Enhancing quality and integrity in biomedical research in Africa: an international call for greater focus, investment and standardisation in capacity strengthening for frontline staff.

The integrity of biomedical research depends heavily on the quality of research data collected. In turn, data quality depends on processes of data collection, a task undertaken by frontline research staff in many research programmes in Africa and elsewhere. These frontline research staff often have additional responsibilities including translating and communicating research in local languages, seeking informed consent for study participation and maintaining supportive relationships between research institutions and study participants and wider communities. The level of skills that fieldworkers need to undertake these responsibilities clearly affects the quality of data collected, the ethics of research 'on the ground' and the short and long term acceptability of research.We organised an international workshop in Kenya in July 2014 to discuss the role of frontline staff in scientific research. A total of 25 field managers from 9 African countries and the UK met for 2.5 days to discuss the relationship between data quality and institutional performance management systems and how they affect career progression and supportive supervision policies of research frontline staff.From this workshop, and supporting an expanding literature on the role of fieldworkers in international health research, participants agreed that fieldworkers' roles present them with practical and ethical challenges that their routine training does not adequately prepare them for. We argue that the common and complex challenges facing fieldworkers should in part be addressed through increased investment and collaborative agreements across types of research institutions in Africa. We call for standardization of core elements of training for this critically important cadre of research staff who perform similar roles and encounter similar challenges in many African settings. Although many valuable training elements are offered in institutions, there is a need to develop broader, more grounded and innovative strategies to address complex realities for fieldworkers, and support the integrity and ethics of health research in these settings.

Proyección axiológica de la Universidad Médica de Santiago de Cuba en su medio siglo de fundada / Axiological projection of the Medical University from Santiago de Cuba in its half century of being founded

Se destaca la proyección axiológica de la nueva Universidad Cubana de Ciencias Médicas de Santiago de Cuba en su medio siglo de fundada, que contribuye a la formación de un profesional competente y con elevados valores humanos altruistas, dispuesto a prestar sus servicios en los países que integran la Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños(AU)

The axiological projection of the new Cuban University of Medical Sciences from Santiago de Cuba is highlighted in its half century of being founded, which contributes to the training of a competent professional with high altruistic human values, willing to lend his services in the countries integrating the Latin American and Caribbean Community of States(AU)

Comunicación científica (XV). Conocimientos básicos para leer (y escribir) un artículo científico (2): título, resumen e introducción / Scientific communication (XV). Basic knowledge to read (and write) a scientific paper (2): title, abstract and introduction

Cada apartado de un artículo debe diseccionarse en profundidad para conocer sus oportunidades y amenazas a la hora de leer (y escribir) un artículo científico. En estas páginas abordaremos los tres apartados iniciales de un artículo: título, resumen e introducción. El título es lo primero que se lee de un artículo; de ahí su importancia. Hay que buscar buenos títulos y por ello debemos conocer las características que se aconsejan y los errores que debemos evitar. En el título (como en todo el texto) hemos de cuidar dos cuestiones básicas: la longitud de las frases y la longitud de las palabras, lo que se conoce como «índice de niebla». El resumen es una parte fundamental del artículo, su tarjeta de presentación. Suele ser (junto con el título) lo que despierta el interés inicial para leer el texto completo. Su finalidad es identificar el contenido del documento de forma rápida y exacta, con pocas palabras (150-250) y con un estilo preciso y conciso. Debemos cuidar bien las palabras clave y su traducción al inglés. La introducción es la presentación del trabajo y viene a ser como su texto de promoción. Debemos conocer bien la secuencia aconsejada, el buen uso de la bibliografía y la correcta exposición de los objetivos, pero también debemos evitar los errores más frecuentes que se comenten en este apartado (AU)

Each section of an article must be dissected in depth to understand their opportunities and threats when reading (and writing) a scientific paper. This article will address the first three paragraphs of an article: title, abstract and introduction. The title is the first thing to read in an article, hence its importance. We must find good titles and we must know the characteristics that advise and mistakes to avoid. In the title (and throughout the text) we must observe two basic issues: the sentence length and word length, which is known as "fog index". The abstract is a key part of the article, their business card. It is the text that usually focus the initial interest to read the full text, with the title. Its purpose is to identify the contents of the document quickly and accurately, with few words (150-250) and with a precise and concise stile. We must carefully choose appropriate keywords and translate them into English correctly. The introduction is the presentation of the work and is like a promotional text. We must know well the recommended sequence, the proper use of the literature and correct statement of objectives, but we must also avoid the most common mistakes made in this section (AU)

The dignity of the nursing profession: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research.

