An equitable and sustainable community of practice framework to address the use of artificial intelligence for global health workforce training.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and data science models may hold potential for enabling an understanding of global health inequities and support decision-making related toward possible interventions. However, AI inputs should not perpetuate the biases and structural issues within our global societies that have created various health inequities. We need AI to be able to 'see' the full context of what it is meant to learn. AI trained with biased data produces biased outputs and providing health workforce training with such outputs further contributes to the buildup of biases and structural inequities. The accelerating and intricately evolving technology and digitalization will influence the education and practice of health care workers. Before we invest in utilizing AI in health workforce training globally, it is important to make sure that multiple stakeholders from the global arena are included in the conversation to address the need for training in 'AI and the role of AI in training'. This is a daunting task for any one entity and a multi-sectorial interactions and solutions are needed. We believe that partnerships among various national, regional, and global stakeholders involved directly or indirectly with health workforce training ranging to name a few, from public health & clinical science training institutions, computer science, learning design, data science, technology companies, social scientists, law, and AI ethicists, need to be developed in ways that enable the formation of an equitable and sustainable Communities of Practice (CoP) to address the use of AI for global health workforce training. This paper has laid out a framework for such CoP.

Managing substance use for clients with serious mental illnesses: Knowledge, attitude, and training challenges among outpatient behavioral health providers in California, Ohio, and New York.

PURPOSE: Individuals with serious mental illness have high rates of substance use. The most commonly used substances among this population are alcohol and cannabis, and whether clinical providers delivering mental health services feel adequately prepared to address substance use is unclear. While information about the effects of alcohol are well established, the effects of cannabis are less well known and staff may feel less confident in their abilities to assess its use and may rely on more informal sources to learn about it. METHODS: Mental health agencies in three states (California, Ohio, and New York) surveyed their staff (n =717) to explore their knowledge, training, and expertise in assessment of substance use generally as well as cannabis and alcohol specifically. RESULTS: Overall, providers felt more prepared to address their clients' alcohol use than cannabis use. In between-state comparisons, California providers felt significantly less well prepared to assess, discuss, and refer their clients to treatment compared to Ohio and New York providers. Using a series of multi-categorical mediation models, we confirmed that deficits in training for these specific substances largely accounted for between-state differences in assessment, capacity, and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Substance use training to address the service needs of individuals with co-occurring disorders is insufficient and a significant need exists for systemic changes to workforce training of community mental health providers.

Falhas de comunicação e epistemológicas limitam a abordagem da Bioética na formação e na prática em Saúde / Communication and epistemological shortcomings limit the bioethics approach in health education and practice / Fallas de comunicación y epistemológicas limitan el abordaje de la Bioética en la formación y práctica en Salud

Este artigo analisa o Ensino de Ética e Bioética (EEB) nos Programas de Residência Multiprofissional em Saúde (PRMS) vinculados à Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brasil. A fim de compreender o EEB em sete programas pesquisados, avaliamos sua perspectiva teórica com base nos projetos pedagógicos (PP) comparando com um currículo de referência ("Core Curriculum", Unesco). Para avaliar o aspecto prático, desenvolvemos 11 entrevistas semiestruturadas (critério de saturação) com preceptores (as) avaliadas por análise de conteúdo (abordagem framework). Os PP analisados tinham carga horária e módulos temáticos aquém daqueles propostos no currículo referência. Os (as) preceptores (as) desconhecem o EEB como parte do currículo dos PRMS. Apontamos a qualificação da comunicação universidade e serviços e o reconhecimento das contribuições dos (as) preceptores (as) na formação dos residentes como medidas importantes para qualificar o EEB. (AU)

This article analyzes the teaching of ethics and bioethics (TEB) in multiprofessional residency programs (MPRPs) linked to Rio Grande do Norte Federal University, Brazil. To understand TEB in the seven programs investigated by the study, we assessed theoretical perspectives in the pedagogical plans, comparing them to UNESCO's Bioethics Core Curriculum. To evaluate practical aspects, we conducted 11 semi-structured interviews (employing the saturation criterion) with preceptors, which were assessed using content analysis (framework approach). The pedagogical plans' course loads and thematic modules fell short of the Core Curriculum recommendations. The preceptors were unaware that TEB was part of the MPRPs. Improving the quality of university communication and services and recognizing preceptors' contributions to resident education and training are key measures needed to improve TEB. (AU)

