel theoretical model. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak had a profound impact on the worldwide learning system and it interrupted the internship experiences of nursing students. After the second wave of COVID-19, to balance academic activities with COVID-19 containment, some Italian universities allowed nursing students' internships in COVID-19 units. This new experience may have influenced nursing students' learning processes and professional development, but this is yet to be investigated. DESIGN: A qualitative study using a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach. METHODS: Nursing students were recruited from two hospitals in northern Italy between January and April 2021. Data are gathered from interviews and a simultaneous comparative analysis were conducted to identify categories and codes, according to Charmaz's (2006) theory. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 28 students. The results suggested the core category, that is the 'Students' sense of belonging to the nursing profession' and four main categories: (1) From knowledge to know-how, (2) A new relationship modality, (3) Sharing and socialisation and (4) Responsibilization. Finally, a premise and a corollary, respectively (5) Motivation and the (6) Circularity of the process, were identified. CONCLUSION: Our study proposed a new theory of nursing students' learning processes in clinical contexts during internships with COVID-19 patients. Despite significant difficulties, the nursing students developed a unique learning process characterised by motivation. Therefore, our study provided insight into the learning process during a pandemic and investigated the support needed for nursing students to continue their internships.

Learning needs assessments in continuing professional development: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: A rigorous learning needs assessment (LNA) is a crucial initial step in the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) process. This scoping review aimed to collate, summarize, and categorize the reported LNA approaches adopted to inform healthcare professional CPD and highlight the gaps for further research. METHOD: In August 2020, nine bibliographic databases were searched for studies conducted with any health professional grouping, reporting the utilized LNA to inform CPD activities. Two reviewers independently screened the articles for eligibility and charted the data. A descriptive analytical approach was employed to collate, summarize, and categorize the literature. RESULTS: 151 studies were included in the review; the majority adopted quantitative methods in the form of self-assessment surveys. Mixed-methods approaches were reported in only 35 studies. Descriptions of LNA development lacked detail of measures taken to enhance their rigor or robustness. DISCUSSION: These findings do not reflect recommendations offered by the CPD literature. Further investigations are required to evaluate more recently advocated LNA approaches and add to their limited evidence-base. Similarly, the existing support afforded to CPD developers warrants further study in order to identify the necessary resource, infrastructure and expertise essential to design and deliver effective CPD programs.

Enhancing Title V Workforce Capacity to Address Complex Challenges: Impact of the National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center.

INTRODUCTION: The National Maternal and Child Health Workforce Development Center provides training, coaching, and consultation to Title V programs. The flagship experience is the Cohort program, a 6-8-month leadership development program where Title V programs convene a multisector team to address a pre-selected state/jurisdictional challenge related to health systems transformation. The overall objective of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of skills developed via the Cohort program on state/jurisdictional capacities to address complex challenges. METHODS: Qualitative, post-Cohort evaluation data were analyzed using inductive and deductive coding and the "Sort and Sift, Think and Shift" method. Themes and supporting text were summarized using episode profiles for each team and subsequently organized using the EvaluLEAD methodology for identifying and documenting impact. RESULTS: Teams brought an array of challenges related to health systems transformation and 94% of teams reported achieving progress on their challenge six-months after the Cohort program. Teams described how the Cohort program improved workforce skills in strategic thinking, systems thinking, adaptive leadership, and communication. Teams also reported the Cohort program contributed to stronger partnerships, improved sustainability of their project, produced mindset shifts, and increased confidence. The Cohort program has also led to improved population health outcomes. DISCUSSION: Through working with the Center, Title V leaders and their teams achieved episodic, developmental, and transformative results through application of Center tools and skills to complex challenges. Investment in the MCH workforce through skill development is critical for achieving transformative results and solving "wicked" public health problems.

Developing Complex, Cross-Cutting Skills in the Public Health Workforce: Using a Crosswalk Analysis to Map Public Health Competencies to Strategic Skills for the Governmental Public Health Workforce.

