Growing value of data standardization: Allotrope Foundation Connect Workshop Proceedings

Recent Allotrope Foundation (AF) Connect Workshops (2021-2023) showcased some of the latest advancements in data standardization for analytical data in the pharmaceutical industry. These workshops demonstrated the adaption of two key technologies, the Allotrope Data Format (ADF) and the Allotrope Simple Model (ASM), which streamline instrument data representation and terminology to enhance interoperability across systems. Notably, ASM has facilitated broader adoption of the standard. The increasing significance of data-driven decision-making in the life sciences is underscored by the evolving landscape of open-source solutions and commercial implementations, as demonstrated by industry leaders adopting these standards. Here, we highlight selected examples that illustrate the collective efforts of the community in advancing data standards and data management in the life sciences.

[Taking into account the link between health and the environment]

Because of their weight and size, children are much more sensitive to environmental pollution than adults. They breathe, drink and eat more, and therefore absorb more potentially toxic substances, as the European Environment Agency points out. Challenges therefore lie ahead in a number of areas. As soon as pregnancy is announced, prevention and awareness-raising workshops are offered at the three Trousseau-Tenon-Pitié-Salpétrière maternity units of the Sorbonne Université-Paris hospital group of the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris. If a child is suspected of having food allergies and/or requires medical attention, the paediatric allergology department of the Armand-Trousseau hospital in the 12th arrondissement will be contacted.

Where bacteria and eukaryotes meet

The international workshop "Interdisciplinary life of microbes: from single cells to multicellular aggregates," following a virtual preassembly in November 2021, was held in person in Dresden, from 9 to 13 November 2022. It attracted not only prominent experts in biofilm research but also researchers from broadly neighboring disciplines, such as medicine, chemistry, and theoretical and experimental biophysics, both eukaryotic and prokaryotic. Focused brainstorming sessions were the special feature of the event and are at the heart of this commentary.

Incorporating artificial intelligence into a workshop on scientific and scholarly report writing for preclinical medical students

This article presents the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool (ChatGPT) to transform a didactic lecture to an interactive workshop. The workshop on scientific and scholarly report writing was conducted for preclinical medical students. The functions of the AI as teaching assistance and documentation were expected to support the workshop. In this workshop, the AI was used to summarise and generate the summary notes based on students' inputs throughout the interactive activities during the workshop. Future research should focus on potential functions of AI in medical education and its impacts on student's learning outcomes.

Gender and social class inequalities in higher education: intersectional reflections on a workshop experience

Research about the experiences of underrepresented groups in higher education (HE) demonstrates the persistence of challenges, despite policies and institutional strategies to promote inclusion. Diversity and inclusion policies have been part of the HE agenda for several decades, yet most policies and interventions focus on (a) a given, isolated identity experience (e.g., based solely on gender, social class, or ethnicity) rather than more intersectional approaches to identity; and (b) top-down interventions that do not include participants insights in their design. In this paper, we report a case study of a workshop with students at an elite university that drew on an intersectional approach to social identities (IASI), specifically, looking at gender and social class. We explore three key themes: (a) the importance of group processes, (b) the use of visual techniques, and (c) the institutional tensions and the (de)politicisation of social psychology research. Reflecting on this case study we argue that approaches to identity and inclusion in HE can benefit from intersectionality beyond the use of multi and overlapping identity and social group categories. We argue that research in this space is not neutral and needs to acknowledge researchers' position about (a) inclusion and diversity, (b) perceptions of participants in research, and (c) the motivation and aims of institutions where the research is conducted. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of integrating an intersectional approach within social identity research in HE when focusing on underrepresented groups.

Academics meet practitioners: Interactive exchange instead of consuming knowledge on dairy calving management

Consensus on optimal calving management is difficult to achieve among veterinarians. Some of this discordance may stem from asymmetry between the literature written by subject matter experts (SME) and the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of non-SMEs and veterinary practitioners. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess how veterinary practitioners KAPs in calving management compared with the findings in the literature. An online questionnaire survey was conducted prior to a World Buiatrics Congress by delegates (n = 80) who attended a workshop on calving management at which the outcomes of the latter were recorded. The responses from the questionnaire and the consensus from the workshop were compared and these were compared with the literature on calving management, specifically, prediction of calving, assistance at calving and farmer training in calving management. In general, there was good agreement between the aggregated individual responses to the questionnaire and the consensuses from the workshop. The suggested methods of predicting calving were well aligned between practitioners and those researched in the literature but practitioners tended to emphasize more practical aspects of prediction while the literature tends to focus more on the effectiveness of various predictor devices. Practitioners tended to recommend a later time of calving assistance than that recommended in the recent literature though they did also emphasize the importance of calving progress. The majority of practitioners conducted informal (at calving) calving training focusing on time of intervention, welfare-friendly intervention and delivery of a live healthy calf. However, the educational literature recommends a formal training approach as being more effective. These findings indicate that practitioners may benefit from continuing professional education on the scientific merits/demerits of calving prediction devices, current best practice on intervention timing during calving and formal methods of farmer training on calving management.

Reflections from the peer-supported writing and wellbeing program, Write Smarter Feel Better

PURPOSE

This paper aims to provide an overview of a peer-supported writing and wellbeing pilot program for higher degree by research (HDR) students in Australia. It proposes a six-month program is a beneficial service to HDR students that improves not only their productivity and writing confidence but assists with their perceived mental wellbeing as well.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This paper offers a perspective of the piloted writing and wellbeing program for HDR students during the recovery period during the COVID-19 global pandemic. It includes generalized reflections of participation, content, and structure alongside future directions and further implementation.

FINDINGS

This research includes generalized, anonymous data regarding the success of the writing and wellbeing pilot program for HDR students and components to improve upon. It suggests that the overwhelming response from participants was positive, especially during various COVID-19 related lockdowns and travel restriction measures.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

As this paper involves a small cohort of preliminary impressions from the pilot study, results will lack generalizability. Therefore, it is acknowledged that further research will ensue to examine the program further.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The success, measured by adherence and wellbeing improvements, of the Write Smarter: Feel Better program can influence the way in which universities address and protect mental wellbeing of their HDR students.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This paper fulfills an identified and growing need for mental wellbeing to be strengthened among HDR students.

A multisectoral approach to developing a state-level foreign animal disease response plan: the Ohio African Swine Fever Response Plan Workshop

Foreign animal disease (FAD) preparedness is a high priority for state and federal governments to ensure the protection of the nation's livestock industry. Highly contagious diseases such as African swine fever (ASF) have been the focus of recent advancements in FAD preparedness, including the development of disease-specific response plans. At the state level, FAD response plans provide a framework to help ensure a rapid and coordinated response that considers the resources and realities of that state; however, preparing a comprehensive plan requires collaboration across multiple agencies and sectors that can be difficult to operationalize. To initiate systematic state-level ASF response plan writing and identify gaps in preparedness, university and industry stakeholders partnered with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and USDA to develop the Ohio African Swine Fever Response Plan Workshop. A linear planning model was used to implement the workshop in May 2021. All planning and workshop activities were conducted fully virtually, prompted by public health restrictions in response to COVID-19. Sixty-four participants, representing multiple sectors and stakeholder groups including state/federal/industry animal health officials, emergency management, environmental protection, and academia, contributed to the workshop. Spanning 3 days, participants identified current response capabilities and areas requiring additional planning for an effective state-level response. The workshop generated recommendations from a multisectoral perspective for subcommittees tasked with developing standard operating procedures for the Ohio ASF Response Plan. The methodology and resources used to plan, implement, and evaluate the workshop are described to provide a model for state-level response planning.

