Développement d'un cursus en matière de handicap et de impact sur les étudiants en médecine : une étude de portée

Background: There is an increasing need for a standardized undergraduate disability curriculum for medical students to better equip students with the proper training, knowledge, and skills to provide holistic care for individuals with disabilities. Objectives: The aim of this scoping review was to better understand and analyze the current body of literature focusing on best practice for including disability curricula and its impact on undergraduate medical students Results: Three major components for designing a disability curriculum for undergraduate medical students were obtained from our analysis. The components were: (1) effective teaching strategies, (2) competencies required for disability curriculum, and (3) impact of disability curriculum on medical students. Conclusions: Current literature revealed that exposing medical students to a disability curriculum impacted their overall perceptions about people with disabilities. This allowed them to develop a sense of understanding towards patients with disabilities during their clinical encounters. The effectiveness of a disability curriculum is dependent on the extent to which these interventions are incorporated into undergraduate medical education.Contexte : On constate un besoin croissant de créer une formation uniforme sur le handicap dans le cadre des études médicales de premier cycle afin de les doter des connaissances et des compétences nécessaires pour prodiguer des soins holistiques aux personnes handicapées. Objectifs : Le but de cette revue de la portée était de mieux cerner la littérature scientifique décrivant les meilleures pratiques pour l’élaboration d’un programme d’enseignement sur le handicap et les incidences d’un tel programme sur les étudiants en médecine de premier cycle. Résultats : Nous avons pu dégager trois éléments principaux dont il convient de tenir compte lors de la conception d’un programme d’enseignement sur le handicap au prédoctorat : (1) l’efficacité des stratégies pédagogiques, (2) les compétences à le cadre de la formation sur le handicap, et (3) les incidences de la formation sur les étudiants. Conclusions : La littérature révèle qu’une formation sur le handicap a des incidences sur la manière générale dont les étudiants en médecine perçoivent les personnes qui en souffrent. Par suite d’une telle formation, les étudiants font davantage preuve de compréhension envers les patients lors de leurs rencontres cliniques. L’efficacité d’une formation sur le handicap dépend du degré de son intégration dans le cursus médical de premier cycle

Building capacity in systematic review searching: a pilot program using virtual mentoring

Introduction: A well thought out, comprehensive search is the foundation for all systematic review research. Consequently, working on a first systematic review search can be intimidating. Articles and workshops, being less intensive than one-on-one training, are unlikely to instil enough confidence in one's ability to do a good job in this process. In this pilot program, an ongoing mentoring relationship was created as a means of building capacity and confidence in systematic review searching. Description: The mentorship program occurred in a virtual environment because the mentee and mentor were at two different institutions. Outcomes: To compensate for the distance, the mentor and mentee communicated and collaborated using free online collaborative software. The process for engaging in the program was developed between both the mentor and mentee to ensure individual and shared objectives would be met. This pilot program's process involved sharing searches, reflective journaling and recording time. Discussion: Building capacity in systematic review searching with an inexperienced searcher through virtual mentoring is an effective means of building confidence and skills in systematic review searching, and in building a sustainable mentor/mentee relationship

The status of telerehabilitation in neurological applications

We systematically reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of tele-neurorehabilitation (TNR) applications. The review included recent reports on rehabilitation for any disability associated with a neurological deficit or condition. Study quality was assessed using an approach that considered both study performance and study design. Judgements were made on whether each application had been successful, and whether further data were needed to establish the application as suitable for routine use. Nineteen credible studies that reported patient outcomes or administrative changes were identified. These studies related to 13 conditions. The focus of rehabilitation included Internet-supported treatments for management of fatigue, pain and depression; promotion of physical activity; and speech therapy. Sixteen studies were of high or good quality and three were fair to good, with some limitations. In 13 of the 19 studies the TNR application was successful in providing at least equivalent outcomes to conventional approaches. Additional work would be needed on eight applications to establish suitability for routine use, and would be desirable in five. Thus the recent literature provides further support for TNR applications, showing the promise of this field in a number of areas. However, the database of credible studies remains small

