The challenges imposed by artificial intelligence: are we ready in medical education?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. In medical education, the usefulness of AI and its applications is being explored in training, learning, simulation, curriculum, and developing new assessment tools. This editorial encourages authors to submit their research on AI concerning medical education to enrich our knowledge.

International perspective on integrated care models in child and adult mental health.

The dearth of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) is a global problem. Integrating CAMHS in primary care has been offered as a solution. We sampled integrated care perspectives from colleagues around the world. Our findings include various models of integrated care namely: the stepped care model in Australia; shared care in the United Kingdom (UK) and Spain; school-based collaborative care in Qatar, Singapore and the state of Texas in the US; collaborative care in Canada, Brazil, US, and Uruguay; coordinated care in the US; and, developing collaborative care models in low-resource settings, like Kenya and Micronesia. These findings provide insights into training initiatives necessary to build CAMHS workforce capacity using integrated care models, each with the ultimate goal of improving access to care. Despite variations and progress in implementing integrated care models internationally, common challenges exist: funding within complex healthcare systems, limited training mechanisms, and geopolitical/policy issues. Supportive healthcare policy, robust training initiatives, ongoing quality improvement and measurement of outcomes across programs would provide data-driven support for the expansion of integrated care and ensure its sustainability.

Child and adolescent psychiatry training and services in the Middle East region: a current status assessment.

Mental health is a key component of health, yet appropriate care is limited. Evidence concerning child and adolescent mental health has predominantly come from western countries, while the Middle East region, with a large youth population, has reported very little on it. This original, cross-sectional study of child and adolescent psychiatry in the Middle East provides an assessment of current postgraduate programs, services and what is needed to build workforce capacity. Academic psychiatrists from 16 Middle East countries were invited to form a Consortium to map current postgraduate training as one of the determinants of available child and adolescent psychiatry services, identify gaps in the distribution of child and adolescent psychiatrists, and propose potential steps to improve access to child and adolescent mental health care. The study collected data from 15 of the 16 countries invited (no data provided from Yemen). The study revealed underdeveloped child and adolescent psychiatry academic systems throughout the region. Despite recognition of the specialty in a majority of the countries (11/15), only six countries had established a designated child and adolescent psychiatry training program. The overall shortage of child and adolescent mental health specialists varied, yet all Consortium members reported a need for additional child and adolescent psychiatry specialists and allied professionals. Lack of child and adolescent psychiatry specialized programs in place throughout the region has evidently contributed to the shortage of qualified child and adolescent mental health workforce in the Middle East.

Child and adolescent psychiatry in the Far East: A 5-year follow up on the Consortium on Academic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Far East (CACAP-FE) study.

AIM: Data pertaining to child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) training systems are limited as extant research has mostly been derived from one-time data collection. This 5-year follow-up survey collects updated information on CAP training systems in the Far East, allowing for the tracking of system changes over the past 5 years. METHODS: Data were obtained from 18 countries, or functionally self-governing areas, in the Far East, 17 of which were also included in the original study. An online questionnaire was completed by leading CAP professionals in each country. Questions were expanded in the present study to capture the contents of CAP training. RESULTS: When compared to data from the original study, there has been progress in CAP training systems in the last 5 years. Specifically, there has been an increase in the number of countries with CAP training programs and national guidelines for the training. In addition, the number of CAP departments/divisions affiliated with academic institutions/universities has increased. Findings from 12 of 18 countries in the present study provide data on clinical contents. All informants of the present study reported the need for more child and adolescent psychiatrists and allied professionals. CONCLUSION: Despite progress in CAP training systems over the last 5 years, the need for more professionals in child and adolescent mental health care in all the relevant areas in this region have yet to be adequately addressed. Continued national efforts and international collaborations are imperative to developing and sustaining new CAP training systems while facilitating improvements in existing programs.

Pollen Resources Used by Two Species of Stingless Bees (Meliponini) in a Tropical Dry Forest of Southern Ecuador.

Pollinators are crucial for ecosystem functionality; however, little is known about the plant species used by some of these, such as stingless bees. In this study, for the first time, pollen resources used by Melipona mimetica Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) and Scaptotrigona sp. Moure (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) were identified through analysis of corbicular pollen found on worker bees in a dry forest in southern Ecuador. In total, 68 pollen types were identified belonging to 31 botanical families. The most represented plant families were Fabaceae (16%), Malvaceae (7%), and Boraginaceae (7%). Both stingless bee species exhibited a polylectic behavior, with an average of 16 pollen types collected by individual bees. Differences in abundances of pollen types collected by each species indicated distinct uses for these two bee species.