Dataset Information

Assessment of Climate-Health Curricula at International Health Professions Schools.

ABSTRACT: Importance:Researchers have published surveys on health professionals' perceptions of the possible association between climate change and health (climate-health) and assessed climate-health or planetary health curricula in medical schools. However, curricula on climate-health are still lacking and gaps in knowledge persist. Objective:To understand the state of climate-health curricula among health professions institutions internationally. Design, Setting, and Participants:A survey of 160 institutional members of the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, which includes international health professions schools and programs, was conducted from August 3, 2017, to March 1, 2018. The survey, hosted by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, used an online survey tool for data collection. Main Outcomes and Measures:The survey assessed climate-health curricular offerings across health professions institutions internationally, including existing climate-health educational offerings, method of teaching climate-health education, whether institutions are considering adding climate-health education, whether institutions received a positive response to adding climate-health curricula and/or encountered challenges in adding curricula, and opportunities to advance climate-health education. Results:Overall response rate to the survey was 53%, with 84 of 160 institutional responses collected; 59 of the responses (70%) were from schools/programs of public health, health sciences, or health professions; 15 (18%) were from medicine; 9 (11%) were from nursing; and 1 (1%) was from another type of health profession institution. Among respondents, 53 (63%) institutions offer climate-health education, most commonly as part of a required core course (41 [76%]). Sixty-one of 82 respondents (74%) reported that climate-health offerings are under discussion to add, 42 of 59 respondents (71%) encountered some challenges trying to institute the curriculum, and most respondents have received a positive response to adding content, mainly from students (39 of 58 [67%]), faculty (35 of 58 [60%]), and administration (23 of 58 [40%]). Conclusions and Relevance:Current climate-health educational offerings appear to vary considerably among health professions institutions. Students, faculty, and administration are important groups to engage when instituting curricula, and awareness, support, and resources may be able to assist in this effort.

SUBMITTER: Shea B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7256668 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Assessment of Climate-Health Curricula at International Health Professions Schools.

Shea Brittany B Knowlton Kim K Shaman Jeffrey J

JAMA network open 20200501 5

<h4>Importance</h4>Researchers have published surveys on health professionals' perceptions of the possible association between climate change and health (climate-health) and assessed climate-health or planetary health curricula in medical schools. However, curricula on climate-health are still lacking and gaps in knowledge persist.<h4>Objective</h4>To understand the state of climate-health curricula among health professions institutions internationally.<h4>Design, setting, and participants</h4>A ...[more]

PMID: 32463471

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Project description:BackgroundThe Australian Medical Council, which accredits Australian medical schools, recommends medical leadership graduate outcomes be taught, assessed and accredited. In Australia and New Zealand (Australasia) there is a significant research gap and no national consensus on how to educate, assess, and evaluate leadership skills in medical professional entry degree/programs. This study aims to investigate the current curricula, assessment and evaluation of medical leadership in Australasian medical degrees, with particular focus on the roles and responsibilities of medical leadership teachers, frameworks used and competencies taught, methods of delivery, and barriers to teaching leadership.MethodsA self-administered cross-sectional survey was distributed to senior academics and/or heads or Deans of Australasian medical schools. Data for closed questions and ordinal data of each Likert scale response were described via frequency analysis. Content analysis was undertaken on free text responses and coded manually.ResultsSixteen of the 22 eligible (73%) medical degrees completed the full survey and 100% of those indicate that leadership is taught in their degree. In most degrees (11, 69%) leadership is taught as a common theme integrated throughout the curricula across several subjects. There is a variety of leadership competencies taught, with strengths being communication (100%), evidence based practice (100%), critical reflective practice (94%), self-management (81%), ethical decision making (81%), critical thinking and decision making (81%). Major gaps in teaching were financial management (20%), strategic planning (31%) and workforce planning (31%). The teaching methods used to deliver medical leadership within the curricula are diverse, with many degrees providing opportunities for leadership teaching for students outside the curricula. Most degrees (10, 59%) assess the leadership education, with one-third (6, 35%) evaluating it.ConclusionsMedical leadership competencies are taught in most degrees, but key leadership competencies are not being taught and there appears to be no continuous quality improvement process for leadership education. There is much more we can do as medical educators, academics and leaders to shape professional development of academics to teach medical leadership, and to agree on required leadership skills set for our students so they can proactively shape the future of the health care system.