2023 International African Swine Fever Workshop: Critical Issues That Need to Be Addressed for ASF Control

The 2023 International African Swine Fever Workshop (IASFW) took place in Beijing, China, on 18-20 September 2023. It was jointly organized by the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health (USCCAH) at Kansas State University (KSU) and the Chinese Veterinary Drug Association (CVDA) and sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS), Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, and Zoetis Inc. The objective of this workshop was to provide a platform for ASF researchers around the world to unite and share their knowledge and expertise on ASF control and prevention. A total of 24 outstanding ASF research scientists and experts from 10 countries attended this meeting. The workshop included presentations on current ASF research, opportunities for scientific collaboration, and discussions of lessons and experiences learned from China/Asia, Africa, and Europe. This article summarizes the meeting highlights and presents some critical issues that need to be addressed for ASF control and prevention in the future.

Training Australian Dietitians in Behavior Change Techniques Through Educational Workshops: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The use of education alone as a technique to change behavior in interventions is usually insufficient, particularly in health interventions. Behavior change techniques have been shown to be effective in fostering positive changes in health behaviors such as diet and physical activity. The upskilling of health professionals can increase perceived capability and motivation toward eliciting change in clients' behaviors. However, to date, dietitians have received limited training in behavior change and have expressed a need for continuous professional development.

OBJECTIVE

The study objectives are to (1) develop and evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of two 2-hour behavior change workshops on changing dietitians behavior (ie, range of behavior change techniques used and frequency of use) across 3 time points; (2) determine if participation in these workshops will elicit changes in dietitians' perceived capability, opportunity, and motivation toward using behavior change techniques; and (3) determine the acceptability of the training and its application in practice by dietitians.

METHODS

We will recruit registered dietitians (N=140) in Australia to participate in this randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or 3-month waitlist control condition and complete outcome measures at 3 time points: baseline, after the workshop, and follow-up at 3 months. Both groups will complete 2 workshops on behavior change that are guided by the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior) Model and embedded with behavior change techniques. The primary outcome is changes in behavior, (ie, the range of behavior change techniques used and their frequency of use). Secondary outcomes include changes in perceived capability, opportunity, motivation, and preparedness as a health professional toward delivering behavior change techniques. The acceptability of the workshops will also be assessed after the workshop through the postworkshop survey and semistructured interviews. A series of 2-way repeated measures ANOVAs and regressions will be used. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Participant recruitment commenced in June 2023. The results of the study are expected to be published in November 2024. The results will allow us to assess comparisons between the intervention and waitlist control groups, as well as changes in perceived capability, opportunity, motivation, and preparedness over a 3-month period. It will also provide an understanding of the acceptability of the training as a form of continuous professional development for dietitians.

CONCLUSIONS

If found to be effective, the results of this 2-arm randomized controlled trial will guide future training and continuous professional development for health professionals in changing behavior in practice. Our findings will contribute to our understanding of the application of behavior change techniques in practice with clients and identify components of COM-B where dietitians may need future support.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ACTRN12623000525684; https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12623000525684.aspx.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/49723.

The African Society of Human Genetics successfully launches global data science workshops

To accelerate the impact of African genomics on human health, data science skills and awareness of Africa's rich genetic diversity must be strengthened globally. We describe the first African genomics data science workshop, implemented by the African Society of Human Genetics (AfSHG) and international partners, providing a framework for future workshops.

Making creativity explicit: A workshop to foster creativity in biomedical science education

Previously we identified that biomedical science students commonly misunderstand "creativity," mistaking it for "freedom." In the present study, we describe and evaluate a workshop designed to increase students' awareness of creativity as a highly sought-after employability skill and cognitive process applicable to scientific endeavors. To achieve this, we developed and introduced students to a process called the "Diamond Model," utilizing a case study to contextualize and signpost the creative processes of divergent and convergent thinking. This model was introduced to students in the first workshop of a 12-week undergraduate biochemistry unit (subject) within the Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Monash University, Australia. Students completed pre- and post-workshop surveys to gauge the impact of the workshop on their conceptions of creativity and Bloom's taxonomy of learning. In addition, reflective journals were completed by a small subset of students (n = 9) following the workshop. Following the workshop, over 65% of students indicated that their conception of creativity had changed. Thematic analysis of students' survey responses and reflections indicated that this change in the conception of creativity included broadening their definition of creativity, increased awareness of creativity as a skill and science as a creative process, and that creativity can be applied to different areas of life. Students attributed the signposting of creative elements as a contributing factor to their increased awareness. These results indicate the positive impact the workshop and our novel Diamond model had on student conception of creativity, highlighting the importance of explicit communication and signposting in skill development.

Co-development of implementation strategies to assist staff of a mental health community managed organisation provide preventive care for health behaviours

ISSUE ADDRESSED

People with a mental health condition are at risk of developing chronic physical disease due to smoking tobacco, inadequate nutrition, high alcohol consumption, low physical activity and poor sleep (SNAPS). Community managed organisations (CMOs) represent an opportune setting to support mental health consumers to improve their health behaviours through providing preventive care. Reporting of methods used to co-develop implementation strategies to assist CMO staff to deliver preventive care for SNAPS are scarce yet warranted.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to: (1) describe a co-development workshop involving CMO staff and researchers to identify preferred implementation support strategies to help staff routinely provide preventive care; (2) describe the strategies that emerged from the workshop; and (3) report staff ratings of the workshop on four co-development principles.

METHODS

A three-hour co-development workshop was conducted on two occasions with staff of one CMO in New South Wales, Australia. Twenty staff participated in the workshops.

RESULTS

Participants generated and ranked a total of seven discrete implementation strategies within five categories (training, point of care prompts, guidelines, continuous quality improvement and consumer activation). Training for staff to have difficult conversations about behaviour change was ranked highest in both workshops. Participants rated the workshops positively across four co-development principles.

CONCLUSIONS

The co-development workshop enabled implementation strategies to be developed within the context in which they were to be delivered and tested, potentially increasing their feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness and impact. SO WHAT?: Implementation strategies selected from the workshops will inform a pilot implementation support trial to assist CMO staff to provide preventive care to people with mental health conditions.

Teaching the physiology of the human body in non-formal spaces: pilot experience of a Service-Learning methodology and the interaction between students of different educational levels

Research institutes and universities have strengthened the development of biomedicine outreach activities, constituing a non-formal education system of science literacy, although with little commitment from undergraduate students. However, as a Service-Learning methodology, these outreach activities could work as a tool for the acquisition of skills by students of Health Science Degrees. Described here is the development of the workshop entitled "Exploring the human body" at the Biodonostia Health Research Institute and the pilot experience of its implementation as a Service-Learning activity at the University of Málaga. Firstly, 359 secondary education students were mentored by Ph.D. students through a 5-station workshop with experiments and activities related to the physiology of the human body. Then, 301 undergraduate students of Medicine and Nursing Degrees advised 965 secondary education students. Both groups of students assessed the workshop via questionnaires and a debriefing. The data showed an overall score of 4.6 out of 5 for the workshop. Undergraduate students reported a positive impact on their academic background (4.8 out of 5), mainly due to the improvement of oral communication skills (34%). Therefore, this methodology could be a valid and applicable tool to develop the cross-disciplinary competences of undergraduate students.

