Development of a Doctoral Internship Program for Walden’s Journals

A challenge facing all doctoral students is to learn to write with a scholarly voice, so that they can be successful in academic careers. A question arose about whether participation in a doctoral internship program for Walden’s 4 journals would improve interns\u27 research skills, writing skills, writing efficacy, and knowledge of the publication process.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/symposium2018/1027/thumbnail.jp

Online Doctoral Student Research and Writing Self-Efficacy in a Publishing Internship

The present project purposed to develop a publishing internship program and evaluate its effect on doctoral student participants. A key assumption was that direct experience with the publishing process as a doctoral student would help build some of the necessary skills and self-efficacy to be successful as authors/scholars in the future. Because there has not been previous research in this area, the present study addresses this gap. Two different assessments, a writing knowledge and self-efficacy inventory and a research self-efficacy inventory, were used in a pre–posttest design to evaluate the impact of participation in the 6-month internship program on 22 online doctoral students. A texting app was used to build a community of practice to provide social support. Writing self-efficacy and research self-efficacy improved significantly over the 6-month internship. Students judged the internship favorably and found the texting group to offer social support and information. Programs such as the current journal internship may offer the opportunity for students to gain valuable professional experience and learn the logistics of journal publishing, thus potentially allowing for better dissemination of doctoral research. This article contributes a mechanism for increasing students’ understanding of the publication process, as well as improving research and writing self-efficacy. Future research may wish to explore the impact of technology and texting groups on student research self-efficacy and feelings of social support

Comparison of pain models to detect opioid-induced hyperalgesia

OBJECTIVE: Chronic opioid therapy may be associated with hyperalgesia. Our objective was to determine if opioid-induced hyperalgesia detection sensitivity is dependent on the stimulus used to detect it. METHODS: This open design study compared the detection of hyperalgesia in opioid-dependent subjects (n = 16) and healthy control subjects (n = 16) using the following pain stimuli: cold pain, electrical stimulation, mechanical pressure, and ischemic pain. The opioid-dependent subjects were maintained on either methadone (n = 8) or buprenorphine (n = 8) for at least 3 months. None of the controls was dependent on opioids or other drugs of abuse. RESULTS: The opioid-dependent subjects were markedly more sensitive than controls to the cold pain test. Compared with the control group, the hazard ratio for ceasing the test due to intolerable pain was 7.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.6–23.3) in the buprenorphine group and 4.5 (95% CI 1.7–15.6) in the methadone group, with similar data for the cold pain threshold. Of the remaining tests, there were differences only for the electrical pain threshold between treatment groups, with the geometric mean threshold in the buprenorphine group being 1.5 (95% CI 1.1–1.9)-fold higher (ie, less sensitive) than that of the controls; the geometric mean for the methadone group was 1.3 (95% CI 1.04–1.7)-fold higher than that of the controls. There were no significant differences between buprenorphine and methadone patients in test responses. Women were more sensitive to the cold pain (hazard ratio for tolerance, 3.1 [95% CI 1.4–7.3]) and ischemic tests (hazard ratio for tolerance, 2.7 [95% CI 1.2–6.1]). There were significant correlations between cold and ischemic tolerances (r = 0.50; P = 0.003) and between electrical and mechanical pain tolerances (r = 0.52; P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that cold pain is the most suitable of the methods tested to detect opioid-induced hyperalgesia. This is consistent with its sensitivity to detect opioid analgesia.Sumithra Krishnan, Amy Salter, Thomas Sullivan, Melanie Gentgall, Jason White and Paul Rola

Behaviours that contribute to pharmacist professionalism: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES: Clearly understanding and describing professional behaviours of pharmacists allows the profession, researchers and policy-makers to observe and monitor the professionalism of pharmacists, and design interventions to improve it where needed. The primary objective of this review was to identify which behaviours are discussed to contribute to professionalism in registered pharmacists in peer-reviewed literature. The secondary objective was to review the identified behaviours using a behavioural specification framework to understand how they are expressed. DESIGN: A scoping literature review was conducted. DATA SOURCES: An electronic database search of Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, PsychArticles, Emcare and Medline limited to articles published in English from 1 January 2000 to 21 October 2022 was conducted. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Eligible articles contributed behaviourally relevant content with reference to registered pharmacists’ professionalism. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Extracted behaviourally relevant content was subject to researcher’s familiarisation, then deductive coding to one of two overarching definitions of technical or non-technical behaviour. Data were then inductively coded through assignment of a descriptive code to identify categories of professional behaviour within these two overarching types of behaviour. RESULTS: Seven articles were identified and included in the final analysis. From the extracted behaviourally relevant content, 18 categories of behaviours were identified. All articles identified behaviours in categories titled ‘establishes effective relationships’ and ‘complies with regulations codes and operating procedures’. Identified behaviours were often broadly described and merged with descriptions of influences on them and broader outcomes that they contribute to. CONCLUSIONS: Behaviours described to contribute to pharmacists’ professionalism in the literature are broad and non-specific

Pharmacists’ use of guidelines for the supply of non-prescription medicines: a cross-sectional survey

