Acting as a Change Agent

Background: Acting as a change agent (CA) is a key role for Health and Social Services (HSS) professionals. It involves working collaboratively with actors across and outside the HSS system and influencing decision-makers. However, this role requires specific skills that HSS professionals generally feel that they have not mastered. The overarching goal of this research partnership is to explore the development of CA skills by HSS professionals using a customized training program. Methods/Design: Through a research partnership, 128 HSS professionals will receive 7 hours of training using a professional co-development approach and a checklist. The immediate and medium-term effects of the training on their skills development will be evaluated with a self-administered questionnaire before and immediately following the training and again nine months later. The data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Discussion: This study will shed light on the effects of a customized training program on CA skills development. It will also have three main benefits: (1) development of an easy-to-reuse CA training program and checklist; (2) partner’s ownership of these products through close involvement; and (3) development of a sustainable partnership between a team of researchers and a recognized organization with an extensive HSS network

Bi-cultural, bi-national benchmarking and assessment of clinical reasoning in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Abstract Background: The Script Concordance Test (SCT) is being increasingly used in professional development in clinical reasoning (CR) in postgraduate medicine. On-line delivery favours multi-institutional collaboration

3D Cohort Study : The Integrated Research Network in Perinatology of Quebec and Eastern Ontario

Background: The 3D Cohort Study (Design, Develop, Discover) was established to help bridge knowledge gaps about the links between various adverse exposures during pregnancy with birth outcomes and later health outcomes in children. Methods: Pregnant women and their partners were recruited during the first trimester from nine sites in Quebec and followed along with their children through to 2 years of age. Questionnaires were administered during pregnancy and post-delivery to collect information on demographics, mental health and life style, medical history, psychosocial measures, diet, infant growth, and neurodevelopment. Information on the delivery and newborn outcomes were abstracted from medical charts. Biological specimens were collected from mothers during each trimester, fathers (once during the pregnancy), and infants (at delivery and 2 years of age) for storage in a biological specimen bank. Results: Of the 9864 women screened, 6348 met the eligibility criteria and 2366 women participated in the study (37% of eligible women). Among women in the 3D cohort, 1721 of their partners (1704 biological fathers) agreed to participate (73%). Two thousand two hundred and nineteen participants had a live singleton birth (94%). Prenatal blood and urine samples as well as vaginal secretions were collected for ≥98% of participants, cord blood for 81% of livebirths, and placental tissue for 89% of livebirths. Conclusions: The 3D Cohort Study combines a rich bank of multiple biological specimens with extensive clinical, life style, and psychosocial data. This data set is a valuable resource for studying the developmental etiology of birth and early childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes

Spatial On-Line Analytical Processing (SOLAP): Concepts, Architectures, and Solutions from a Geomatics Engineering Perspective

It is recognized that 80 % of data have a spatial component (ex. street address, place name, geographic coordinates, map coordinates). Having the possibilities to display data on maps, to compare maps of different phenomena or epochs, and to combine maps with tables and statistical charts allows one to get more insights into spatial datasets. Furthermore, performing fast spatiotemporal analysis, interactively exploring the data by drilling on maps similarly to drilling on tables and charts, and easily synchronizing such operations among these views is nowadays required by more and more users. This can be done by combining Geographical Information Systems (GIS) with On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP), paving the way to “SOLAP” (Spatial OLAP). The present chapter focuses on the spatial characteristics of SOLAP from a geomatics engineering point of view: concepts, architectures, tools and remaining challenges

Modeling Geospatial Databases with Plug-Ins for Visual Languages: A Pragmatic Approach and the Impacts of 16

Abstract. Modeling geospatial databases for GIS applications has always posed several challenges for system analysts, developers and their clients. Numerous improvements to modeling formalisms have been proposed by the research community over the last 15 years, most remaining within academia. This paper presents generic extensions (called Plug-Ins for Visual Languages or PVL) to facilitate spatial and temporal modeling of databases. For the first time, we explain its intrinsic relationship with an extended repository and how it has been influenced by pragmatic lessons learned from real life projects. We describe how we use PVLs with UML and how 16 years of fundamental research, diverse experimentations and feedbacks from users over the world shaped our approach. The final section presents Perceptory, a free repository-based UML+ PVL CASE developed to improve geospatial database modeling.

Parent Training Program to Increase School Readiness: What Characteristics of Parents, Family and Children Predict Engagement?