Este artículo analiza la Enseñanza de Ética y Bioética (EEB) en los programas de Residencia Multiprofesional en Salud (PRMS) vinculados a la Universidad Federal de Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brasil. Con la finalidad de comprender el EEB en siete programas investigados, evaluamos su perspectiva teórica a partir de los proyectos pedagógicos (PP) comparando con un currículum de referencia ("Core Curriculum", Unesco). Para evaluar el aspecto práctico, desarrollamos once entrevistas semiestructuradas (criterio saturación) con preceptores, evaluados por análisis de contenido (abordaje framework). Los PP analizados tenían carga horaria y módulos temáticos menores a los propuestos en el currículo de referencia. Los preceptores desconocen el EEB como parte del currículo de los PRMS. Señalamos la calificación de la comunicación universidad y servicios y el reconocimiento de las contribuciones de los preceptores en la formación de los residentes, como medidas importantes para calificar el EEB. (AU)

Health-care Workforce Training to Effectively Support Family Caregivers of Seniors in Care.

INTRODUCTION: Family caregivers (FCGs) play an integral, yet often invisible, role in the Canadian health-care system. As the population ages, their presence will become even more essential as they help balance demands on the system and enable community-dwelling seniors to remain so for as long as possible. To preserve their own well-being and capacity to provide ongoing care, FCGs require support to the meet the challenges of their daily caregiving responsibilities. Supporting FCGs results in better care provision to community-dwelling seniors receiving health-care services, as well as enhancing the quality of life for FCGs. Although FCGs rely upon health-care professionals (HCPs) to provide them with support and services, there is a paucity of research pertaining to the type of health workforce training (HWFT) that HCPs should receive to address FCG needs. Programs that train HCPs to engage with, empower, and support FCGs are required. OBJECTIVE: To describe and discuss key findings of a caregiver symposium focused on determining components of HWFT that might better enable HCPs to support FCGs. METHODS: A one-day symposium was held on February 22, 2018 in Edmonton, Alberta, to gather the perspectives of FCGs, HCPs, and stakeholders. Attendees participated in a series of working groups to discuss barriers, facilitators, and recommendations related to HWFT. Proceedings and working group discussions were transcribed, and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes. RESULTS: Participants identified the following topic areas as being essential to training HCPs in the provision of support for FCGs: understanding the FCG role, communicating with FCGs, partnering with FCGs, fostering FCG resilience, navigating healthcare systems and accessing resources, and enhancing the culture and context of care. CONCLUSIONS: FCGs require more support than is currently being provided by HCPs. Training programs need to specifically address topics identified by participants. These findings will be used to develop HWFT for HCPs.

Preparing Public Health Professionals to Make Evidence-Based Decisions: A Comparison of Training Delivery Methods in the United States.

Background: Evidence-based decision making (EBDM) in health programs and policies can reduce population disease burden. Training in EBDM for the public health workforce is necessary to continue capacity building efforts. While in-person training for EBDM is established and effective, gaps in skills for practicing EBDM remain. Distance and blended learning (a combination of distance and in-person) have the potential to increase reach and reduce costs for training in EBDM. However, evaluations to-date have focused primarily on in-person training. Here we examine effectiveness of in-person trainings compared to distance and blended learning. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to compare gaps in skills for EBDM among public health practitioners who received in-person training, distance and blended learning, and controls. Nine training sites agreed to replicate a course in EBDM with public health professionals in their state or region. Courses were conducted either in-person (n = 6) or via distance or blended learning (n = 3). All training participants, along with controls, were asked to complete a survey before the training and 6 months post-training. Paired surveys were used in linear mixed models to compare effectiveness of training compared to controls. Results: Response rates for pre and post-surveys were 63.9 and 48.8% for controls and 81.6 and 62.0% for training groups. Participants who completed both pre and post-surveys (n = 272; 84 in-person, 67 distance or blended, and 121 controls) were mostly female (89.0%) and about two-thirds (65.3%) were from local health departments. In comparison to controls, overall gaps in skills for EBDM were reduced for participants of both in-person training (ß = -0.55, SE = 0.27, p = 0.041) and distance or blended training (ß = -0.64, SE = 0.29, p = 0.026). Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of using diverse methods of learning (including distance or blended in-person approaches) for scaling up capacity building in EBDM. Further exploration into effective implementation strategies for EBDM trainings specific to course delivery type and understanding delivery preferences are important next steps.