Simulation-based workshop for emergency preparedness in otolaryngology

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of a hands-on simulation-based course with emphasis on procedural techniques, clinical reasoning, and communication skills developed to improve junior Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) residents' preparedness in managing otolaryngologic emergencies.

Methods

Junior OHNS residents and faculty from residency programs in California, Nevada, and Arizona participated in this workshop in 2020 and 2021. The stations featured airway management techniques, ultrasound-guided needle aspiration, nasoseptal hematoma evacuation, and facial fracture repair using various models and cadavers. Participants completed a pre-workshop survey, post-workshop survey, and 2-month follow-up survey that assessed resident anxiety and confidence in three OHNS emergency situations across knowledge, manual skills, and teamwork using a 5-point Likert scale.

Results

Pre-workshop surveys reported the least anxiety and most confidence in teamwork, but the most anxiety and least confidence in technical skills and knowledge related to foreign body retrieval and airway management. Immediately post-workshop participants reported significant reductions in anxiety and increases in confidence, largest in the manual skills domain, in foreign body retrieval (anxiety: -0.99, confidence: +0.95, p < .01) and airway management stations (anxiety: -0.68, confidence: +1.07, p < .01). Data collected for the epistaxis station showed decreasing confidence and increasing anxiety following the workshop.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of a workshop in preparing junior residents in potentially lifesaving otolaryngologic techniques that residents will encounter. Optimizing use of simulation centered training can inform the future of residency education, improving confidence and decreasing anxiety in residents responsible for the safety of patients.

Level of Evidence

III.

Neonatal resuscitation workshop for trainees in standardized medical residency training-a pilot practice in Shenzhen, China

Background

Neonatal resuscitation is an important skillset for clinicians attending deliveries. Accredited neonatal resuscitation training is not obligatory in most training centers of standardized medical residency programs before 2022 in China. We investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of neonatal resuscitation simulation training (neo-RST) in residents in Shenzhen, China.

Methods

Four two-day neo-RST workshops were conducted in the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital and Shenzhen Health Capacity Building and Continuing Education Center in 2020-2021. The workshops had Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)® update, skill stations and simulation practice with debriefing. Each participant had the integrated skill station assessment (ISSA) at the end of workshop. Participants of workshops included residents of different disciplines and health care providers (HCPs) of neonatal and obstetrical departments. We compared demographic characteristics, neonatal resuscitation knowledge before training, ISSA overall and categorical scores on skill sets between residents and HCPs.

Results

In 2020-2021, 4 neo-RST workshops were conducted with 48 residents and 48 HCPs. The residents group had less working experience, less prior experience in neo-RST and lower neonatal resuscitation knowledge scores than those of HCPs group. After the workshop, residents had higher overall ISSA score than that of HCPs group (90.2 ± 5.9 vs. 86.3 ± 6.6%, P = 0.003, respectively). There was no significant difference in the numbers of participants scored <80% in residents and HCPs group (3 [6.3%] vs. 7 [14.6%], respectively). Regarding the categorical scores, residents scored significantly higher in preparation, ventilation, crisis resource management and behavioral skills but lower in appropriate oxygen use, when compared with the HCPs.

Conclusion

Neo-RST for residents is feasible with promising short-term educational outcomes. Neo-RST could be implemented in standardized medical residency programs in China.

Pelvic + Anatomy: A new interactive pelvic anatomy model. Prospective randomized control trial with first-year midwife residents

Detailed knowledge of female pelvic floor anatomy is essential for midwifery and other professionals in obstetrics. Physical models have shown great potential for teaching anatomy and enhancing surgical skills. In this article, we introduce an innovative physical anatomy model called "Pelvic+" to teach anatomical relationships in the female pelvis. The Pelvic+ model's value was compared to a traditional lecture in 61 first-year midwifery students randomly allocated to either the Pelvic+ (n = 30) or a control group (n = 32). The primary outcome measure was a quiz comprised of 15 multiple choice questions on pelvic anatomy. Participants were assessed at baseline (Pre-Test), upon completion of the intervention (Post-Test1) and 4 months afterward (Post-Test2). Satisfaction with the approach was assessed at Post-Test1. Increase in knowledge was greater and the approach more accepted among resident midwives when Pelvic+ was used instead of standard lectures. Four months after the intervention, the improvement in knowledge was preserved in the Pelvic+ group. This randomized study demonstrates that the Pelvic+ simulator is more effective than classical learning for pelvic anatomy education, and offers a higher level of satisfaction among students during the educational process. Medical students training in obstetrics and gynecology, or any professional who specializes in the female pelvic floor might also benefit from incorporation of the Pelvic+ model into their training program.

Workshop for Basic Gynaecological Examinations: Improving Medical Student Learning through Clinical Simulation

INTRODUCTION

This study was designed to evaluate whether the Workshop on Basic Principles for Clinical Gynaecological Exploration, offered to medical students, improves theoretical-practical knowledge, safety, confidence, global satisfaction and the achievement of the proposed objectives in the area of gynaecological clinical examinations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a quasi-experimental pre-post-learning study carried out at the Gynaecology and Obstetrics department of Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid (Spain). The volunteer participants were 4th-year students earning a degree in Medicine during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years. The study period was divided into the following stages: pre-workshop, intra-workshop and 2 weeks post-workshop. In the pre-workshop stage, students completed a brief online course to prepare for the workshop. The effectiveness of the workshop was evaluated through multiple-choice tests and self-administered questionnaires to assess self-assurance, self-confidence, self-satisfaction and the achievement of the objectives.

RESULTS

Of the 277 students invited in both academic years, 256 attended the workshop (92.4%), with a total participation in the different stages of the study greater than 70%. A total of 82.5% of the students in the 2020-2021 academic year and 80.6% of students in the 2021-2022 academic year did not have any type of experience performing gynaecological clinical examinations. Between the pre-workshop and 2 weeks post-workshop stages, there was significant improvement in theoretical-practical knowledge (improvement mean = 1.38 and 1.21 in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 academic years, respectively). The security and confidence of the students prior to the workshop were low (average scores less than 5 points) in both academic years. However, post-workshop scores for satisfaction and the achievement of objectives were high in the two academic years; all the values approached or exceeded 8 points.

CONCLUSIONS

Our students, after outstanding participation, evaluated the BPCGE, and improved their theoretical and practical knowledge, as well as their skills in a gynaecological clinical examination. Moreover, in their view, after the workshop, they felt very satisfied, far outreaching the proposed aims. In addition, excellent results were maintained over time, year after year.

Development and Implementation of Workshops to Optimize the Delivery of Vaccination Services in Community Pharmacies: Thinking beyond COVID-19

Vaccines are widely recognized as the most economically efficient strategy to combat infectious diseases. Community pharmacists, being highly accessible healthcare professionals, have the potential to significantly contribute to the promotion and facilitation of vaccination uptake. In Canada, the jurisdiction of healthcare falls under provincial legislation, leading to variations in the extent of pharmacist practice throughout the country. While some pharmacists in Canada already functioned as immunizers, Québec pharmacists gained the authority to prescribe and administer vaccines in March 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Our workshop aimed to equip pharmacists in Québec with the necessary guidance to optimize vaccinations, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and expanding immunization services beyond influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in the future. During the workshop, pharmacists had the opportunity to exchange valuable insights and best practices regarding workflow optimization, identifying areas for improvement in competency, effectively reaching vulnerable population groups, and integrating allied team members into their practice. Participants were also asked to develop a plan of action to help implement practice change beyond the workshop. Interactive workshops centered around discussions like these serve as catalysts for advancing the pharmacy profession, uniting professionals with a collective aim of enhancing patient care.

