An evidence-informed policymaking (EIPM) competency profile for the Brazilian Health System developed through consensus: process and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-informed policymaking (EIPM) requires a set of individual and organizational knowledge, skills and attitudes that should be articulated with background factors and needs. In this regard, the development of an EIPM competency profile is important to support the diagnosis, planning and implementation of EIPM. PURPOSE: To present the process and outcomes of the development of an EIPM competency profile by an expert committee, to be applied in different contexts of the Brazilian Health System. METHODS: A committee of experts in EIPM shared different views, experiences and opinions to develop an EIPM competency profile for Brazil. In six consensus workshops mediated by facilitators, the committee defined from macro problems to key actions and performances essential for the competency profile. The development steps consisted of: (1) Constitution of the committee, including researchers, professionals with practical experience, managers, and educators; (2) Development of a rapid review on EIPM competency profiles; (3) Agreement on commitments and responsibilities in the processes; (4) Identification and definition of macro problems relating to the scope of the competency profile; and (5) Outlining of general and specific capacities, to be incorporated into the competency profile, categorized by key actions. RESULTS: The development of the EIPM competency profile was guided by the following macro problems: (1) lack of systematic and transparent decision-making processes in health policy management; (2) underdeveloped institutional capacity for knowledge management and translation; and (3) incipient use of scientific evidence in the formulation and implementation of health policies. A general framework of key actions and performances of the EIPM Competency Profile for Brazil was developed, including 42 specific and general key actions distributed by area of activity (Health Management, Scientific Research, Civil Society, Knowledge Translation, and Cross-sectional areas). CONCLUSIONS: The competency profile presented in this article can be used in different contexts as a key tool for the institutionalization of EIPM.

Competency profiles for evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM): a rapid review.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) requires a set of individual and organizational capacities, linked with background factors and needs. The identification of essential knowledge, skills and attitudes for EIPM can support the development of competency profiles and their application in different contexts. PURPOSE: To identify elements of competency (knowledge, skills and attitudes) for EIPM, according to different professional profiles (researcher, health professional, decision-maker and citizen). METHODS: Rapid umbrella review. A structured search was conducted and later updated in two comprehensive repositories (BVSalud and PubMed). Review studies with distinctive designs were included, published from 2010 onwards, without language restrictions. Assessment of the methodological quality of the studies was not performed. A meta-aggregative narrative synthesis was used to report the findings. RESULTS: Ten reviews were included. A total of 37 elements of competency were identified, eight were categorized as knowledge, 19 as skills and 10 as attitudes. These elements were aggregated into four competency profiles: researcher, health professional, decision-maker and citizen. The competency profiles included different sets of EIPM-related knowledge, skills and attitudes. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study is innovative because it aggregates different profiles of competency from a practical perspective, favouring the application of its results in different contexts to support EIPM. Methodological limitations are related to the shortcuts adopted in this review: complementary searches of the grey literature were not performed, and the study selection and data extraction were not conducted in duplicate. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: EIPM requires the development of individual and organizational capacities. This rapid review contributes to the discussion on the institutionalization of EIPM in health systems. The competency profiles presented here can support discussions about the availability of capacity and the need for its development in different contexts.

Discrete mathematics as a resource for developing scientific activity in the classroom.

In this paper we present a theoretical discussion on how problems issued from discrete mathematics can develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge required for scientific mathematical activity in the classroom. We do so via the research situation for the classroom model by performing mathematical and didactical analyses of a problem issued from discrete geometry, and we present the results of a preliminary experiment conducted with Chilean students between the ages of 11 and 13. Our chosen problem asked students to tile a fixed square with a finite number of smaller squares. From the theoretical analysis and the preliminary experimentation, we conclude that this problem, and problems issued from discrete mathematics in general, can induce genuine mathematical activity in lower-secondary school students. In particular, we conclude that this problem is effective in developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes advocated in the Chilean mathematics curriculum.

Revisión, diseño y construcción de un instrumento de medición para evaluar las competencias laborales del personal farmacéutico ambulatorio / Review, design, and construction of a measuring instrument to assess the labor competencies of outpatient pharmacy staff

Resumen Introducción: La medición y evaluación de las competencias laborales, en el personal farmacéutico ambulatorio, debe combinar aspectos relacionados con los conocimientos (que sabe), habilidades (como lo hace) y actitudes (de que modo lo hace). Objetivo: Identificar y seleccionar las directrices y recomendaciones sobre las competencias laborales que requiere el personal farmacéutico ambulatorio, y construir un instrumento para su medición. Métodos: Se realizó una revisión estructurada en dos fases: a) se revisaron y seleccionaron las funciones/dominios, los criterios de desempeño (habilidades y actitudes), los conocimientos, los marcos de competencias establecidas a nivel internacional, y los instrumentos de medición reportados en la literatura; y b) se identificaron las competencias laborales necesarias de acuerdo con la normatividad colombiana y con los procesos de los Establecimientos Farmacéuticos ambulatorios (droguerías y farmacias-droguerías). Finalmente, se construyó el instrumento de medición por un panel de expertos. Resultados: Se identificaron las competencias laborales establecidas por las organizaciones de regulación internacional. Se revisaron 993 artículos que reportaban la medición y evaluación de las competencias, seleccionándose y analizándose 9 referencias. Se analizaron los marcos de competencias de diferentes países. Se analizaron las regulaciones en Colombia sobre el tema. El instrumento construido contiene 101 competencias distribuidas en los siguientes componentes: a) suministro de cuidados al paciente; b) personales; c) solución de problemas; y d) gestión y organización. Conclusión: Directrices y recomendaciones internacionales, además, la normatividad colombiana para identificar las competencias laborales que requiere el personal farmacéutico para el correcto funcionamiento de los Establecimientos Farmacéuticos ambulatorios, y partir de esto, se construye un instrumento de medición para evaluarlas.