Project description:BackgroundMorbidity and mortality from Opioid Use Disorder is a health crisis in the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a devastating increase of 38.4% in overdose deaths from the 12-month period leading up to June 2019 compared with the 12-month period leading up to May 2020, primarily driven by synthetic opioids. Buprenorphine is an effective medication for opioid use disorder but uptake is slow due in part to lack of provider knowledge, confidence, and negative attitudes/stigma toward patients with OUD. Addressing these barriers in academic training is a promising approach to building workforce able to effectively treat opioid use disorder.MethodsOur university developed a training for pre-licensure physicians, physician assistants and psychiatric nurse practitioners that included the DATA Waiver training and a shadowing experience. Expected outcomes included improved knowledge, skills and attitudes about persons with OUD and buprenorphine treatment, plans to provide this treatment post-graduation, for pre-licensure learners to have completed all requirements to prescribe buprenorphine post-graduation, and for the training to be embedded into school's curricula.ResultsResults were positive overall including improved knowledge and attitudes toward persons with OUD, better understanding of the benefits of this treatment for patients, increased confidence and motivation to provide this treatment post-graduation. The training is now embedded in each program's graduation requirements.ConclusionDeveloping a didactic and experiential training on buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder and embedding it into medical, physician assistant, and psychiatric nurse practitioner licensure programs can help prepare future providers to treat opioid use disorder in a range of settings. Key to replicating this program in other university settings is to engage faculty members who actively provide treatment to persons with OUD to ensure shadowing opportunities and serve as role models for learners.

Project description:BackgroundHealth educators aim to graduate students who are safe, effective and practice evidence-based medicine (EBM). Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) are tools for translating evidence into clinical practice for health professionals and educators who lack time to appraise the evidence. There have been CPGs published for lateral ankle ligament sprains (LALS) for physiotherapists, nurses, and doctors. Clinical decision rules have also been developed for LALS to increase the safety of practice. The Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) were developed to screen for the need for an x-ray following an ankle or foot injury.MethodsEducators from the Australasian College of Sports and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP), St John Ambulance first aiders, pharmacy, nursing, and physiotherapy disciplines were participants in this study. Using purposeful sampling with semi-structured questions and a LALS case study, 19 Australian educators were interviewed. Curricula and textbooks were also collected and analysed. Two researchers independently analysed the data using a deductive method.ResultsAnalysis found that no educator used a CPG to inform their teaching. There was no common LALS curriculum for the five groups studied. There were two approaches: a triage curriculum (St John Ambulance, pharmacy, nursing) and a reflective curriculum (ASCEP and physiotherapy). Textbooks influenced curriculum for physiotherapy, pharmacy and first aid educators. The triage curricula recommend rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) alone, while the reflective curricula uses OAR, RICE, immobilisation if the LALS is severe, functional support (brace), exercises and manual therapy. In addition, ACSEP and physiotherapy do not recommend electrotherapy. All five groups were cautious about the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).ConclusionsPhysiotherapy and ACSEP educators teach OAR. Despite not using the CPGs to inform curriculum, physiotherapy and ACSEP have unintentionally aligned their curriculum with current LALS CPG recommendations. However, nursing, pharmacy and first aid trainers are not teaching OAR or aligned with LALS CPGs. Educators in pharmacy, nursing and first aid should re-examine their curricula and consider possibly teaching OAR and using CPG. Clinical practice guideline developers should consider pharmacists and first aiders as users of their LALS CPGs.

Dataset Information

Assessment of Climate-Health Curricula at International Health Professions Schools.

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Assessment of Climate-Health Curricula at International Health Professions Schools.

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