A survey of Canadian dental hygiene faculty needs and credentials.
(25/115)
The American Dental Education Association recently reported that the growing shortage of qualified faculty in dental hygiene education programs has reached a crisis situation. The authors hypothesized that Canadian dental hygiene programs will face a similar shortage. However, a review of the literature identified no studies that investigated Canadian dental hygiene faculty shortages. To address this gap in knowledge, a twenty-three-item descriptive survey and cover letter were mailed to the director of each Canadian school of dental hygiene (N=31) in spring 2003. The survey and letter were translated into French for francophone (French-speaking) schools. Follow-up telephone calls were made to nonrespondent programs. Survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. The response rate was 84 percent. Results revealed that 20 percent of schools had sought to fill empty faculty positions within the year and 47 percent of full-time faculty were forty-nine years or older. Within the next two years, 24 percent of dental hygiene programs in Canada will have full-time faculty positions available, growing to 40 percent within the next five years. Respondents indicated that they preferred faculty to hold a credential above the diploma whether teaching full-time (92 percent) or part-time (88 percent). Other required qualifications included previous teaching experience, current clinical experience, and eligibility for licensure in the province for teaching in Canadian dental hygiene programs. (+info)
Identifying inaccuracies on emergency medicine residency applications.
(26/115)
BACKGROUND: Previous trials have showed a 10-30% rate of inaccuracies on applications to individual residency programs. No studies have attempted to corroborate this on a national level. Attempts by residency programs to diminish the frequency of inaccuracies on applications have not been reported. We seek to clarify the national incidence of inaccuracies on applications to emergency medicine residency programs. METHODS: This is a multi-center, single-blinded, randomized, cohort study of all applicants from LCME accredited schools to involved EM residency programs. Applications were randomly selected to investigate claims of AOA election, advanced degrees and publications. Errors were reported to applicants' deans and the NRMP. RESULTS: Nine residencies reviewed 493 applications (28.6% of all applicants who applied to any EM program). 56 applications (11.4%, 95%CI 8.6-14.2%) contained at least one error. Excluding "benign" errors, 9.8% (95% CI 7.2-12.4%), contained at least one error. 41% (95% CI 35.0-47.0%) of all publications contained an error. All AOA membership claims were verified, but 13.7% (95%CI 4.4-23.1%) of claimed advanced degrees were inaccurate. Inter-rater reliability of evaluations was good. Investigators were reluctant to notify applicants' dean's offices and the NRMP. CONCLUSION: This is the largest study to date of accuracy on application for residency and the first such multi-centered trial. High rates of incorrect data were found on applications. This data will serve as a baseline for future years of the project, with emphasis on reporting inaccuracies and warning applicants of the project's goals. (+info)
An evaluation of a collaborative model for preparing evidence-based medicine teachers.
(27/115)
PURPOSE: The authors studied the effectiveness of a train-the-trainer collaboration model between librarians and medical faculty to instruct librarians and health professionals in teaching evidence-based medicine (EBM) principles. METHODS: A telephone survey was administered to graduates of an EBM course who agreed to participate in the study. They were asked if and how they taught EBM on returning to their institutions, if they felt competent to critically appraise an article, if their skill in searching PubMed improved, and if they collaborated with others in teaching EBM. RESULTS: Most respondents were librarians. The class was successful in that most taught EBM on return to their home institutions. Most initiated collaboration with health professionals. The goals of improving PubMed searching and achieving statistical competency had less success. CONCLUSION: This model is effective in preparing librarians to teach EBM. Modeling and encouraging collaboration between librarians and health professionals were successful techniques. Librarians would like more instruction in statistical concepts and less in searching PubMed. conclusions cannot be made for health professionals because of the low response rate from this group. As evidence-based health care continues to extend to other disciplines, librarians can position themselves to participate fully in the EBM educational process. (+info)
Evolution of surgical skills training.
(28/115)
Surgical training is changing: one hundred years of tradition is being challenged by legal and ethical concerns for patient safety, work hours restrictions, the cost of operating room time, and complications. Surgical simulation and skills training offers an opportunity to teach and practice advanced skills outside of the operating room environment before attempting them on living patients. Simulation training can be as straight forward as using real instruments and video equipment to manipulate simulated "tissue" in a box trainer. More advanced, virtual reality simulators are now available and ready for widespread use. Early systems have demonstrated their effectiveness and discriminative ability. Newer systems enable the development of comprehensive curricula and full procedural simulations. The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME) has mandated the development of novel methods of training and evaluation. Surgical organizations are calling for methods to ensure the maintenance of skills, advance surgical training, and to credential surgeons as technically competent. Simulators in their current form have been demonstrated to improve the operating room performance of surgical residents. Development of standardized training curricula remains an urgent and important agenda, particularly for minimal invasive surgery. An innovative and progressive approach, borrowing experiences from the field of aviation, can provide the foundation for the next century of surgical training, ensuring the quality of the product. As the technology develops, the way we practice will continue to evolve, to the benefit of physicians and patients. (+info)
Faculty credentialing: a survey of forty-six U.S. dental schools.