In recent years, many public health organizations have used 2 frameworks for workforce development planning and action: the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals (Core Competencies) and the Strategic Skills for the Governmental Public Health Workforce (Strategic Skills). A third framework is also available for organizations emphasizing population health: the Competencies for Population Health Professionals (Population Health Competencies). This crosswalk analysis-conducted by the Public Health Foundation with input from the Region 2 Public Health Training Center and the de Beaumont Foundation-harmonizes these 3 schemas by systematically mapping the 2014 version of the Core Competencies and the 2019 Population Health Competencies with the 2017 version of the Strategic Skills to produce a comprehensive matrix depicting their relationships. When developing training and curricula, health department personnel and academic faculty can use the results to identify competencies public health professionals may wish to master to build the Strategic Skills. Organizations can also replicate the analytic methodology to align the Core Competencies with other sets of strategic priorities.

Developing State Leadership in Maternal and Child Health: Process Evaluation Findings from a Work-Based Learning Model for Leadership Development.

OBJECTIVES: Since 2013 the MCH Bureau has supported the National MCH Workforce Development Center to strengthen the Title V MCH workforce. This article describes the Center's Cohort Program and lessons learned about work-based learning, instruction, and coaching. DESCRIPTION: The Cohort Program is a leadership development program that enrolls state-level teams for skill development and work-based learning to address a self-identified challenge in their state. Teams attend a Learning Institute that teaches concepts, skills, and practical tools in systems integration; change management and adaptive leadership; and evidence-based decision-making and implementation. Teams then work back home on their challenges, aided by coaching. The Program's goals are for teams to expand and use their skills to address their challenge, and that teams would strengthen programs, organizations, and policies, use their skills to address other challenges, and ultimately improve MCH outcomes. METHODS: This process evaluation is based on evaluation forms completed by attendees at the three-day Learning Institute; six-month follow-up interviews with team leaders; and a modified focus group with staff. RESULTS: Participants and staff believe the Cohort Program effectively merges a practical skill-based curriculum, work-based learning in teams, and coaching. The Learning Institute provides a foundation of skills and tools, strengthens the team's relationship with their coach, and builds the team. The work-based learning period provides structure, accountability, and a "practice space" for teams to apply the Cohort Program's skills and tools to address their challenge. In this period, teams deepen collaborations and often add partners. The coach provides accessible and tailored guidance in teamwork and skill application. These dimensions helped teams in develop skills and address state-level MCH challenges. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Continuing professional development programs can help leaders learn to address complex state-level MCH challenges through integrated classroom-based skills development, work-based learning on state challenges, and tailored coaching.

Pilot test of an emerging leaders program for dental school faculty.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The School of Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSA-SoD) implemented an SoD Emerging Leaders Program (SoDELP) in 2020-2021. This case report describes the leadership training needs of junior faculty that stimulated SoDELP development, the inter-institutional collaboration that facilitated program implementation, SoDELP curriculum content, and outcomes of formative assessment for two pilot cohorts of the SoDELP. METHODS: The 32-h curriculum was comprised of readings, reflection exercises, seminars by the Center for Professional Excellence at the University of Texas at San Antonio, case discussion, analysis of leadership dilemmas, and self-assessments. For a capstone project, participants created a case depicting a challenging leadership situation they experienced as a team leader or member. The SoDELP commenced in a face-to-face format but was completed online due to COVID 19. Formative evaluation included participants' pre- and post-training perceptions elicited by the Leadership Attitudes, Confidence and Concerns Inventory (LACCI) and qualitative appraisal of program components obtained by surveys and focus groups. RESULTS: All 18 participants completed SoDELP and provided positive evaluations of program content, organization, teaching quality, and value. Analysis of pre- and post-assessments indicated that participants' confidence in performing an array of leadership tasks was significantly enhanced, and participants' concerns about assuming leadership roles, such as not being ready for the job, impact on friendships, or concerns about ethical challenges, were significantly reduced. The LACCI displayed promising reliability in assessing participants' confidence, attitudes and concerns, demonstrating the potential to serve as a measurement tool to appraise outcomes of leadership training in the health professions. CONCLUSION: Outcomes suggest that SoDELP enhances faculty members' sense of readiness for leadership roles, and the LACCI may be a useful assessment tool for leadership training.

