RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Continuing professional development (CPD) is a component of practice that spans all disciplines within cystic fibrosis (CF). E-learning resources theoretically represent flexible, low cost and time efficient methods of CPD. We aimed to explore European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) members' and CF health professional communities' current views, experiences and perceptions of e-learning and the ECFS education platform (ECFS-EP). METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was developed by the ECFS Education Committee and circulated via the ECFS conference, emails and within the society subgroups between June and September 2023. RESULTS: 547 responses were received from 58 countries; 57 % of responders were ECFS members. A wide range of specialities were represented from the multidisciplinary team including 36 % clinicians. The majority of respondents (63 %) spent 6 or more hours a week on their professional education. Online platforms were used either weekly (34 %) or monthly (37 %); 54 % of respondents had used the ECFS-EP and this was rated favourably overall, specifically for content quality. Preferred formats for education were articles and medium length (15-30 min) webinars. CONCLUSIONS: This multidisciplinary cohort survey illustrates contemporary practice and opinion relating to e-learning and the ECFS-EP. Strengths include the high number of responses and the wide range of countries and specialities represented. Results suggest the ECFS-EP is valued and highlights priority topics, preferred formats and opportunities to optimise awareness. Results support continued provision and oversight of high quality education via an online platform. Continued success will rely on learning from user experience and feedback to inform future practice.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There has been no systematic investigation of the individual and combined effects of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and obesity on cognitive function in the absence of ageing. The aims were to examine the effects of IGT and increased waist circumference on cognitive function in ostensibly healthy adults, and to investigate whether a low glycaemic load (GL) breakfast can attenuate cognitive impairments in these populations. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty five females aged 30-50 years were classified into one of four groups following waist circumference (WC) measurements and an oral glucose tolerance test: NGT/low WC (n = 25), NGT/high WC (n = 22), IGT/low WC (n = 9), IGT/high WC (n = 9). Memory, psychomotor and executive functions were examined 30 and 120 min after consuming low GL, high GL and water breakfasts according to a randomised, crossover, counterbalanced design. IGT was associated with impairment of verbal and spatial memory, and psychomotor function relative to females with NGT, independent of waist circumference. Increased waist circumference was associated with impairment of verbal memory and executive function relative to females with low WC, independent of IGT. Consumption of the LGL breakfast attenuated verbal memory impairment in the IGT/high WC group relative to the HGL breakfast and no energy control. CONCLUSION: Increased central adiposity and abnormalities in glucose tolerance preceding type 2 diabetes can have demonstrable negative effects on cognitive function, even in ostensibly healthy, middle-aged females. The potential for GL manipulations to modulate glycaemic response and cognitive function in type 2 diabetes and obesity merits further investigation.
