COVID-19 and cancer screening in Scotland: A national and coordinated approach to minimising harm.

Screening is an important component of cancer control internationally. In Scotland, the National Health Service Scotland provides screening programmes for cervical, bowel and breast cancers. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the suspension of these programmes in March 2020. We describe the integrated approach to managing the impact of the pandemic on cancer screening programmes in Scotland throughout 2020. We outline the policy context and decision-making process leading to suspension, and the criteria and framework informing the subsequent, staggered, restart in subsequent months. The decision to suspend screening services in order to protect screening invitees and staff, and manage NHS capacity, was made after review of numbers of screening participants likely to be affected, and the potential number of delayed cancer diagnoses. Restart principles and a detailed route map plan were developed for each programme, seeking to ensure broad consistency of approach across the programmes and nationally. Early data indicates bowel, breast and cervical screening participation has increased since restart. Primary care has had to adapt to new infection prevention control measures for delivery of cervical screening. Cancer charities provided cancer intelligence and policy briefs to national bodies and Scottish Government, as well as supporting the public, patients and screening invitees through information and awareness campaigns. Emerging from the pandemic, there is recognition of the need and the opportunity to transform and renew both cancer and screening services in Scotland, and in particular to address long-standing workforce capacity problems through innovation and investment, and to continue to prioritise addressing health inequalities.

Metodología para monitoreo del impacto de la formación de especialistas en la Universidad Médica matancera / Methodology for monitoring the impact of specialists training in the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas

RESUMEN Introducción: el impacto de un programa de formación de posgrado con enfoque profesional puede ser definido como su repercusión en cambios favorables en los niveles de competencia de los estudiantes, su desempeño en el puesto de trabajo, la eficiencia y la competitividad de las organizaciones y sus efectos en el entorno interno y externo. No siempre las instituciones educativas cuentan con los instrumentos adecuados para la evaluación de estos impactos, aspecto que resulta medular para valorar la pertinencia y el impacto social de los programas de formación. Objetivo: elaborar una metodología para la evaluación del monitoreo del impacto de la formación en las especialidades médicas. Material y Método: la metodología elaborada se fundamenta en el Subsistema de Evaluación y Acreditación de Especialidades de Posgrado (SEA-EP) y el análisis de los modelos de evaluación del impacto de la formación existentes, la cual incluye un instrumento propio para evaluar el impacto de dicha formación, el cual se apoya esencialmente en un grupo de encuestas y entrevistas. Resultados: se muestra una contribución a la evaluación sistémica e integradora del proceso de formación, demostrando la pertinencia de la metodología diseñada, con la inclusión del instrumento propio. Conclusión: La metodología propuesta se concibió con una visión integral, sistémica y abarcadora de la formación. Los cuestionarios diseñados recogen gran cantidad de información, alineados al Patrón de Calidad del SEA-EP, por lo que son más eficaces para valorar su impacto, la calidad intrínseca del proceso formativo y determinar oportunidades de mejora en el mismo (AU).

SUMMARY Introduction: The impact of a program of postgraduate training with professional view could be defined as its repercussion in favorable changes in the students´ competence levels, their performance in their work places, the efficiency and competitiveness of the organizations and their effectiveness in the internal and external environment. The educative institutions do not always have the effective instruments for evaluating these impacts, important aspect to assess the pertinence and the social impact of the training programs. Objective: to elaborate a methodology for evaluating the monitoring of the training impact in medical specialties. Materials and methods: the elaborated methodology is based on the Subsystem of Evaluation and Accreditation of Postgraduate Specialties [Subsistema de Evaluación y Acreditación de Especialidades de Posgrado (SEA-EP) en español] and the analysis of the patterns of evaluating the impact of the existent training which includes a proper tool to evaluate the impact of that training, based mainly in a group of enquiries and interviews. Results: it confirms a contribution to the systemic and integrative evaluation of the training process, showing the pertinence of the designed methodology, with the inclusion of a proper instrument. Conclusion: the proposed methodology was conceived with an integrative, systemic and comprehensive point of view of the training. The designed questionnaires gather great quantity of information, according to the Quality Pattern of SEA-EP, being therefore more efficacious to assess its impact, the intrinsic quality of the training process and to determine opportunities of improvement in it (AU).