Centering Equity and Developing the Maternal Health Workforce: Building the National Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to describe the development of the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center (MHLIC), a national initiative designed to enhance workforce capacity of maternal health professionals in the United States. DESCRIPTION: The mission of the MHLIC is to foster collaboration and learning among diverse stakeholders to accelerate evidence-informed approaches advancing equitable maternal health outcomes through engagement, innovation, and policy. Working to center equity in all efforts, the MHLIC builds workforce capacity through partnership, training, technical assistance, coaching, facilitation of peer learning, and a national resource repository. ASSESSMENT: The MHLIC employed several assessment strategies in its first year, including a baseline learning survey of awardees, a stakeholder survey of potential collaborators in maternal health, and advisory convenings. Internally the MHLIC team assessed its own intercultural development. Assessment results informed internal and external approaches to workforce development. CONCLUSIONS: Telehealth implementation, access to services for rural populations, racial inequities, and data use and dissemination were the primary gaps that awardees and other stakeholders identified. The MHLIC is unique in its collaborative design approach and the centering of equity as foundational to the structure, subject, and culture of its work. The MHLIC utilizes a collaborative approach that capitalizes on academic and practice partners' extensive expertise in maternal health systems. Key to the success of future maternal health efforts is workforce development that builds the awareness and capacity to advance racial and geographic equity for public health, community, and clinical professionals.

Diversifying Faculty Leadership in Academic Medicine: The Program to Launch Underrepresented in Medicine Success (PLUS).

PLUS (Program to Launch Underrepresented in Medicine Success) is a 2-year cohort program at Indiana University School of Medicine providing professional development, funding and skills to produce scholarship, and a community to mitigate social and/or professional isolation for underrepresented in medicine (URiM) faculty. In year 1, scholars participate in leadership and professional development seminars and regular meetings with their mentor(s). They are assigned a PLUS Advisory Council advisor with whom they meet 2 to 3 times annually. In year 2, scholars participate in monthly seminars focused on research methods, writing productivity, and wellness. Additionally, scholars engage in a writing accountability group and practice reflective writing. Connections events, designed to combat isolation and cultivate community, occur monthly. At program completion, scholars complete a project resulting in a scholarly product for submission and dissemination in a peer-reviewed forum. To date, 3 cohorts, totaling 24 people, have participated: 20 (83%) Black, 4 (17%) Latinx; 12 (50%) females. Five scholars have completed the full program, whose pre- and postsurvey results are described. Program surveys demonstrate significant gains in scholars' confidence to secure leadership opportunities, connect with colleagues, and advocate for themselves and others. Scholars reported statistically significant increases in confidence to pursue leadership roles (t = -3.67, P = .02) and intent to submit their dossier for promotion (t = -6.50, P = .003). They were less likely to leave academic medicine (t = 2.75, P = .05) or pursue another academic appointment (t = 2.75, P = .05) after PLUS completion than at baseline. All scholars adequately met requirements for their third-year review (tenure track only), were promoted, or achieved tenure in less than 3 years since program completion. This article describes PLUS program objectives, evaluative components, and lessons learned during implementation, as a model to support URiM faculty at other institutions.

Article Club to Encourage Meaningful and Impactful Conversations on Leadership Among Pharmacy Faculty and Staff.

Objective. To describe outcomes from an article club that was designed to foster leadership within a pharmacy school by informally gathering interested faculty and staff and providing a safe environment for discussion on leadership concepts.Methods. At each monthly meeting, participants discussed an article from Harvard Business Review's top 10 leadership articles. After 10 sessions, participants were asked to complete an electronic survey about their perspectives on the activities and invited to participate in an interview. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and qualitative software was used to analyze the interview transcripts. Videoconferencing allowed for off-campus faculty and staff participation. No direct programmatic costs were incurred.Results. Four to 24 participants attended each session. Sixteen participants completed the survey, and five volunteered to be interviewed. All participants strongly agreed that the sessions increased awareness of leadership concepts, and 15 strongly agreed or agreed that the activities influenced their leadership decision-making and facilitated building a culture of leadership at the school. Interviews revealed that mid-career faculty participated to learn about general leadership concepts from discussions and a few junior faculty participated to gain leadership skills to help with promotion. All participants noted they were exposed to novel leadership styles by participating in the article discussion sessions. Teaching and practice commitments were the two reasons most often given for not participating.Conclusion. Providing an interactive discussion forum for pharmacy education faculty and staff to learn and discuss leadership concepts and qualities is effective for personal growth and professional development. Other schools and institutions can implement similar activities to foster leadership.