Highlights from the 1st European cancer dependency map symposium and workshop

The systematic identification of tumour vulnerabilities through perturbational experiments on cancer models, including genome editing and drug screens, is playing a crucial role in combating cancer. This collective effort is known as the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap). The 1st European Cancer Dependency Map Symposium (EuroDepMap), held in Milan last May, featured talks, a roundtable discussion, and a poster session, showcasing the latest discoveries and future challenges related to the DepMap. The symposium aimed to facilitate interactions among participants across Europe, encourage idea exchange with leading experts, and present their work and future projects. Importantly, it sparked discussions on future endeavours, such as screening more complex cancer models and accounting for tumour evolution.

The Effect of a One-Day Workshop on the Quality of Framing Multiple Choice Questions in Physiology in a Medical College in India

Background Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are commonly used in medical exams for more objectivity in assessment. However, the quality of the questions should be optimum for a proper assessment of the students. A faculty development program (FDP) may improve the quality of MCQs. The effect of a one-day workshop on framing MCQ as a part of a FDP has not been explored in our institution. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the quality of MCQ in the subject of physiology before and after a one-day workshop on framing MCQ as a part of a FDP. Methods This was a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, Jharkhand, India. A one-day workshop on framing MCQ as a part of a FDP was conducted in March 2022. We took 100 MCQs and responses from the students from examinations conducted before the workshop and 100 MCQs and responses from the students after the workshop. In pre-workshop and post-workshop, the same five faculties framed the questions. Post-validation item analysis including difficulty index (DIFI), discrimination index (DI), distractor effectiveness (DE), and Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) for internal consistency was calculated. Results Pre-workshop and post-workshop quality of the MCQ remain equal in terms of DIFI (chi-square {3} = 2.42, P = 0.29), DI (chi-square {3} = 2.44, P = 0.49), and DE (chi-square {3} = 4.97, P = 0.17). The KR-20 in pre-workshop and post-workshop was 0.65 and 0.87, respectively. Both had acceptable internal consistency. Conclusion The one-day workshop on framing MCQs as a part of a FDP did not have a significant impact on the quality of the MCQs as measured by the three indices of item quality but did improve the internal consistency of the MCQs. Further educational programs and research are required to find out what measures can improve the quality of MCQs.

Barriers, Priorities and Lessons Learned in Achieving Electronic Health Records Interoperability in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Workshop Findings

Electronic health records (EHR) interoperability is a complex topic that continues to gain traction in the digital health landscape. We facilitated a qualitative workshop consisting of domain experts in EHR implementation and health IT managers. The workshop aimed to identify critical barriers to achieving interoperability, priorities for new EHR implementations and lessons learned from managing existing implementations. The workshop highlighted that data modelling and interoperability standards are vital priorities for maternal and child health data services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The Gap Between AI and Bedside: Participatory Workshop on the Barriers to the Integration, Translation, and Adoption of Digital Health Care and AI Startup Technology Into Clinical Practice

BACKGROUND

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health technological innovations from startup companies used in clinical practice can yield better health outcomes, reduce health care costs, and improve patients' experience. However, the integration, translation, and adoption of these technologies into clinical practice are plagued with many challenges and are lagging. Furthermore, explanations of the impediments to clinical translation are largely unknown and have not been systematically studied from the perspective of AI and digital health care startup founders and executives.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to describe the barriers to integrating early-stage technologies in clinical practice and health care systems from the perspectives of digital health and health care AI founders and executives.

METHODS

A stakeholder focus group workshop was conducted with a sample of 10 early-stage digital health and health care AI founders and executives. Digital health, health care AI, digital health-focused venture capitalists, and physician executives were represented. Using an inductive thematic analysis approach, transcripts were organized, queried, and analyzed for thematic convergence.

RESULTS

We identified the following four categories of barriers in the integration of early-stage digital health innovations into clinical practice and health care systems: (1) lack of knowledge of health system technology procurement protocols and best practices, (2) demanding regulatory and validation requirements, (3) challenges within the health system technology procurement process, and (4) disadvantages of early-stage digital health companies compared to large technology conglomerates. Recommendations from the study participants were also synthesized to create a road map to mitigate the barriers to integrating early-stage or novel digital health technologies in clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Early-stage digital health and health care AI entrepreneurs identified numerous barriers to integrating digital health solutions into clinical practice. Mitigation initiatives should create opportunities for early-stage digital health technology companies and health care providers to interact, develop relationships, and use evidence-based research and best practices during health care technology procurement and evaluation processes.

[Practice improvement: workshops for caregivers]

The transmission of good practices is one of the missions of the mobile geriatric outreach teams (EMGE). In this context, the EMGE Centre-Nord 92 has proposed two activities for caregivers in residential care facilities for the dependent elderly (Ehpad) in a concrete and participatory form, called "workshop". The purpose of the workshop on handling hearing aids is to help caregivers handle these technologies used to correct hearing loss in the elderly. The etymology-card game workshop is designed to help caregivers review and use medical vocabulary.

Jaw Surgery Workshop: Patient Preparation for Orthognathic Surgery

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing orthognathic surgery may have limited information surrounding surgery. This leads to less satisfaction with surgical outcomes, anxiety surrounding surgery and difficulty following perioperative instructions.

SOLUTION

Providing a multi-disciplinary pre-operative educational experience for patients and caregivers improves surgical readiness and satisfaction.

WHAT IS NEW

Our team provides a "Jaw Surgery Workshop" which includes lectures from providers, previous patients, cookbooks and supplies. This allows for improved confidence and expectations surrounding jaw surgery.

Best practices to promote field science safety

Interventions are necessary to address the ongoing epidemic of sexual harassment and assault in field settings. An evidence-based approach to identifying specific interventions will be most effective at promoting the safety of scientists. We present the results of a workshop conducted by experts in field biology and the study of sexual harassment and assault that identified a comprehensive set of best practices for individuals and organizations. These recommendations are grounded in peer-reviewed scholarship and are separated into four topics: culture change, accountability, policy development, and reporting. The resulting report of the workshop recommends 44 practices, categorized by resources required for implementation, the time frame of implementation, and level of organization responsible for implementation The best practices that we present are designed to support individuals and organizations in the development of field safety plans.

Experimenting with visual content: online focus group on citizens' perception and trust in science communication

Background: This paper presents part of a wider research project called TRESCA[1] which aims to develop trust in science through the innovation of communication practices. Connected with the topic of trust in sciences, in terms of the credibility and reliability of scientific information, a part of the project was dedicated to the assessment of the explanatory power of two main elements of communication: audio and video. Particular attention was given to how these two elements relate to the perception of citizens, mediating with the latent imaginaries, emotional charges and value judgements that are the basis of the framing of relevant news, and thus with the ability of people to distinguish between correct and false communication. Methods: To investigate these aspects, an ad hoc workshop was designed and implemented in three European countries with the aim of understanding how people interpret the content of a scientific communication video with particular attention to the role of images and audio. Some probe questions were carefully selected to explore content and latent imaginaries, emotional and critical aspects also related with the trust of the communication. Results: By involving citizens in discussions and innovation efforts, many suggestions and recommendations have been collected. In today's everyday life, where the visual is very widespread, thanks to the ever-growing presence of social media, the power of images can exceed that of audio. Conclusions: Since watching a video without sound can mislead the real content of the message, especially when the source or the speaker aren't recognisable. This can have many repercussions on people's ability to evaluate the truthfulness of a news and, consequently, on the choice to grant trust - or distrust.