(29/115)
This study was undertaken in June of 2005 to evaluate the status of credentialing of clinical faculty in United States dental schools. A short survey on the process of credentialing was developed and emailed or mailed to all clinical deans. The survey contained a standard definition of health professional credentialing to which the respondent was to compare his or her school's procedures. Of the forty-six respondents, only 46 percent were conducting credentialing as defined on the survey. Recredentialing of clinical faculty was occurring in most of these schools; however, 23 percent did not report a process of recredentialing. Each institution required different items in its credentialing application: 95 percent required information on licensure; 86 percent, educational background; 67 percent, academic appointments; and 67 percent, specialty board status, among other items that were included at lower rates. Health status was only requested by 29 percent of the institutions. Only 34 percent of those institutions doing credentialing verified the data collected during the application process. Given the legal implications of adverse outcomes, prudent risk management calls for a strong credentialing program. Results of this survey indicate the need for an ongoing effort to standardize credentialing procedures among dental schools and to select appropriate data to be included in the process. (+info)
Radiation management and credentialing of fluoroscopy users.
(30/115)
During the last 15 years, developments in X-ray technologies have substantially improved the ability of practitioners to treat patients using fluoroscopically guided interventional techniques. Many of these procedures require a greater use of fluoroscopy and more recording of images. This increases the potential for radiation-induced dermatitis and epilation, as well as severe radiation-induced burns to patients. Many fluoroscope operators are untrained in radiation management and do not realize that these procedures increase the risk of radiation injury and radiation-induced cancer in personnel as well as patients. The hands of long-time fluoroscope operators in some cases exhibit radiation damage-especially when sound radiation protection practices have not been followed. In response, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the United States Food and Drug Administration has issued an Advisory calling for proper training of operators. Hospitals and administrators need to support and enforce the need for this training by requiring documentation of credentials in radiation management as a prerequisite for obtaining fluoroscopy privileges. A concerted effort on the part of professional medical organizations and regulatory agencies will be required to train fluoroscopy users to prevent physicians from unwittingly imparting serious radiation injuries to their patients. (+info)
Position paper on the development of a middle level provider in nuclear medicine: the nuclear medicine practitioner.
(31/115)
The development of an educational program and credentialing structure to support and recognize an advanced level of the practice of nuclear medicine technology is now underway. This work parallels the efforts in many, if not most, health care disciplines as they seek to achieve the twin goals of developing enhanced career paths and providing the best possible patient care in an environment where science and technology can run roughshod over concepts taught in the classroom a mere decade ago. Education is key to both goals. A master's level degree in nuclear medicine technology, coupled with an advanced practice credential recognizing both the educational achievement and a level of clinical expertise, will give nuclear medicine practitioners the knowledge and the right to practice their profession at a high level of autonomy, leading to more efficient and higher quality health care services. To that end the following position paper was prepared by members of the Advance Practice Task Force of the SNMTS and presented to the SNMTS Executive Council and the SNM Board of Directors. In June 2005, the executive council and the board of directors approved a resolution supporting the establishment of a middle level provider in nuclear medicine known as the nuclear medicine practitioner. (+info)
The accuracy of accredited glaucoma optometrists in the diagnosis and treatment recommendation for glaucoma.
(32/115)
AIM: To compare the diagnostic performance of accredited glaucoma optometrists (AGO) for both the diagnosis of glaucoma and the decision to treat with that of routine hospital eye care, against a reference standard of expert opinion (a consultant ophthalmologist with a special interest in glaucoma). METHODS: A directly comparative, masked, performance study was undertaken in Grampian, Scotland. Of 165 people invited to participate, 100 (61%) were examined. People suspected of having glaucoma underwent, within one month, a full ophthalmic assessment in both a newly established community optometry led glaucoma management scheme and a consultant led hospital eye service. RESULTS: Agreement between the AGO and the consultant ophthalmologist in diagnosing glaucoma was substantial (89%; kappa = 0.703, SE = 0.083). Agreement over the need for treatment was also substantial (88%; kappa = 0.716, SE = 0.076). The agreement between the trainee ophthalmologists and the consultant ophthalmologist in the diagnosis of glaucoma and treatment recommendation was moderate (83%, kappa = 0.541, SE = 0.098, SE = 0.98; and 81%, kappa = 0.553, SE = 0.90, respectively). The diagnostic accuracy of the optometrists in detecting glaucoma in this population was high for specificity (0.93 (95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97)) but lower for sensitivity (0.76 (0.57 to 0.89)). Performance was similar when accuracy was assessed for treatment recommendation (sensitivity 0.73 (0.57 to 0.85); specificity 0.96 (0.88 to 0.99)). The differences in sensitivity and specificity between AGO and junior ophthalmologist were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Community optometrists trained in glaucoma provided satisfactory decisions regarding diagnosis and initiation of treatment for glaucoma. With such additional training in glaucoma, optometrists are at least as accurate as junior ophthalmologists but some cases of glaucoma are missed. (+info)