Objectives: Guidelines support best practice for healthcare practice. In Australia, some non-prescription medicines are only accessible after consultation with a pharmacist and are known as Pharmacist Only medicines. Guidelines for providing some Pharmacist Only medicines are available, however, it is currently unknown if and how these guidelines are used in practice.// The objective was to characterise pharmacists’, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students’ use of guidelines for Pharmacist Only medicines.// Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey of Australian registered pharmacists, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students was administered in July 2020. Questions explored the participants’ use of Pharmacist Only medicine guidelines (available both in print and online; available online only) in the preceding 12 months. Data were analysed descriptively (i.e. frequencies, percentages).// Key findings: In total, 574 eligible respondents completed the survey. Overall, 396 (69%) reported accessing the online and in-print guidelines in the previous 12 months with 185 (33%) accessing online-only guidelines. The guideline on emergency contraception was used the most out of all guidelines in the past 12 months (278, 48%). Overall, respondents reported accessing guidelines to update knowledge, check their practice reflected best practice and content familiarisation. Respondents’ reasons for not accessing guidelines were due to respondents stating they did not need the information or that they had previously accessed the guidelines more than 12 months ago. These reasons varied between respondent groups.// Conclusions: Access and use of the Pharmacist Only medicines guidelines varied between pharmacists, interns and students. Further understanding of the influences of the use of these guidelines will help inform professional bodies on how best to develop guidelines to increase consistent use in practice and implement interventions to increase use./

Use of a reference text by pharmacists, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students: a national cross-sectional survey

Background: Reference texts assist pharmacists by addressing knowledge gaps and enabling evidence-based decisions when providing patient care. It is unknown whether reference text utilisation patterns differ between pharmacists, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students. To describe and compare the self-reported use and perceptions of a reference text, namely the national formulary, by pharmacists, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students. // Methods: Registered pharmacists, intern pharmacists and pharmacy students living in Australia were surveyed in July 2020. The survey was electronic and self-administered. Questions considered self-reported use of a specific reference text in the preceding 12 months. // Key findings: There were 554 eligible responses out of 774 who commenced the survey: 430 (78%) pharmacists, 45 (8%) intern pharmacists and 79 (14%) pharmacy students. Most participants (529/554, 96%) reported historical use of the text, though pharmacists were significantly less likely than intern pharmacists and students to use it frequently (52/422, 12% versus 16/43, 37% versus 23/76, 30%, P < 0.001). Pharmacists (44%, 177/404) reported using the text as a tool to resolve a situation when providing a service or patient care (177/404, 44%) or as a teaching resource (150/404, 38%). In contrast, intern pharmacists and students most commonly use these to familiarise themselves with the contents (30/43, 70%; 46/76, 61%) or update their knowledge (34/43, 79%; 53/76, 70%). // Conclusions: Access and use patterns varied significantly across career stages. A broader understanding of the use of reference texts may help develop interventions to optimise the content and usability. Varying usage patterns across the groups may inform the tailoring of texts for future use

Should multiple imputation be the method of choice for handling missing data in randomized trials?

The use of multiple imputation has increased markedly in recent years, and journal reviewers may expect to see multiple imputation used to handle missing data. However in randomized trials, where treatment group is always observed and independent of baseline covariates, other approaches may be preferable. Using data simulation we evaluated multiple imputation, performed both overall and separately by randomized group, across a range of commonly encountered scenarios. We considered both missing outcome and missing baseline data, with missing outcome data induced under missing at random mechanisms. Provided the analysis model was correctly specified, multiple imputation produced unbiased treatment effect estimates, but alternative unbiased approaches were often more efficient. When the analysis model overlooked an interaction effect involving randomized group, multiple imputation produced biased estimates of the average treatment effect when applied to missing outcome data, unless imputation was performed separately by randomized group. Based on these results, we conclude that multiple imputation should not be seen as the only acceptable way to handle missing data in randomized trials. In settings where multiple imputation is adopted, we recommend that imputation is carried out separately by randomized group.T Sullivan was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award. I White was funded by the Medical Research Council (Unit Programme number U105260558). K Lee was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship (1053609)

Multi-state models and arthroplasty histories after unilateral total hip arthroplasties: Introducing the Summary Notation for Arthroplasty Histories

Background and purpose: An increasing number of patients have several joint replacement procedures during their lifetime. We investigated the use and suitability of multi-state model techniques in providing a more comprehensive analysis and description of complex arthroplasty histories held in arthroplasty registries than are allowed for with traditional survival methods. Patients and methods: We obtained data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry on patients (n = 84,759) who had undergone a total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis in the period 2002–2008. We set up a multi-state model where patients were followed from their first recorded arthroplasty to several possible states: revision of first arthroplasty, either a hip or knee as second arthroplasty, revision of the second arthroplasty, and death. The Summary Notation for Arthroplasty Histories (SNAH) was developed in order to help to manage and analyze this type of data. Results: At the end of the study period, 12% of the 84,759 patients had received a second hip, 3 times as many as had received a knee. The estimated probabilities of having received a second arthroplasty decreased with age. Males had a lower transition rate for receiving a second arthroplasty, but a higher mortality rate. Interpretation: Multi-state models in combination with SNAH codes are well suited to the management and analysis of arthroplasty registry data on patients who experience multiple joint procedures over time. We found differences in the progression of joint replacement procedures after the initial total hip arthroplasty regarding type of joint, age, and sex.Marianne H Gillam, Philip Ryan, Amy Salter, Stephen E Grave