Contribution of EQA to improve Preanalytical practices by systematic verification of Laboratory Services

International literature describes the preanalytical phase as the most susceptible to errors due to the numerous non automated activities it involves Most EQA organizers offer preanalytical schemes to participants. There are basically three types of surveys procedures registration, samples circulation and errors registration The Portuguese EQA Programme ( provides these type of schemes for 13 years, using as a guide the ISO 15189 2012 In order to improve the evaluation of the preanalytical phase, PNAEQ recently launched two other preanalytical EQA schemes, mystery client and presential audits in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The aim of the mystery client survey is to verify whether the information provided to the patient is constant regardless the day and time or if it is dependent on the collaborator. The aim of the presential audit survey is to give the participants a tool to verify if the procedures performed daily are in accordance with laboratorial good practices recommendations. Conclusions: Results from Mystery Client surveys demonstrate the need for written procedures and harmonization of practices for all collaborators, as more than a third of the responses differed in date/time and operator in a global view. In the Presential Audit surveys we highlight as critical points the results regarding questions 3 5 and 6 as they point to specific problems that occurred during the blood collection procedure, such as operator and patient safety, as well as the quality of the sample collected, suggesting the need to review legal and normative issues and to train collaborators. Participants who use systematically these two methodologies are monitoring some of the requirements of ISO 15189:2012, namely 4. 1.2.6, 4.3, 4.4.1, 4.14, 5.4.2 (both), 5.4.4.2 (mystery client) and 5.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.2.5, 5.3.2.5, 5.3.2.7, 5.4.4 (presential audit), contributing to release reliable results for medical decisions. For the future, we will extend the questions and items in evaluation in these two surveys to Microbiology area and continuing to offer training in Preanalytical matters.N/

Educação e inovação

Neste artigo, começamos por reflectir sobre a pertinência e a actualidade da inovação educativa, fazendo uma breve alusão ao conceito de inovação. De seguida, apresentamos duas investigações recentes (1996), uma realizada na Suécia e outra em França, por forma a ilustrar e a enriquecer a presente reflexão. Concluímos formulando algumas questões e alertando para a necessidade de desenvolver mais as investigações teórica e empírica, neste domínio. Temos uma fraca tradição de investigação em educação. Estamos habituados a reformar a educação de maneira puramente empírica, sem base científica. Tal hábito tem-nos custado caro e os seus efeitos serão hoje particularmente perniciosos, pois a nossa época exige que decisões da importância das que incidem sobre a educação tenham uma base o mais rigorosa possível, tanto empírica como reflexiva (Patrício, 1988, p.10)

Ser educador

"Ama e empenha-te na construção de uma nova humanidade: poderiam afixar à «porta» do século XXI" (Amorim, 1995). Esta afirmação soa-nos, hoje, provavelmente, despropositada e anacrónica. Mas é com ela que Isabel Amorim conclui um dos capítulos da sua dissertação sobre "Valores e Reforma Educativa". Afirmação ousada nos tempos que correm e que nos levou a reflectir sobre o nosso papel educativo, na actualidade, tendo em vista a construção de uma sociedade mais humanizada. Vivemos num final de século, numa época em que as mudanças se sucedem de uma forma ampla, rápida, contínua e, por vezes, inesperada. Num período caracterizado por uma crescente perplexidade, inquietação e, mesmo, por alguma desorientação

"Os Deuses Devem Estar Loucos"

Neste espaço de diálogo, em que se fala da vida, ou de pequenas fracções dela, onde, com a espontaneidade e a natural fluência das conversas mais aprazíveis, podemos trocar pontos de vista, iremos procurar partilhar algumas reflexões à margem do filme «Os deuses devem estar loucos»

PNAEQ - 13 years of post-analytical EQAS in Portugal

In the last 13 years, PNAEQ provided a specific program on post-analytical phase. In order to raise the offer of schemes in areas like Thrombosis/ Haemostasis, PNAEQ has established a consortium with ECAT Foundation distributing two more schemes: Post- Analytical Platelet Function and Pre- and Post-Analytical in Haemostasis. Furthermore, five of the analytical schemes organized by PNAEQ include a post-analytical interpretation, such as Blood Morphology, Hemoglobinopathies, Hydatidose, Rubella and Toxoplasmosis. The main objective of implementing specific and integrated programs on post-analytical phase is to evaluate the performance of laboratories on these matters in order to improve their quality service. The specific program on post-analytical phase provided by PNAEQ comprises 6 types of surveys: audits (vertical and presential), case simulation, case-study, document evaluation, quality indicators and questionnaires. Each survey represents a different tool to evaluate several items of the post-analytical process (Table 1), as well as the laboratory collaborators involved in each task (Figure 1). The items in evaluation are annually selected in the PNAEQ Working Group on Pre- and Post-Analytical Phase (created in 2015) and in compliance with the Portuguese Legislation and the ISO 15189:2012(E). Since 2007 PNAEQ has distributed 6 types of tools in the Post-Analytical Phase EQA, stabilizing in 3 of them in the last five years: Audits, Case Simulation and Quality Indicators. The participation rate has been increasing since 2015, which can be due to the multiple actions performed by PNAEQ Working Group on Pre- and Post-Analytical Phase. In addition, the Case Simulation surveys are the most participated (74% average) since the participation depends on PNAEQ. For the future, PNAEQ and the Working Group will work on the continuous update of the tools content distributed in each survey according to international references and the experience of other EQA organizers.N/