In-person 1-day cognitive behavioral therapy-based workshops for postpartum depression: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to one in five mothers and birthing parents, yet as few as 10% access evidence-based treatment. One-day cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based workshops for PPD have the potential to reach large numbers of sufferers and be integrated into stepped models of care.

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial of 461 mothers and birthing parents in Ontario, Canada with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores ⩾10, age ⩾18 years, and an infant <12 months of age compared the effects of a 1-day CBT-based workshop plus treatment as usual (TAU; i.e. care from any provider(s) they wished) to TAU alone at 12-weeks post-intervention on PPD, anxiety, the mother-infant relationship, offspring behavior, health-related quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. Data were collected via REDCap.

RESULTS

Workshops led to meaningful reductions in EPDS scores (m = 15.77 to 11.22; b = -4.6, p < 0.01) and were associated with three times higher odds of a clinically significant decrease in PPD [odds ratio (OR) 3.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.93-4.67]. Anxiety also decreased and participants had three times the odds of clinically significant improvement (OR 3.20, 95% CI 2.03-5.04). Participants reported improvements in mother-infant bonding, infant-focused rejection and anger, and effortful control in their toddlers. The workshop plus TAU achieved similar quality-adjusted life-years at lower costs than TAU alone.

CONCLUSIONS

One-day CBT-based workshops for PPD can lead to improvements in depression, anxiety, and the mother-infant relationship and are cost-saving. This intervention could represent a perinatal-specific option that can treat larger numbers of individuals and be integrated into stepped care approaches at reasonable cost.

Graphic medicine meets human anatomy: The potential role of comics in raising whole body donation awareness in Italy and beyond. A pilot study

Cadaver dissection has always played a fundamental role in medical education. However, especially in Italy, the topic of body donation has remained partially unknown for years. The current study analyses graphic medicine as a new possible communication tool, evaluating and reflecting, with second-year students enrolled in the International School of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Bologna, about its potentialities for body donation awareness-raising in both the scientific community and the general population. For the first time in an Italian University, two graphic medicine workshops were organized focusing on human anatomy and body donation. Seminars were positively evaluated by students using a four items Likert-scale question: mean 3.54 (± SD 0.73) for the Likert question about the experiences of the workshops; 3.88 (± 0.33) for the Likert question regarding the use of graphic medicine in body donation awareness campaigns among the general population; 3.59 (± 0.65) for the Likert question regarding the use of graphic medicine in body donation awareness campaigns among the scientific community. Furthermore, the open-ended questions included in the anonymous questionnaire were analyzed using the constructivist grounded qualitative analysis, whence various themes emerged. Finally, five graphic medicine projects about body donation were created by students, proving their interest in testing this method to promote body donation, focusing the attention on different communicative aspects. Considering the results of this pilot study, the co-creative collaborative use of graphic medicine could be evaluated as an additional strategy to increase body donation awareness-raising in Italy and beyond, especially in the non-experts' community.

Subaxial Cervical Pedicular Screw Insertion via the Nonanatomic Axis: Identification of Entry Point and Trajectory Based on a Radiographic Study and Workshop

STUDY DESIGN

A radiological study and workshop.

OBJECTIVE

To propose a novel technique for subaxial cervical pedicle screw (CPS) insertion via the nonanatomic axis (nAA) and identify a new entry point (EP) and trajectory based on a radiological study.

METHODS

The new EP was determined to be the center of the upper half of the lateral mass, and the nAA was defined as the line connecting the EP and center of the pedicle. CT images of 493 subaxial cervical pedicles from 51 adults were utilized. The pedicle axis length (PAL/nPAL), pedicle transverse angle (PTA/nPTA), sagittal and transverse pedicle screw depth ratio (S-DO, T-DO), and sagittal and transverse angles (S-angle, T-angle) were measured in the anatomical axis (AA) and nAA. nAA-CPS insertions were conducted on dry specimens, and the positions of the screws were graded.

RESULTS

The nPTA (22.35° ± 1.57°), nPAL (23.75 ± 2.07 mm), T-DO (45.61% ± 3.10%), and S-DO (70.46% ± 4.44%) of the nAA-CPS were significantly different from the PTA (41.86° ± 2.77°), PAL (31.98 ± 2.40 mm), T-DO and S-DO of the AA-CPS (both 100% in ideal conditions), respectively (P < .05). The T-angle and S-angle were 92.78° ± 3.07° and 92.18° ± 3.78°, respectively. A constant EP and consistent trajectory of the nAA-CPS identified by 2 perpendicular angles were summarized and utilized as the manipulation protocols of the workshop, and a perfect position was achieved in 80.00% (24/30) of screws.

CONCLUSION

The nAA-CPS is a novel alternative to the classic CPS technique. A constant entry point and 2 perpendicular angles in the sagittal and transverse planes for identifying the trajectory of the nAA-CPS should be taken into account in the establishment of a manipulation protocol.

Using cloud infrastructure to facilitate data collection and conversion of HLA diagnostic data for the 18th International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop

The International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop (IHIW) is a recurring gathering of researchers, technologists and clinicians where participants contribute to collaborative projects with a variety of goals, and come to consensus on definitions and standards for representing HLA and immunogenic determinants. The collaborative and international nature of these workshops, combined with the multifaceted goals of several specific workshop components, necessitates the collection and curation of a wide assortment of data, as well as an adaptable platform for export and analysis. With the aim of ensuring data quality and creation of reusable datasets, specific standards and nomenclature conventions are continuously being developed, and are an integral part of IHIW. Here we present the 18th IHIW Database, a purpose-built and extensible cloud-based file repository and web application for collecting and analyzing project-specific data. This platform is based on open-source software and uses established HLA data standards and web technologies to facilitate de-centralized data repository ownership, reduce duplicated efforts, and promote continuity for future IHIWs.

Investigating accountability for Artificial Intelligence through risk governance: A workshop-based exploratory study

Introduction

With the growing prevalence of AI-based systems and the development of specific regulations and standardizations in response, accountability for consequences resulting from the development or use of these technologies becomes increasingly important. However, concrete strategies and approaches of solving related challenges seem to not have been suitably developed for or communicated with AI practitioners.

Methods

Studying how risk governance methods can be (re)used to administer AI accountability, we aim at contributing to closing this gap. We chose an exploratory workshop-based methodology to investigate current challenges for accountability and risk management approaches raised by AI practitioners from academia and industry.

Results and Discussion

Our interactive study design revealed various insights on which aspects do or do not work for handling risks of AI in practice. From the gathered perspectives, we derived 5 required characteristics for AI risk management methodologies (balance, extendability, representation, transparency and long-term orientation) and determined demands for clarification and action (e.g., for the definition of risk and accountabilities or standardization of risk governance and management) in the effort to move AI accountability from a conceptual stage to industry practice.

