An examination of current stroke rehabilitation practice in Peru: Implications for interprofessional education.

This study aimed to better understand current clinical practice of rehabilitation professionals in Lima, Peru, and to explore the existence of and potential for interprofessional collaboration. A secondary purpose was to assess rehabilitation professionals' agreement with evidence-based stroke rehabilitation statements and confidence performing stroke rehabilitation tasks prior to and following an interprofessional stroke rehabilitation training. Current clinical practice for rehabilitation professionals in Peru differs from high-income counties like the United States, as physical therapists work with dysphagia and feeding, prosthetist orthotists serve a strictly technical role, and nurses have a limited role in rehabilitation. Additionally, while opportunity for future interprofessional collaboration within stroke rehabilitation exists, it appears to be discouraged by current health system policies. Pre- and post-training surveys were conducted with a convenience sample of 107 rehabilitation professionals in Peru. Survey response options included endorsement of professionals for rehabilitation tasks and a Likert scale of agreement and confidence. Training participants largely agreed with evidence-based stroke rehabilitation statements. Differences in opinion remained regarding the prevalence of dysphagia and optimal frequency of therapy post-stroke. Substantially increased agreement post-training was seen in favour of early initiation of stroke rehabilitation and ankle foot orthosis use. Participants were generally confident performing traditional profession-specific interventions and educating patients and families. Substantial increases were seen in respondents' confidence to safely and independently conduct bed to chair transfers and determine physiological stability. Identification of key differences in rehabilitation professionals' clinical practice in Peru is a first step toward strengthening the development of sustainable rehabilitation systems and interprofessional collaboration.

What is the role of the pharmacist? Physicians' and nurses' perspectives in community and hospital settings of Santiago de Cuba

This study was carried out to understand the perceptions and expectations of the other health care professionals about pharmacists' role in primary health care centers and hospitals in Santiago de Cuba (Cuba). A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, applying a self-administered questionnaire to health care professionals. The sample included 763 professionals (40.9% physicians and 59.1 % nurses) from hospitals and primary health care clinics, chosen by random stratified sampling,. The most common activity performed by pharmacists was the distribution of medications or the drug supply management (51.5 percent) and adverse drug reactions reporting (29.4 percent), activities performed daily by pharmacists. Pharmaceutical care practice was considered as poor by the professionals, and only 15.6 percent of them have collaborated in these programs in the past. For nurses and physicians, interprofessional communication occurs sometimes (56.9%) and never (25.8 percent). Pharmacists' integration into the health team was considered as fair (50.7 percent). A total of 70.1 percent perceived the pharmacist as a drug expert and 60.1 percent as a professional who provides medication counseling. The main expectations these health care professionals expressed were that pharmacists provide more education about medication (97.4 percent) and improve their interprofessional communication techniques in order to communicate more effectively with the other members of the health care team (96.6 percent)(AU)

O presente trabalho analisa o papel do farmacêutico na atenção primária de saúde e em hospitais, na percepção de profissionais da saúde na província de Santiago de Cuba. Um estudo descritivo transversal foi conduzido, através da aplicação de um questionário autoadministrado a uma amostra de 763 profissionais de atenção primária e hospitalar, 40,9 por cento de médicos e 59,1 por cento de enfermeiros. As funções farmacêuticas mais reconhecidas pelos profissionais desta amostra foram o fornecimento e distribuição de medicamentos (51,5 por cento) e o relato de reações adversas medicamentosas (29,4 por cento), funções desenvolvidas diariamente. A prática da atenção farmacêutica é limitada na percepção dos profissionais e apenas 15,6 por cento têm participado em programas desse tipo. Comunicação interprofissional ocorre às vezes (56,9 por cento) e nunca (25,8 por cento), com maiores dificuldades na atenção primária de saúde. A integração do farmacêutico na equipe de saúde foi considerada regular (50,7 por cento). Um total de 70,1 por cento dos profissionais percebeu o farmacêutico como especialista em medicamentos e 64,1 por cento como o profissional que aconselha sobre o uso de medicamentos. As principais expectativas colocam-se na necessidade de que o farmacêutico ofereça educação sobre o uso de medicamentos (97,4 por cento) e reforce as suas técnicas da comunicação na equipe multidisciplinar (96,6 por cento).

What is the role of the pharmacist?: physicians' and nurses' perspectives in community and hospital settings of Santiago de Cuba

This study was carried out to understand the perceptions and expectations of the other health care professionals about pharmacists' role in primary health care centers and hospitals in Santiago de Cuba (Cuba). A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, applying a self-administered questionnaire to health care professionals. The sample included 763 professionals (40.9 percent physicians and 59.1 percent nurses) from hospitals and primary health care clinics, chosen by random stratified sampling,. The most common activity performed by pharmacists was the distribution of medications or the drug supply management (51.5 percent) and adverse drug reactions reporting (29.4 percent), activities performed daily by pharmacists. Pharmaceutical care practice was considered as poor by the professionals, and only 15.6 percent of them have collaborated in these programs in the past. For nurses and physicians, interprofessional communication occurs sometimes (56.9 percent) and never (25.8 percent). Pharmacists' integration into the health team was considered as fair (50.7 percent). A total of 70.1 percent perceived the pharmacist as a drug expert and 60.1 percent as a professional who provides medication counseling. The main expectations these health care professionals expressed were that pharmacists provide more education about medication (97.4 percent) and improve their interprofessional communication techniques in order to communicate more effectively with the other members of the health care team (96.6 percent).

O presente trabalho analisa o papel do farmacêutico na atenção primária de saúde e em hospitais, na percepção de profissionais da saúde na província de Santiago de Cuba. Um estudo descritivo transversal foi conduzido, através da aplicação de um questionário autoadministrado a uma amostra de 763 profissionais de atenção primária e hospitalar, 40,9 por cento de médicos e 59,1 por cento de enfermeiros. As funções farmacêuticas mais reconhecidas pelos profissionais desta amostra foram o fornecimento e distribuição de medicamentos (51,5 por cento) e o relato de reações adversas medicamentosas (29,4 por cento), funções desenvolvidas diariamente. A prática da atenção farmacêutica é limitada na percepção dos profissionais e apenas 15,6 por cento têm participado em programas desse tipo. Comunicação interprofissional ocorre às vezes (56,9 por cento) e nunca (25,8 por cento), com maiores dificuldades na atenção primária de saúde. A integração do farmacêutico na equipe de saúde foi considerada regular (50,7 por cento). Um total de 70,1 por cento dos profissionais percebeu o farmacêutico como especialista em medicamentos e 64,1 por cento como o profissional que aconselha sobre o uso de medicamentos. As principais expectativas colocam-se na necessidade de que o farmacêutico ofereça educação sobre o uso de medicamentos (97,4 por cento) e reforce as suas técnicas da comunicação na equipe multidisciplinar (96,6 por cento).