Redesigning English for Tourism Purposes (ETP) subjects during the period of emergency remote teaching: challenges and opportunities

The six undergraduate degrees offered by the School of Tourism and Maritime Technology in the scientific area of Tourism (Tourism, Tourism and Hotel Management, Marketing for Tourism, Restaurant and Catering Management, Tourism and Recreation and Event Management) have English subjects as part of their curricula. Designed under an ESP (English for Specific Purposes) framework, which privileges the needs of the learners, these subjects focus mainly on work contexts and interactions, providing practical language skills for tourism professionals. Given that contents, methodologies, and assessment are designed and planned to consider the type of language and discourse related to what the learners will need in their jobs, these subjects fall under the category of English for Tourism Purposes (ETP). Following the lockdown in March 2020, adjustments to online teaching and learning were implemented in those subjects in terms of teaching and learning methodologies, as well as in terms of assessment activities. Even though the teaching and learning contexts changed significantly, the aim of preparing students to perform specific job-related functions remained as one of the main concerns. Moving classes online was a challenging endeavor, but also created the opportunity to prepare students for their future participation in work-related online tasks. In this paper the authors describe the main adjustments made to ETP subjects and reflect on the challenges and opportunities created by the context of emergency remote teaching.N/

Emergency remote teaching: challenges and opportunities in foreign languages applied to tourism

The current paper intends to identify and analyse the challenges that both students and faculty have experienced during the process of moving online and that need to be turned into opportunities, in order to avoid replicating traditional teaching in an online environment. They are numerous and at several different levels. On one hand, students have experienced challenges such as time management, support and follow-up, communication and motivation, among others. On their turn, faculty have had difficulties in adapting the resources and, consequently, in mastering the necessary tools and skills, as well as the most suitable pedagogical strategies. On the other hand, assessment may represent a challenge on its own, both for students and faculty. By looking at the example of a Curricular unit of Foreign Languages applied to Tourism, the paper also aims to point out that the main opportunity lies in planning online teaching and learning activities as a conversational process between three axes: learning goals, learning strategies and assessment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Final Report

O ficheiro anexado é a versão "Final Report". O livro, tem o título: The Impact of HEIs on Regional Development, e o Capítulo do livro, tem o título: "I Give You Mobility: Co-Creation of Innovation as a Tool for Pedagogical Innovation and Social Responsibility" (pp.190-205; Cap. 11), versão da editora: https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/i-give-you-mobility/325285Final Report: The project entitled “I Give you Mobility” was created to address the need to bring mobility to the homes of users of the Home Support Service provided by the Private Institution of Social Solidarity, Fonte Santa , Centro Social da Serra do Bouro.N/

Traditional Toys and Student Motivation and Commitment in Technological Education

Problem Statement: This research aims to understand the contribution of traditional toys as catalysts for motivation and student commitment in the development of Technological Education projects and activities. Research Questions: To what extent do work units related to traditional toys promote student motivation and commitment in the subject of Technological Education. Purpose of Study: Technological Education requires students to gain knowledge and know-how such that motivation and commitment are crucial for the development of classroom projects and activities. It is in this context that traditional toys are assumed to be catalysts for motivation and student interest. Research Methods: In terms of methodology, an exploratory research of a qualitative nature was carried out, based on semi-structured interviews to teachers and students within a 2nd cycle of Basic Education environment, encompassing five state schools in the Viseu municipality, Portugal. Nine teachers and forty-five technological education pupils, aged between 10 and 12, attending the 5th and 6th years of schooling participated. Findings: Content analysis of the answers revealed that the implementation of work units involving the construction of traditional toys are conducive to student motivation and commitment. Starting off with an initial idea, pupils are enabled to experience all the stages of toy building, from conception to completion, contributing to greater student satisfaction in the teaching-learning process. Conclusions: The traditional toys constitute an added value in the subject of Technological Education, promoting student motivation and commitment in the development of projects and activities. Students acquire knowledge and skills, which will enable them to analyze and thus resolve specific situations and prepare them for an increasingly technological world.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How can the EQA provider encourage the participation in Pre-Analytical schemes

Providing a quality sample and ensuring the best laboratory practices should be the aim of Pre-Analytical Phase. With analytical phase strictly controlled, pre-analytical phase should be the laboratories target for improvement processes. Concerning to this, it is important to have in place a proper system for error detection for this extra-analytical phase and to be able to detect errors that have a significant negative effect on sample quality and patient health. Although laboratory managers are becoming to concern about these issues, the participation rate on the national program on pre-analytical phase is still very low, which means that the EQA provider should have an intervention more active than it has with the analytical phase. In order to contradict this weak participation and to reach the laboratories needs, PNAEQ (Programa Nacional de Avaliação Externa da Qualidade) has launched two types of schemes in which laboratories participation depends mainly of the EQA provider. One is the “mystery client”, which simulates a real life scenario to verify if the information provided to the patient depends on the laboratory collaborator. The other one is a presential audit, which identify some of the real errors occurred during the blood drawing. The aim of these two types of surveys is to demonstrate that most of the pre-analytical errors are detectable and, more important than that, they can be corrected or eliminated when pre-analytical phase is controlled.N/