Encouraging Young Pediatric Surgeons and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Pediatric Endosurgery Workshop by Self-Assessment and an Objective Skill Validation System

Background: Japanese pediatric endosurgery experts conducted a workshop for young pediatric surgeons in Russia in collaboration with Russian expert pediatric surgeons. This study was aimed to develop a contributive workshop program and evaluate its impact on young pediatric surgeons. Methods: A 2-day pediatric endosurgery workshop was held in Moscow in February 2020. After conducting a needs assessment survey, Japanese and Russian faculties developed the workshop contents, including pre- and postworkshop skills assessments, lectures, and hands-on training. Skills assessments were performed using the objective skill validation system, the "A-Lap Mini," mimicking intestinal anastomosis. The trainees self-evaluated their knowledge and skills using a five-point scale. Results: Fifteen novice trainee participated and 14 (93.3%) completed the workshop program. The completion rate for the suturing task before and after the workshop was 40.0% (6/15) and 85.7% (12/14), respectively. The following five skill evaluation criteria, which were objectively evaluated: performance time changed from 751.6 ± 247.1 seconds to 780.0 ± 313.3 seconds (P > .05), number of full-thickness sutures improved from 1.0 ± 1.41 to 2.64 ± 0.84 (P = .003), area of wound-opening changed from 0.42 ± 0.83 mm² to 0.53 ± 1.13 mm² (P > .05), suture tension improved from 55.48% ± 19.51% to 61.95% ± 23.91% (P > .05), and maximum air leakage pressure improved from 3.76 ± 2.11 kPa to 8.42 ± 7.68 kPa (P > .05). Regarding the self-assessed questionnaire administered before and after the workshop, the confidence in endosurgery skills significantly improved as follows: forceps manipulation ability improved from 2.7 to 3.7 (P < .05), and suturing performance improved from 2.5 to 3.6 (P < .05). The usefulness of the workshop for clinical surgery was scored at 4.3. Conclusions: Quantitative skill evaluation with an automatic feedback function was useful for endosurgery training. Delivering feedback concerning the assessment results to the trainee helps them to determine the specific training requirements needed for clinical endosurgery.

Implementing a graduate medical education anti-racism workshop at an academic university in the Southern USA

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the social justice movement in early 2020 awakened many Americans to the health disparities and health care inequities affecting Black communities. This heightened awareness has strengthened the call to address social determinants of health, like racism. Physicians can play an important role in dismantling racism through knowledge of implicit biases and understanding of historical trauma resulting in medical distrust as a crucial step to help advance the health of minority communities. The purpose of this project was to develop an anti-racism workshop for Graduate Medical Education. Two discussants led 1.5-hour interactive workshops. Content covered microagressions, colorblindness, tokenism, stereotypes, levels of racism, the impact of racism on health, and anti-racism concepts. Facilitated breakout sessions allowed participants to provide examples of witnessed racism and discuss application of anti-racism tools in those settings. Following the workshops, participants were asked to complete a 16-item survey to evaluate workshop effectiveness. Between July and August 2020, four workshops were delivered to 131 attendees. Fifty-nine completed post workshop surveys. Most respondents were White (75%), female (63%), and aged 31-40 (29%). Over half were faculty; 24% were residents, 8% fellows. The majority agreed they could apply knowledge to their work (95%) and found the workshop useful (95%). Over two-thirds reported being able to better identify disparities and better identify and communicate about racism. In open-ended questions, many participants requested an interactive longitudinal curriculum. Developing an antiracism workshop for an academic medical center located in the Deep South provided more insight into tangible next steps to foster an institutional culture centered on antiracism.

A Preliminary Assessment of Health and Safety in the Automobile Industry in Brunei Darussalam: Workers' Knowledge and Practice of Organic Solvents

Automobile industries worldwide extensively use organic solvents. Yet, limited studies have examined the health and safety of handling these solvents, which can only be assured if workers have appropriate knowledge and demonstrate safe practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted to preliminary explore the knowledge and practice among workers who are involved in handling organic solvents in the automobile industry in the largest urban district in Brunei Darussalam. Qualitative data were sourced from open-ended questions, observations, and pictorial evidence through still photographs. Quantitative analysis showed that 75% of the workers practice reading labels, 94.1% use fully covered clothes, 82.4% wear gloves, and 98.5% practice proper hand washing. Furthermore, 98.5% of workers cover container lids. The qualitative analysis illustrated that workers have general knowledge of materials containing solvents but could not identify the exact solvents, the harmful effects of the solvents, pathophysiology, and harmful effects on specific body systems. Health and safety were found to be practiced, albeit not consistently. Health and Safety Authorities in Brunei Darussalam must review and enforce specific policies on the use of organic solvents so that they can be practiced consistently and safely in the automobile industry. Cooperation and collaboration in adhering to the policies are mandatory to ensure health and safety at work.

ACTIVE PREGNANCY: Workshop on Promotion of Physical Activity in Pregnancy for Exercise Professionals

Introduction

A one-day workshop on promotion of physical activity in pregnancy for exercise professionals was delivered during 2021, to 137 participants. The main aim of this workshop was to motivate and prepare exercise professionals for promoting physical activity and implementing prenatal exercise programs, in their respective private or public fitness centers or other physical activity settings.

Methods

The contents of the workshop were focused on six topics based on the “Pregnancy and Postpartum Exercise Specialist” educational standards by EuropeActive and the “Exercise and Physical Activity during Pregnancy and Postpartum” textbook published by Springer. Participants provided feedback on the effectiveness and satisfaction with the workshop.

Results

Overall evaluations from the feedback forms showed that majority of the participants agreed that the workshop achieved its objectives with a major recommendation as to the organization of more short duration workshops, the inclusion of practical sessions, and the separation of the contents addressing the postpartum period.

Discussion

The workshop on promotion of physical activity in pregnancy for exercise professionals was successfully organized and the participants are looking forward for future ones.

Python scripting for biochemistry and molecular biology in Jupyter Notebooks

A programming workshop has been developed for biochemists and molecular biologists to introduce them to the power and flexibility of solving problems with Python. The workshop is designed to move users beyond a "plug-and-play" approach that is based on spreadsheets and web applications in their teaching and research to writing scripts to parse large collections of data and to perform dynamic calculations. The live-coding workshop is designed to introduce specific coding skills, as well as provide insight into the broader array of open-access resources and libraries that are available for scientific computation.

Development of the Blackfeet Community Hospice Project: Pilot Workshop

Taboo perception on talking about death and dying among American Indians/Alaska Natives is prevalent. This suppressive value makes hospice introduction difficult, leading hospice disparity. Working together by using a community-based participatory research approach over a decade, we conducted a 6-hour workshop including information sharing and group activities. The purpose of the study was to investigate the community readiness for end-of-life knowledge by conducting a public workshop. We used pre- and post-workshop surveys with Likert-type responses to five questions to assess the effect of workshop in end-of-life knowledge. Thirty individuals participated the workshop; 80% of them reported their knowledge increase on at least one question. While the survey had concerns, positive participant responses indicated readiness and appropriateness to use workshops to increase end-of-life knowledge.