BACKGROUND: Nursing continues to gain legitimation epistemologically and ontologically as a scientific discipline throughout the world. If a profession gains respect as a true autonomous scientific profession, then this recognition has to be put in practice in all environments and geographical areas. Nursing professional dignity, as a self-regarding concept, does not have a clear definition in the literature, and it has only begun to be analyzed in the last 10 years. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this meta-synthesis was to determine the various factors that constitute the notion of nursing professional dignity. The target was to create a tentative model of the concept. RESEARCH DESIGN: The research design was a meta-synthesis (N = 15 original articles) of nursing professional dignity described in the literature, based on the guidelines by Noblit and Hare. METHOD AND FINDINGS: Original studies were sought out from electronic databases and manual searches. The selection of literature was conducted on stages based on titles (n = 2595), abstracts (n = 70), and full-texts (n = 15) according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. From this analysis, a clear definition of nursing professional dignity emerged that underscored two main macro-dimensions constituting this intertwined, multidimensional, and complex notion: characteristics of the human beings and workplace elements. CONCLUSION: The recognition of nursing professional dignity could have a positive impact on patients because the results clearly showed that nurses are more prone to foster patients' dignity, patients' safety, and a better quality of care if their own dignity is respected. If nurses are uncomfortable, humiliated, or not seen in their professional role, it is difficult to give to others good care, good support, or good relationships.

Professional dignity in nursing in clinical and community workplaces.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyse nurses' professional dignity in their everyday working lives. We explored the factors that affect nursing professional dignity in practice that emerge in relationships with health professionals, among clinical nurses working in hospitals and in community settings in central Italy. The main themes identified were: (i) nursing professional dignity perceived as an achievement; (ii) recognition of dignity beyond professional roles. These two concepts are interconnected. This study provides insights into professional dignity in nursing being perceived as an achievement linked to the intrinsic dignity of every human being. The 'nursing professional dignity perceived as an achievement' was perceived as having declined in different social factors. Some factors of nursing professional dignity perceived as an achievement were attained more easily in community settings. 'Recognition of dignity beyond professional roles' underpins the intrinsic dignity as an expression of humanity, embedded in persons regardless of any profession, and values, such as: respect, moral integrity, humility, working conscientiously and kindness.

[Guidance of medical experts]. / Führung ärztlicher Gutachter.

Guidance is an issue of growing importance for physicians responsible for medical experts working in public health services and on medical advisory boards. The challenge of ethics on the one hand and the constraints of economy on the other hand have considerable impact on the demands for quantity as well as quality of the expert opinions. Thus, executive staff in these organisations reflect as to whether and how they can influence performance through guidance. A short summary of the results of research on the subject of guidance - concerning the aspects (i) guidance as an interaction of people, (ii) guidance as a task in a concrete situation and (iii) guidance as a systemic process of development - shows and points out a wide range of possibilities for staff management and personnel development of medical consultants. Guidance of medical experts is possible and necessary in order to develop the professionalism of medical experts, in order to ensure quality, conformity to standards and efficiency of medical expertise, as well as for a future-oriented development of the medical advisory boards themselves.

Practitioner consensus in the use of cognitive behaviour therapy for individuals with a learning disability.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been acknowledged as one of the most successful treatments for mental health problems. However, only a small number of practitioners engage in CBT with people with learning disabilities. A group of eight clinical psychologists who currently use CBT with this population gave details about their work in an attempt to gain a consensus on how to adapt CBT. The collective experiences of a wider group of experts produced a wealth of knowledge and suggestions to promote the use of CBT with this client group. Results suggested that although CBT needs to be creatively delivered, it does not necessarily need extensive adaptation.

Experiencia cubana en la formación de recursos humanos de enfermería / The Cuban experience in the training of nursing human resources

El Sistema Nacional de Salud cubano priorizó, en un momento determinado, la formación de los recursos humanos de enfermería para que después trabajaran, principalmente, en la promoción de la salud y en la prevención de enfermedades. Esta formación se ha llevado a cabo de forma acelerada y ha pasado por diferentes niveles: auxiliar, técnico y profesional. A partir del año 2001 se trabaja en el programa de Formación Emergente de Enfermería, en respuesta al déficit de enfermeros (as) en La Habana y se crearon 2 escuelas de nuevo tipo. Actualmente existe un período de tránsito donde existe el sub sistema de formación técnica y superior de enfermería para el desarrollo de un nuevo modelo pedagógico con 3 salidas: enfermero básico, enfermero técnico y licenciado (a) en enfermería. Las transformaciones ocurridas en el proceso de formación de los recursos humanos de enfermería motivaron la realización del presente estudio, para lo cual se hizo una amplia revisión documental sobre diferentes temáticas relacionadas con el mismo. Se concluyó que todas las transformaciones ocurridas durante estos años permitieron aumentar la cantidad de este importante recurso con una alta preparación científico técnica lo que ha contribuido a mejorar los servicios de salud y a elevar la calidad de vida del pueblo(AU)

The Cuban National System of Health prioritized, in a certain moment, the formation of the infirmary human resources so that later they worked, mainly, in the promotion of the health and in the prevention of illnesses. This formation has been carried out in a quick way and it has gone by different levels: auxiliary, technician and professional. Starting from the year 2001 one works in the program of Emergent Formation of Infirmary, in answer to the deficit of male nurses (ace) in Havana and 2 schools were created type again. At the moment it exists a period of traffic where it exists the sub system of technical formation and infirmary superior for the development of a new pedagogic model with 3 exits: basic male nurse, technical male nurse and graduate (to) in infirmary. The transformations happened in the process of formation of the infirmary human resources motivated the realization of the present study, for that which a wide documental revision was made on different thematic related with the same one. You concluded that all the transformations happened during these years allowed to increase the quantity of this important resource with a high preparation scientist technique what has contributed to improve the services of health and to elevate the quality of life of the town(AU)