‘‘You’re just one of the group when you’re embedded’’ : report from a mixed-method investigation of the research-embedded health librarian experience

Graduate and Postdoctoral StudiesMedicine, Faculty ofNon UBCPopulation and Public Health (SPPH), School ofReviewedFacultyGraduateOthe

Research Embedded Health Librarianship: The Canadian Landscape

Introduction: Previous research has identified various types of embedded librarianship – the clinical informationist, the academic liaison librarian, and the special librarian within a corporation. There is far less mention of librarians who are embedded in health research teams; however, the authors’ personal experiences indicate these positions are not rare. The research-embedded health librarian (REHL) provides tailored, intensive information services to a health research team in which the REHL is integrated. This research study aims to describe the REHL workforce in Canada, noting how the characteristics of both the positions and the individuals holding them differ from those of health librarians in more traditional librarian roles. Methods: As Part I of a two-part mixed methods study, an electronic survey was distributed to Canadian health librarians. The survey gathered demographic data on all respondents and information on the work environments and experiences of self-identified REHL respondents. Descriptive data analysis was conducted, and statistical differences between REHLs and non-REHLs were calculated. Results: One hundred and ninety-one individuals completed the survey, with 39 (20%) self-identifying as REHLs. The results indicated that REHLs tend to be both younger and newer to the profession than librarians in non-REHL positions. They are more likely to work for research institutes and nonprofit organizations, and they are less likely to work in hospital environments. They are also more likely to be hired on term-specific contracts than on a permanent basis. Discussion: More survey respondents identified themselves as REHLs than was anticipated, which may indicate that this a growing segment of the health librarian workforce. The high number of contract positions could be one explanation for why REHLs tend to be younger librarians or librarians who are newer to the profession, as they are just starting out in their careers. The predominance of contract positions is likely influenced by the high number of jobs in research institutes or nonprofit organizations where continuance of the positions is dependent on securing grant funding

“You're just one of the group when you're embedded”: report from a mixed-method investigation of the research-embedded health librarian experience

OBJECTIVE: Embedded librarianship has received much attention in recent years. A model of embeddedness rarely discussed to date is that of research-embedded health librarians (REHLs). This study explores the characteristics of Canadian REHLs and the situations in which they are employed. METHODS: The authors employed a sequential, mixed-method design. An online survey provided descriptive statistics about REHLs' positions and work experiences. This informed a series of focus group interviews that expanded upon the survey. Through constant comparison, we conducted qualitative descriptive analysis of the interviews. RESULTS: Based on twenty-nine survey responses and four group interviews, we created a portrait of a “typical” REHL and discovered themes relevant to REHL work. REHLs may identify more strongly as researchers than as librarians, with corresponding professional needs and rewards. REHLs value “belonging” to the research team, involvement in full project lifecycles, and in-depth relationships with nonlibrarian colleagues. Despite widely expressed job satisfaction, many REHLs struggle with isolation from library and information science peers and relative lack of job security. CONCLUSIONS: REHLs differ from non-embedded health librarians, as well as from other types of embedded librarians. REHLs' work also differs from just a decade or two ago, prior to widespread Internet access to digital resources. IMPLICATIONS: Given that research-embedded librarianship appears to be a distinct and growing subset of health librarianship, libraries, master's of library and information science programs, and professional associations will need to respond to the support and education needs of REHLs or risk losing them to the health research field

A Curriculum for Introductory Systematic Review Searching for Researchers

Systematic review searching is becoming an increasing part of the day-to-day work of health librarians. The University of Alberta John W. Scott Health Sciences Library offers a monthly three-hour “Introduction to Systematic Review Searching” workshop to researchers at the University of Alberta. Over the four years that the program has been offered, participants have completed evaluations at the end of each session. Based on these evaluations, the content and the delivery of the workshop have been refined, and the value of the sessions to the participants has been affirmed