30 years of Thiel embalming - A systematic review on its utility in medical research

In 1992, Walter Thiel described and embalming method that rendered 'lifelike' tissues. Over the last 30 years, the Thiel method has been introduced worldwide for medical training and scientific purposes. This review examines research which can be linked to the use of Thiel embalming. A systematic review was performed to identify articles published in the following categories: research content, disciplines involved, sources and quantities of tissues deployed, and changes in research scope related to changes in the chemical composition of Thiel embalming. 424 publications were included. A number of adaptations to the original Thiel protocol were found, aiming to provide suitable tissue-substitutes in the development of emerging medical technologies or procedures. Musculoskeletal surgery, anesthesia and intensive care were the most common disciplines that used Thiel embalmed tissues for research. Anatomy and biomechanics played a lesser role. An increase over time was observed in research outputs related to the Thiel method, while the number of specimens used per study decreased. The main centers using Thiel embalming were in Graz, Dundee, Sapporo, Bern, Zurich and Ghent, which jointly accounted for more than 54% of all research conducted using this method. Following three decades of use, the Thiel method has evolved into being a well-established embalming technique for research purposes. Its future is challenged by the demanding requirements on both technical facilities and personnel, limitations of certain chemicals for use as fixatives, costs, and questions as to how 'lifelike' the embalmed-tissues are from an objective standpoint, all of which warrants future investigations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Summary of the 2021 ICRP workshop on the future of radiological protection

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has embarked on a process to review and revise the current System of Radiological Protection ('the System'). To stimulate discussion, the ICRP published two open-access articles: one on aspects of the System that might require review, and another on research that might improve the scientific foundation of the System. Building on these articles, the ICRP organized a Workshop on the Future of Radiological Protection as an opportunity to engage in the review and revision of the System. This digital workshop took place from 14 October-3 November 2021 and included 20 live-streamed and 43 on-demand presentations. Approximately 1500 individuals from 100 countries participated. Based on the subjects covered by the presentations, this summary is organized into four broad areas: the scientific basis, concepts and application of the System; and the role of the ICRP. Some of the key topics that emerged included the following: classification of radiation-induced effects; adverse outcome pathway methodologies; better understanding of the dose-response relationship; holistic and reasonable approaches to optimization of protection; radiological protection of the environment; ethical basis of the System; clarity, consistency and communication of the System; application of the System in medicine and application of the principles of justification and optimization of protection.

Comparison of two new educational techniques on knowledge of nurses about cerebrovascular accident nursing care in emergency department

BACKGROUND

One of the important challenges faced by health-care system is to raise the level of knowledge of nurses about cerebrovascular accident (CVA) nursing care in the emergency department. Therefore, the aim of this study was comparison of two new educational techniques (noninteractive multimedia learning and workshop) on knowledge of nurses about CVA nursing care in the emergency department.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This experimental study was conducted with a two-group design. Sixty-four eligible nurses working in the emergency department in selected hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, were selected as the study participants. Nurses were randomly assigned into two groups of noninteractive multimedia (n = 32) and workshop (n = 32) using random number table. The data-gathering tools including a demographic questionnaire (6 items) and knowledge questionnaire (24 items) were completed before and 2 weeks after the intervention in both the groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18 and descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and analytical statistics (ANOVA, independent t-test, and paired t-test). The level of statistical significance was P ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

The result shows that independent t-test showed that there was not a significant difference between the mean total scores of nurses' knowledge before intervention in the two groups (P > 0/05). Furthermore, the results of paired t-test showed a significant difference in the knowledge score 2 weeks after compared to before the education in both the groups (P < 0.005). In addition, the results of independent t-test showed a significant difference in the knowledge score 2 weeks after the intervention in the two groups (P < 0.005). The average knowledge score in the workshop group was significantly higher than in noninteractive multimedia learning group.

CONCLUSION

According to the result, new educational techniques such as noninteractive multimedia learning and workshop could improve knowledge of nurses about CVA nursing care in the emergency department.

Theoretical Background of Occupational-Exposure Models-Report of an Expert Workshop of the ISES Europe Working Group "Exposure Models"

On 20 October 2020, the Working Group “Exposure Models” of the Europe Regional Chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science (ISES Europe) organised an online workshop to discuss the theoretical background of models for the assessment of occupational exposure to chemicals. In this report, participants of the workshop with an active role before and during the workshop summarise the most relevant discussion points and conclusions of this well-attended workshop. ISES Europe has identified exposure modelling as one priority area for the strategic development of exposure science in Europe in the coming years. This specific workshop aimed to discuss the main challenges in developing, validating, and using occupational-exposure models for regulatory purposes. The theoretical background, application domain, and limitations of different modelling approaches were presented and discussed, focusing on empirical “modifying-factor” or “mass-balance-based” approaches. During the discussions, these approaches were compared and analysed. Possibilities to address the discussed challenges could be a validation study involving alternative modelling approaches. The wider discussion touched upon the close relationship between modelling and monitoring and the need for better linkage of the methods and the need for common monitoring databases that include data on model parameters.

Building Research Capacity in HIV and Noncommunicable Diseases in Africa: A Mentorship and Leadership Workshop Report

INTRODUCTION

Few structured mentoring programs target early-stage investigators in Africa, creating a gap in mentorship skills where HIV burden is greatest. We describe findings from a Nigeria-based workshop for early-career physician scientists to build mentoring and leadership capacity in HIV and noncommunicable disease research.

METHODS

Baseline surveys captured participant demographics, confidence in implementing mentoring competencies, and perceived importance of workshop training domains. The workshop included didactic presentations, small group activities, and interactive discussions. Daily surveys evaluated sessions, and postworkshop surveys solicited overall course impressions.

RESULTS

Of the 33 participants, most were male (n = 21, 63.6%) and from medicine, laboratory sciences, and surgical specialties. "Building mentees' confidence" and "setting mentees' research goals" were ranked as areas where participants most believed they needed training. Sessions were rated favorably across five areas. Greatest improvements in mean scores were for confidence in identifying personal temperament styles, describing mentoring and leadership theories/frameworks, and developing mentoring plans. Additional identified workshop strengths were content relevance, leadership case series, interactive nature, and collegial atmosphere. All respondents indicated learning something new/useful/helpful in each session. At 6-month postworkshop, most respondents (25 of 26, 96%) had replicated or plan to replicate parts of the workshop in their departments/institutions.

DISCUSSION

Effective mentoring training initiatives targeting future academic leaders have the potential to create skilled academicians who can impart mentoring skills and competencies to their mentees.

Regional Workshop for Policy Implementation Based on the Stay with Your Community Principles

A co-author of this paper had previously presented the principle of "Stay with Your Community" as a method of countermeasures against COVID-19 infection spread and have been working on its social implementation. This case study paper presents an example of activities to spread the Stay with Your Community principle to citizens and visitors in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, in order to control the spread of COVID-19 infection. As a result, the infection cluster was successfully controlled. The authors discuss the effect of the regional workshop as a key to open the way to Organizational Citizenship Behavior of participants.

Exploring Personal Development Workshops' Effect on Well-Being and Interconnectedness

