AUTHOR Mike Magee. PUBLISHER Spencer Books, 3 Stoneleigh Plaza, Suite 5D, Bronxville, NY 10708, USA; WEBSITE [www.spencerbooks.com][1]. PUBLISHED 2005/160 pp/$19.95 (US)
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OVERALL RATING Fair
STRENGTHS Quick read; important issue; some good references
WEAKNESSES Not enough
Training in research methods is important for improvement of healthcare delivery and population outcomes. Graduate programs of public health play a critical role in offering such education to current and future healthcare professionals as well as entry level learners with no experience in the field. A key skill across all fields of research methods and public health practice is protocol writing. It is unknown if teaching students research methods through protocol writing is a successful strategy and whether students find it to be helpful as they pursue health professions. The objective of this study was to describe the design and evaluation of a research methods course focused on protocol writing among students enrolled a Masters of Public Health Program. A case report design including description of course content, method of evaluation, and course delivery are provided. The setting was the Population and Public Health Research Methods course at a publicly funded institution in Canada. The first three cohorts of students (2016-2018) enrolled in the course were evaluated during the course period and six months after completing the course. A total of 51 students completed the survey, and the majority were students were very or extremely satisfied with the course. Overall students expressed that the course well-prepared them for their practicum or thesis work and post-graduation plans. Findings suggest that using protocol writing as a tool for teaching research methods was well-received by students and prepared them for both their potential career paths and for future research.
Abstract Background Older adults with type 2 diabetes (DM2) are at increased risk of falling due to complications including: diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, autonomic neuropathy and diabetic foot ulcers. The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, construct validity and to perform factor analysis of a new falls Risk Perception Questionnaire (RPQ) in older community-dwelling adults with DM2. Methods A prospective cohort of 30 community-dwelling older adults, ≥ 55 years, with DM2 was assembled. At baseline, perceived risk of falling, fear of falling and physical activity were measured. At time 2 (T2), at least 2 days later, perceived risk of falling was assessed again to determine the test-retest reliability of the RPQ. At time 3 (T3), approximately six weeks later, and time 4 (T4), at least 2 days after T3, perceived risk of falling was assessed by phone to determine the test-retest reliability of the RPQ when administered by phone. Results The RPQ demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability when delivered in person (ICC = 0.78, 95% Confidence Interval, CI: 0.59–0.89) and by phone (ICC = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.65–0.91), good internal consistency (α = 0.78) and adequate construct validity (r = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.20–0.74, p = 0.003) in older adults with DM2. Conclusion Given the good psychometric properties in this sample of persons with Diabetes, the RPQ has the potential to be used in clinical practice as a risk assessment and fall prevention tool. However, further testing needs to be done using a larger sample.
To describe the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems in the Canadian working population and to determine cross sectional associations between such problems and work factors, particularly job strain and physical demand variables.The Canadian 1994 national population health survey (NPHS) sampled 4230 working men and 4043 working women (ages 18-64) who answered an abbreviated version of the job content questionnaire. Workers were classified into four strain categories: high, passive, active, and low. Outcomes were restricted activity due to musculoskeletal disorders and the diagnosis of a back problem (both yes or no). Survey weights were incorporated to allow for different probabilities of selection. Logistic regression analyses were carried out separately for women and men, controlling for sociodemographic factors.Prevalence of chronic back problems diagnosed by a health practitioner was 14.5% among men and 12.5% among women. Men had a 6.6% prevalence of restricted activity due to musculoskeletal disorders, whereas the corresponding figure for women was 5.3%. Women, but not men, in high strain jobs were more likely to report both back problems (odds ratio (OR) 1.60, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.14 to 2.28) and restricted activity (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.16 to 3.48) compared with those in low strain jobs. High physical exertion was an independent predictor of back problems in both sexes. For both men and women, low social support at work and high job insecurity were independent predictors of restricted activity due to musculoskeletal disorders. Conversely, chronic back problems contributed to explanation of high job strain among women (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.39) and high physical exertion among men (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.77), whereas restricted activity due to musculoskeletal disorders contributed to explanation of high job insecurity in both sexes.Associations of interest between work stressors and musculoskeletal problems in this cross sectional study provide evidence for physical and psychosocial factors both affecting disability and being affected by disability in a working population.
The authors sought to adapt and apply Shortell et al. four dimensions of continuous quality improvement (CQI) in an examination of a public health accountability and performance management initiative in Ontario, Canada. Their results prove that the four dimensions of CQI provided insight into both facilitators and barriers of CQI adoption in public health
The Highest Places Get access Flannery Scott Flannery Scott Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, Volume 15, Issue 1, Winter 2008, Pages 245–250, https://doi.org/10.1093/isle/15.1.245 Published: 01 January 2008
Abstract This article examines the compatibility between performance improvement and compliance‐based accountability in the implementation of a new system of public health performance management in Ontario. Findings from this mixed‐method study show that only minor elements of performance improvement get incorporated into pre‐existing compliance‐based accountability structures, that reinforcement of accountability structures works to the detriment of performance improvement intentions, and that limiting managerial influence in developing performance measures and targets diminish the utility of information for improvement. The study concludes that achieving a better balance requires an alternative to top‐down decision making that goes beyond consultation to include partnership.