A cross-sectional survey on buprenorphine-naloxone practice and attitudes in 22 Canadian emergency physician groups: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Buprenorphine-naloxone (BUP) initiation in emergency departments improves follow-up and survival among patients with opioid use disorder. We aimed to assess self-reported BUP-related practices and attitudes among emergency physicians. METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional physician survey by adapting a validated questionnaire on opioid harm reduction practices, attitudes and barriers. We recruited physician leads from 6 Canadian provinces to administer surveys to the staff physicians in their emergency department groups between December 2018 and November 2019. We included academic and community non-locum emergency department staff physicians. We excluded responses from emergency department groups with response rates less than 50% to minimize nonresponse bias. Primary (BUP prescribing practices) and secondary (willingness and attitudes) outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: After excluding 1 group for low response (9/26 physicians), 652 of 798 (81.7%) physicians responded from 22 groups serving 34 emergency departments. Among respondents, 64.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 60.4%-67.8%, emergency department group range 7.1%-100.0%) had prescribed BUP at least once in their career, 38.4% had prescribed it for home initiation and 24.8% prescribed it at least once a month. Overall, 68.9% (95% CI 65.3%-72.4%, emergency department group range 24.1%-97.6%) were willing to administer BUP, 64.2% felt it was a major responsibility and 37.1% felt they understood people who use drugs. Respondents most frequently rated lack of adequate training (58.2%) and lack of time (55.2%) as very important barriers to BUP initiation. INTERPRETATION: Two-thirds of the emergency physicians surveyed prescribed BUP, although only one-quarter did so regularly and one-third prescribed it for home initiation; wide variation between emergency department groups existed. Strategies to increase BUP initiation must address physicians' lack of time and training for BUP initiation and improve their understanding of people who use drugs.

An Approach to Faculty Development for Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine.

OBJECTIVES: The diversity of the US physician workforce lags significantly behind the population, and the disparities in academic medicine are even greater, with underrepresented in medicine (URM) physicians accounting for only 6.8% of all US medical school faculty. We describe a "for URM by URM" pilot approach to faculty development for junior URM Family Medicine physicians that targets unique challenges faced by URM faculty. METHODS: A year-long fellowship was created for junior URM academic clinician faculty with funding through the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Project Fund. Seven junior faculty applied and were accepted to participate in the fellowship, which included conference calls and an in-person workshop covering topics related to writing and career advancement. RESULTS: The workshop included a mix of prepared programming on how to move from idea to project to manuscript, as well as time for spontaneous mentorship and manuscript collaboration. Key themes that emerged included how to address the high cost of the minority tax, the need for individual passion as a pathway to success, and how to overcome imposter syndrome as a hindrance to writing. CONCLUSIONS: The "for URM by URM" approach for faculty development to promote writing skills and scholarship for junior URM Family Medicine physicians can address challenges faced by URM faculty. By using a framework that includes the mentors' lived experiences and creates a psychological safe space, we can address concerns often overlooked in traditional skills-based faculty development programs.

Systems controls are needed to reduce mistaken tests for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, results of a prospective quality-improvement cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Medical diagnosis and therapy often rely on laboratory testing. We observed mistaken testing in evaluations for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) that led to delays and adverse outcomes. Physicians were mistakenly ordering interleukin-2 and quantitative natural killer cell flow cytometry, rather than soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL2R) or qualitative natural killer functional tests in the evaluation of patients suspected to have HLH.We initiated a prospective quality improvement project to reduce mistaken testing, reduce delays in correct testing due to mistaken ordering, and improve HLH evaluations. This consisted of provider education, developing an evaluation algorithm, and ultimately required systems interventions such as pop-ups and removal of the mistaken tests from the electronic ordering catalog.Active education reduced mistaken testing significantly in HLH evaluations from baseline (73.3% vs 33.3%, P = .003, relative risk reduction (RRR) 54.5%), but failed to meet the pre-specified RRR cutoff for success (70%). Education alone did not significantly reduce the proportion of HLH evaluations with delays in sIL2R testing (23.3% vs 7.4%, P = .096). Mistaken testing increased after the active intervention ended (33.3% vs 43.5%, P = .390, with RRR 40.7% from baseline. Mistaken test removal was successful: mistaken testing dropped to 0% (P < .001, RRR 100%), saved $14,235 yearly, eliminated delays in sIL2R testing from mistaken testing (23.3% vs 0%, P = .008), and expedited sIL2R testing after admission for HLH symptoms (14.6 days vs 3.8 days, P = .0012). These data show systems controls are highly effective in quality improvement while education has moderate efficacy.