Introduction: Personal development workshops are increasingly popular. This study evaluated the relationships between the measures of well-being, interconnectedness, and extended perception in various workshops and explored which kinds of workshops and individual characteristics predicted changes in these outcomes. Materials and Methods: In a prospective, uncontrolled, within-participant design study, adult participants completed questionnaires and online tasks before and after personal development workshops. Three analyses were conducted: (1) examining the relationships between measures by using only pre-workshop measures using Spearman correlations; (2) exploring change scores pre- to post-workshop and workshop using Wilcoxon signed-rank test; (3) assessing workshop format and content, and individual characteristics as predictors of those change scores multivariate nonparametric regression. The following outcomes were collected: Well-being-Arizona Integrative Outcomes Scale, positive and negative affect, Dispositional Positive Emotions Scale-Compassion subscale, Sleep Quality Scale, Numeric Pain Rating Scale; Interconnectedness-Cloninger Self-Transcendence Scale, Inclusion of Nature in Self and Inclusion of the Other in Self; and Extended perception tasks-Intuition Jar, Quick Remote Viewing, Psychokinesis Bubble, and Time Estimation. The following potential predictor variables were collected: demographic, mental health, psychiatric and meditation history, Single General Self-Rated Health Question, Brief Five-Factor Inventory-10, and the Noetic Experience and Belief Scale. Workshop leaders also selected which format and content characteristics applied to their workshop. Results: Interconnectedness measures were significantly and positively correlated with well-being (ρ: 0.27 to 0.33), positive affect (ρ: 0.20 to 0.27), and compassion (ρ: 0.21 to 0.32), and they were negatively correlated with sleep disturbance (ρ: -0.13 to -0.16) and pain (ρ: -0.11 to -0.16). Extended perception task performance was not correlated with interconnectedness or well-being. General personal development workshops improved subjective interconnectedness, well-being, positive emotion, and compassion, and they reduced sleep disturbances, negative emotion, and pain (all p's < 0.00005). The lecture (p = 0.03), small groups (p = 0.001), pairs (p = 0.01), and discussion (p = 0.03) workshop formats were significant predictors of well-being outcomes. The workshop content categories of meditation (p = 0.0002) and technology tools (p = 0.01) were also predictive of well-being outcomes, with meditation being the most consistent predictor of positive well-being changes. Conscientiousness was the only significant individual characteristic predictor (p = 0.002), although it was associated with increases in some well-being measures and decreases in others. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence for the positive relationship between the subjective sense of interconnectedness and multiple well-being measures and the beneficial effects of some personal development workshops.

Guidance for Implementing Video Consultations in Danish General Practice: Rapid Cycle Coproduction Study

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed various spheres of health care. General practitioners (GPs) have widely replaced face-to-face consultations with telephone or video consultations (VCs) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Using VCs for health service delivery is an entirely new way of practicing for many GPs. However, this transition process has largely been conducted with no formal guidelines, which may have caused implementation barriers. This study presents a rapid cycle coproduction approach for developing a guide to assist VC implementation in general practice.

Objective

The aim of this paper is to describe the developmental phases of the VC guide to assist general practices in implementing VCs and summarize the evaluation made by general practice users.

Methods

The development of a guide for VC in general practice was structured as a stepped process based on the coproduction and prototyping processes. We used an iterative framework based on rapid qualitative analyses and interdisciplinary collaborations. Thus, the guide was developed in small, repeated cycles of development, implementation, evaluation, and adaptation, with a continuous exchange between research and practice. The data collection process was structured in 3 main phases. First, we conducted a literature review, recorded observations, and held informal and semistructured interviews. Second, we facilitated coproduction with stakeholders through 4 workshops with GPs, a group interview with patient representatives, and individual revisions by GPs. Third, nationwide testing was conducted in 5 general practice clinics and was followed by an evaluation of the guide through interviews with GPs.

Results

A rapid cycle coproduction approach was used to explore the needs of general practice in connection with the implementation of VC and to develop useful, relevant, and easily understandable guiding materials. Our findings suggest that a guide for VCs should include advice and recommendations regarding the organization of VCs, the technical setup, the appropriate target groups, patients’ use of VCs, the performance of VCs, and the arrangements for booking a VC.

Conclusions

The combination of coproduction, prototyping, small iterations, and rapid data analysis is a suitable approach when contextually rich, hands-on guide materials are urgently needed. Moreover, this method could provide an efficient way of developing relevant guide materials for general practice to aid the implementation of new technology beyond the pandemic period.

Effectiveness of a nursing innovation workshop at enhancing nurses' innovation abilities: A quasi-experimental study

AIM

To investigate the effectiveness of nursing innovation workshop in enhancing clinical nurses' innovation ability and research ability in a tertiary hospital.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study design.

METHODS

Thirty-seven recruited nurses participated in a nursing innovation workshop for half a year in a tertiary hospital in Guangdong between June 2019 and March 2020. Questionnaire data on the nurses' self-rated innovation and research abilities were collected before the training and 3 months after completing the training. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to analyse differences within the group before and after the intervention. The level for statistical significance was set at p ≤ .05 (two-tailed).

RESULTS

Nurses' self-rated innovation ability (p < .001, 95% confidence interval 12.79 to 15.05) and research ability (p < .001, 95% confidence interval 14.39 to 19.09) improved significantly after the training. Since the whole design lacked a control group, the study needs to be further verified in more hospitals and among more nurses.

Evaluation of workshop on teaching skills for medical postgraduates (Ramachandra Annual Postgraduate Teaching Skills)

BACKGROUND

Postgraduate medical curriculum is usually devoted to developing competencies in the specialty concerned, patient care, and submitting dissertations. The need to impart teaching skills during postgraduation has gone unnoticed, hence Ramachandra Annual Postgraduate Teaching Skills (RAPTS), a teaching skills workshop, was conceptualized and implemented as postgraduate students serve as tutors/residents in the department to teach undergraduate medical students. This study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching skills workshop for postgraduates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and seventy-eight postgraduate students of pre- and paraclinical department underwent the training in medical education principles and participated in the feedback. RAPTS Workshop was implemented as per the six-step approach. The learning was evaluated through a pre- and posttest scores. Student feedback was also obtained on the process overall objectives and contents of the workshop. Force-field analysis was performed.

RESULTS

There was a significant learning by the postgraduates on various medical education principles as evidenced by significant improvement in the posttest scores (P < 0.05). Feedback regarding the general aspects of the workshop showed that 92% of the participants felt that the contents of the workshop suited their learning. Eighty-four percent of the participants opined that the presentations of the sessions were good and 91% felt that time management was good. Force-field analysis indicated that the factors favoring teaching skills workshop were higher.

CONCLUSION

This study has highlighted the importance of including teaching methodology training in the postgraduate curriculum that helps in grooming the future teachers in the right direction, in the right time. Competencies related to teaching skills based on medical education principles can be included in the postgraduate curriculum.

Impact of Educational Intervention to Promote Jordanian Community Pharmacists' Knowledge and Perception Towards Antimicrobial Stewardship: Pre-Post Interventional Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an online educational workshop on improving the knowledge, and perception of community pharmacists in Jordan towards the antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and enhancing their ability to appropriately select correct antibiotic therapy.

METHODS

This is a pre-post study that was conducted in Jordan in December 2020. An electronic questionnaire was used to assess the awareness, perception of community pharmacists towards AMS, and their ability to appropriately select correct antibiotic before and after the educational workshop. The two-days' workshop was conducted on Zoom application. Analysis was conducted using Wilcoxon signed-rank test, McNemar's test using SPSS version 22.

RESULTS

During the study period, 100 community pharmacists attended the educational workshop. Pharmacists' knowledge was assessed prior to their participation which revealed a relatively good knowledge score with a median score of 6/10 (IQR = 4); their scores have improved significantly following the educational workshop with a median score of 7/10 (IOR = 2), p-value<0.001. Although one-third of the participants knew the definition of AMS prior to the workshop, almost half of the respondents (n = 56, 56%) knew the definition after the educational workshop. Regarding community pharmacist's ability to appropriately select correct antibiotic therapy, they showed a significant improvement in selecting the optimal antimicrobial for the virtual cases following the workshop (p-value < 0.05). Perceptions towards AMS were consistently positive before and after the workshop.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the benefit of AMS-focused workshops for improving community pharmacists' knowledge and appropriate antibiotic prescribing. Thus, efforts are required to implement more AMS educational workshops for community pharmacists.