Predictors of Coordinated and Comprehensive Care Within a Medical Home for Children With Special Healthcare (CHSCN) Needs.

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of coordinated and comprehensive care within a medical home among children with special health care needs (CSHCN). The latest version of the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) employed a national random-digit-dial sample whereby US households were screened, resulting in 40,242 eligible respondents. Logistic regression analyses were performed modeling the probability of coordinated, comprehensive care in a medical home based on shared decision-making and other factors. A total of 29,845 cases were selected for inclusion in the model. Of these, 17,390 cases (58.3%) met the criteria for coordinated, comprehensive care in a medical home. Access to a community-based service systems had the greatest positive impact on coordinated, comprehensive care in a medical home. Adequate insurance coverage and being White/Caucasian were also positively associated with the dependent variable. Shared decision-making was reported by 72% of respondents and had a negative, but relatively negligible impact on coordinated, comprehensive care in a medical home. Increasing age, non-traditional family structures, urban residence, and public insurance were more influential, and negatively impacted the dependent variable. Providers and their respective organizations should seek to expand and improve health and support services at the community level.

Educating the Public Health Workforce: A Scoping Review.

The aim of this scoping review was to identify and characterize the recent literature pertaining to the education of the public health workforce worldwide. The importance of preparing a public health workforce with sufficient capacity and appropriate capabilities has been recognized by major organizations around the world (1). Champions for public health note that a suitably educated workforce is essential to the delivery of public health services, including emergency response to biological, manmade, and natural disasters, within countries and across the globe. No single repository offers a comprehensive compilation of who is teaching public health, to whom, and for what end. Moreover, no international consensus prevails on what higher education should entail or what pedagogy is optimal for providing the necessary education. Although health agencies, public or private, might project workforce needs, the higher level of education remains the sole responsibility of higher education institutions. The long-term goal of this study is to describe approaches to the education of the public health workforce around the world by identifying the peer-reviewed literature, published primarily by academicians involved in educating those who will perform public health functions. This paper reports on the first phase of the study: identifying and categorizing papers published in peer-reviewed literature between 2000 and 2015.

Has Interprofessional Education Changed Learning Preferences? A National Perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To assess how changes in curriculum, accreditation standards, and certification and licensure competencies impacted how medical students and physician residents value interprofessional team and patient-centered care. PRIMARY DATA SOURCE: The Department of Veterans Affairs Learners' Perceptions Survey (2003-2013). The nationally administered survey asked a representative sample of 56,569 U.S. medical students and physician residents, with a comparison group of 78,038 nonphysician trainees, to rate satisfaction with 28 elements, in two overall domains, describing their clinical learning experiences at VA medical centers. STUDY DESIGN: Value preferences were scored as independent adjusted associations between an element (interprofessional team, patient-centered preceptor) and the respective overall domain (clinical learning environment, faculty, and preceptors) relative to a referent element (quality of clinical care, quality of preceptor). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Physician trainees valued interprofessional (14 percent vs. 37 percent, p < .001) and patient-centered learning (21 percent vs. 36 percent, p < .001) less than their nonphysician counterparts. Physician preferences for interprofessional learning showed modest increases over time (2.5 percent/year, p < .001), driven mostly by internal medicine and surgery residents. Preferences did not increase with trainees' academic progress. CONCLUSIONS: Despite changes in medical education, physician trainees continue to lag behind their nonphysician counterparts in valuing experience with interprofessional team and patient-centered care.