Abstract Introduction: The measurement and evaluation of labor competencies, in outpatient pharmacy staff, must combine aspects related to knowledge (who knows), skills (as it does) and attitudes (in what way it does). Objective: Identify and select the guidelines and recommendations on labor competencies required by outpatient pharmacy staff and build an instrument for their measurement. Methodology: A structured review was carried out in two phases: a) the functions/ domains, performance criteria (skills and attitudes), knowledge, competency frameworks established internationally, and measurement instruments reported were reviewed and selected in the literature; and b) the necessary labor competencies were identified in accordance with Colombian regulations and with the processes of the outpatient Pharmaceutical Establishments (drugstores and pharmacies-drugstores). Finally, the measuring instrument was built by a panel of experts. Results: Labor competencies established by international regulation organizations. were identified. A total of 993 articles were reviewed that reported the measurement and evaluation of competencies, selecting and analyzing 9 references. Competency frameworks from different countries were analyzed. The regulations in Colombia on the subject were analyzed. The constructed instrument contains 101 competencies distributed in the following components: a) provision of patient care; b) personal; c) troubleshooting; and d) management and organization. Conclusion: The international guidelines and recommendations were reviewed and analyzed, in addition, the Colombian regulations to identify the labor competencies required by the pharmacy staff for the correct functioning of the outpatient Pharmaceutical Establishments, and from this, an instrument was built of measurement to evaluate them.

Práticas de Saúde de Agentes Comunitários no Médio Paraíba/RJ: do institucionalizado à realidade / Health Practices of Community Workers in the Médio Paraíba /RJ: from the institutionalized to the reality

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral, analisar as práticas de saúde desenvolvidas por ACS, em consonância com os documentos determinados pelo Ministério da Saúde, na ESF na Região do Médio Paraíba, Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Este estudo corresponde ao desdobramento da pesquisa ‘Perfil dos agentes comunitários de saúde do Estado do Rio de Janeiro: análise comparativa entre municípios e regiões’ em articulação com o estudo ‘Saberes e Práticas na Atenção Primária à Saúde: diálogos entre usuários e profissionais de saúde no Estado do Rio de Janeiro’. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, de natureza qualitativa e teve como abordagem teórico-filosófico, a hermenêutica-dialética. Teve como cenários os municípios de Piraí, Porto Real, Pinheiral, Rio Claro e Rio das Flores. Os sujeitos corresponderam a 53 ACS atuantes nas UBSF dos municípios selecionados. Os instrumentos utilizados para a coleta de dados foram: a observação assistemática, o questionário semiestruturado e o grupo focal. Para a análise dos dados foi utilizada a hermenêutica-dialética proposta por Minayo. Através dos resultados alcançados foi possível realizar uma breve caracterização dos sujeitos provenientes do questionário e a análise do grupo focal desdobrando-se em três categorias. A primeira categoria focou nas práticas de saúde dos ACS que colaboram com a gestão do cuidado. A segunda buscou analisar as práticas de atenção à saúde dos ACS. E a terceira categoria direcionou-se para as práticas educativas dos ACS. Entendemos as práticas de saúde dos ACS acontecem de forma conectada. Pois no cotidiano das práticas não percebemos que as mesmas são realizadas concomitantemente preservando a ideologia da integralidade do cuidado aos usuários da ESF...

The general objective of this research was to analyze the health practices developed by CHW, in line with the documents determined by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, in the FHS in the Médio Paraíba Region, State of Rio de Janeiro. This study corresponds to the outcome of the research ‘Profile of community health workers of the State of Rio de Janeiro: comparative analysis between municipalities and regions’ in articulation with the study ‘Skills and Practices in Primary Health Care: dialogues between users and health professionals in the State of Rio de Janeiro’. This is a descriptive study, with qualitative nature, that had the hermeneutics-dialectics as theoretical-philosophical approach. The study scenarios were the cities of Piraí, Porto Real, Pinheiral, Rio Claro and Rio das Flores. The subjects corresponded to 53 CHW who worked in BFHU of the chosen cities. The tools used for data collection were: unsystematic observation, semi-structured questionnaire and focus group. In order to analyze data, we used the hermeneutics-dialectics proposed by Minayo. Through the achieved results, it was possible to perform a short description of the subjects stemming from the questionnaire, and the analysis of the focus group, thereby generating three categories. The first category was focused on the health practices of CHW who collaborate with the care management. The second sought to analyze the health care practices of CHW. And the third category was directed to the educational practices of CHW. We understand that the health practices of CHW take place in a connected manner, since, in the daily practices, we did not realize that they are concomitantly conducted while preserving the ideology of comprehensiveness of care for FHS users...