Pivoting Continuing Professional Development During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Scoping Review of Adaptations and Innovations.

INTRODUCTION: Most formal continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities were offered in person until March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional structures of CPD offerings. The authors explored the adaptations and innovations in CPD that were strengthened or newly created during the first 16 months of the pandemic. METHODS: The objectives of the narrative review were to answer the following questions: (1) what types of adaptations to CPD innovations are described? and (2) what may shape future innovations in CPD? The following databases were searched: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and ERIC to identify the literature published between March 2020 to July 2021. The authors conducted a comprehensive search by including all study types that described adaptations and/or innovations in CPD during the stated pandemic period. RESULTS: Of the 8295 citations retrieved from databases, 191 satisfied the inclusion criteria. The authors found three categories to describe adaptations to CPD innovations: (1) creation of new online resources, (2) increased use of the existing online platforms/software to deliver CPD, and (3) use of simulation for teaching and learning. Reported advantages and disadvantages associated with these adaptations included logistical, interactional, and capacity building elements. The review identified five potential future CPD innovations: (1) empirical research on the effectiveness of virtual learning; (2) novel roles and ways of thinking; (3) learning from other disciplines beyond medicine; (4) formation of a global perspective; and (5) emerging wellness initiatives. DISCUSSION: This review provided an overview of the adaptations and innovations that may shape the future of CPD beyond the pandemic.

Exploring the effectiveness of a cascading mentorship model in developing CanMEDS competencies in postgraduate medical education: a qualitative interview study among resident mentors at a medical school in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: The CanMEDS framework, an educational framework for physicians used in Canada, defined competencies that physicians require to meet patients' needs, all of which can be cultivated through mentorship activities. The Advocacy Mentorship Initiative (AMI) at the University of Toronto used a cascading mentorship model (CMM), whereby resident mentors (RMs) mentored undergraduate medical student mentors (MSMs), who in turn mentored youth raised in at-risk environments. Both RMs and MSMs were mentored by the AMI programme lead, a staff psychiatrist, with expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry. The research question of this study was as follows: What were the merits of using a CMM in enhancing the knowledge, competencies and residency experiences of RMs in AMI? DESIGN: Qualitative interview study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: RMs involved in AMI from January 2017 to December 2020 were invited to participate in the study. A total of 11 RMs agreed to participate. METHODS: Interviews were conducted to canvas participants about how AMI impacted them, and these were recorded, transcribed and anonymised. Braun and Clarke's approach to thematic analysis was used to identify 'subthemes' and 'themes'. RESULTS: Eleven RMs participated in the study. A major theme identified was how AMI enhanced the medical learner experience by augmenting the educational experience of MSMs, strengthening RMs' values and attitudes, and strengthening RMs' knowledge and competencies. The second theme captured was the effective facets of a mentorship programme in AMI, including the CMM, and collaborative and inclusive relationships between mentors and mentees. CONCLUSIONS: RMs identified that the CMM of AMI cultivated CanMEDS competencies in medical learners; deepened medical learners' understanding of social determinants of health; and offered a bidirectional approach to teaching and learning between MSMs and RMs. MSMs and RMs also learnt from the staff psychiatrist.

Engagement in community life: perspectives of youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities on families' roles.

Purpose: The main objectives of this study were to learn from youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities about the ways their families were involved in their engagement in community life and to capture how they felt about such involvement.Method: The current study is a secondary analysis of a larger study, the Voices of Youths Research Project, framed by inclusive research methods. Thirty-eight semi-structured interviews that discussed perspectives on friendship, social inclusion, and quality of life from 20 participants (ages 13 to 24 years) were included in this paper. All interviews were video-recorded and coded using NVivo 10. Thematic analysis of the coded segments was guided by a constructivist grounded theory approach.Results: Three major themes emerged from the experiences of youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities on family involvement in their social and community engagement: (1) complex of supports and influences, (2) community engagement with and through family, and (3) points of tension.Conclusions: These thematic findings offer insights into the lived experiences of youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities about engagement in community life. These findings provide an understanding, outside of conventional schemas, of transition into young adulthood for these youths.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONRehabilitation professionals often work with youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities who face barriers to reaching transition goals identified either by themselves or others.Family members' views that may focus on goals of maximizing functional independence and/or decreasing caregiver demands can often overshadow the goals or views of youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities themselves.Rehabilitation professionals should find ways to explore with youth their family's roles in engagement and belonging in community life so that they can link youths to appropriate community resources and plan optimal interventions/programs.Rehabilitation professionals need to be aware of and respond to points of tension that can emerge between youths with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their family during transition.