Les programmes d’entraînement aux habiletés parentales (PEHP) peuvent prévenir les problèmes associés à une faible préparation à l’école. Un défi majeur concerne toutefois l’engagement des participants au programme, près de la moitié ne les complétant pas. Or, l’engagement des parents a une incidence sur les bénéfices qu’en retirent les parents et les enfants. La présente étude porte sur les prédicteurs de toutes les composantes comportementales de l’engagement participatif : l’assiduité, l’implication dans les rencontres et la réalisation des devoirs. Une recension a permis d’identifier que des caractéristiques des parents, des enfants et de la famille sont associées à l’engagement. Cependant, peu d’études considèrent simultanément les trois composantes de l’engagement ainsi que des prédicteurs relevant des caractéristiques des parents, des enfants et de la famille. La présente étude vise à identifier les prédicteurs des trois composantes de l’engagement participatif. L’échantillon se compose de 89 parents ayant participé au PEHP « Ces années incroyables » et ayant un enfant d’âge préscolaire à risque sur le plan de la préparation à l’école. Les résultats montrent que les parents plus satisfaits du programme et qui ont un emploi sont plus assidus. Les parents qui adoptent des pratiques parentales plus positives avant le programme, qui sont satisfaits du programme et dont le revenu familial est plus élevé sont plus impliqués dans les rencontres. Les parents issus de familles monoparentales réalisent moins leurs devoirs. Différentes pistes d’intervention pouvant favoriser l’engagement dans un PEHP offert en contexte de prévention sont abordées dans la discussion.Parent training programs (PTP) can prevent problems associated with low school readiness. A major challenge, however, is related to the low engagement of program participants, with almost half not completing them. Nonetheless, parental engagement has an impact on the benefits of PTP on parents and children. This study examines the predictors of all the behavioral components of engagement: attendance, quality of participation, and homework completion. A literature review allowed us to identify that characteristics of parents, children and the family are associated with engagement. However, few studies consider all three components of engagement simultaneously as well as predictors related to the characteristics of parents, children and family. This study aims to identify the predictors of the three components of engagement. The sample consists of 89 parents who participated in the «Incredible Years» and have a preschooler who is at risk because of a low school readiness. The results show that parents who are more satisfied with the program and who have an occupation attend significantly more sessions. Parents who adopt more positive parenting practices before the program, who are satisfied with the program and whose family income is higher show a better quality of participation. Parents from single-parent families are less likely to do their homework. Different avenues of intervention that can promote engagement in a PTP offered in a prevention context are discussed

Entraînement aux habiletés parentales pour préparer les enfants à l’école : quelles caractéristiques parentales, familiales et des enfants prédisent l’engagement?

Les programmes d’entraînement aux habiletés parentales (PEHP) peuvent prévenir les problèmes associés à une faible préparation à l’école. Un défi majeur concerne toutefois l’engagement des participants au programme, près de la moitié ne les complétant pas. Or, l’engagement des parents a une incidence sur les bénéfices qu’en retirent les parents et les enfants. La présente étude porte sur les prédicteurs de toutes les composantes comportementales de l’engagement participatif : l’assiduité, l’implication dans les rencontres et la réalisation des devoirs. Une recension a permis d’identifier que des caractéristiques des parents, des enfants et de la famille sont associées à l’engagement. Cependant, peu d’études considèrent simultanément les trois composantes de l’engagement ainsi que des prédicteurs relevant des caractéristiques des parents, des enfants et de la famille. La présente étude vise à identifier les prédicteurs des trois composantes de l’engagement participatif. L’échantillon se compose de 89 parents ayant participé au PEHP « Ces années incroyables » et ayant un enfant d’âge préscolaire à risque sur le plan de la préparation à l’école. Les résultats montrent que les parents plus satisfaits du programme et qui ont un emploi sont plus assidus. Les parents qui adoptent des pratiques parentales plus positives avant le programme, qui sont satisfaits du programme et dont le revenu familial est plus élevé sont plus impliqués dans les rencontres. Les parents issus de familles monoparentales réalisent moins leurs devoirs. Différentes pistes d’intervention pouvant favoriser l’engagement dans un PEHP offert en contexte de prévention sont abordées dans la discussion.Parent training programs (PTP) can prevent problems associated with low school readiness. A major challenge, however, is related to the low engagement of program participants, with almost half not completing them. Nonetheless, parental engagement has an impact on the benefits of PTP on parents and children. This study examines the predictors of all the behavioral components of engagement: attendance, quality of participation, and homework completion. A literature review allowed us to identify that characteristics of parents, children and the family are associated with engagement. However, few studies consider all three components of engagement simultaneously as well as predictors related to the characteristics of parents, children and family. This study aims to identify the predictors of the three components of engagement. The sample consists of 89 parents who participated in the «Incredible Years» and have a preschooler who is at risk because of a low school readiness. The results show that parents who are more satisfied with the program and who have an occupation attend significantly more sessions. Parents who adopt more positive parenting practices before the program, who are satisfied with the program and whose family income is higher show a better quality of participation. Parents from single-parent families are less likely to do their homework. Different avenues of intervention that can promote engagement in a PTP offered in a prevention context are discussed