Attracting psychologists to learning disability services: starting with assistants

Assistants employed in a split support worker/psychology assistant post rated the experience of working with people with a learning disability positively and as an opportunity to increase knowledge of clinical psychology theory and its direct application to practice. Drawbacks included role ambiguity

Interventions to increase condom use among middle-aged and older adults: asystematic review of theoretical bases, behaviour change techniques, modes of delivery, and treatment fidelity

This systematic review collates, examines and syntheses condom use interventions for middle-aged and older adults. Associations between effectiveness and theoretical basis, behaviour change techniques, mode of delivery and treatment fidelity were explored. Five interventions were included; one was effective. Compared to interventions with non-significant findings, the effective telephone-administered intervention used theory to a greater extent, had a higher number of behaviour change techniques and employed more treatment fidelity strategies. There is a need to develop theory-based interventions targeting condom use among this population and evaluate these in randomised controlled trials that are rigorously designed and reported. Health psychologists have a key role in this endeavour

Entrepreneurship Outreach: A New Role for the Academic Business Librarian

The author discusses reports published within the issue, including one by Hyun-Duck Chung on entrepreneurship education at North Carolina State University, one by Diane K. Campbell and Ronald G. Cook on collaborative teaching between a business librarian and entrepreneurship faculty at Rider University, and one by Kathryn FitzGerald, Laura Anderson and Helen Kula on a program to promote technology commercialization

Long-term condition management in adults with intellectual disability in primary care: a systematic review

Background: Adults with intellectual disabilities have higher morbidity and earlier mortality than the general population. Access to primary health care is lower, despite a higher prevalence of many long-term conditions. Aim: To synthesise the evidence for the management of long-term conditions in adults with intellectual disabilities and identify barriers and facilitators to management in primary care. Design & setting: Mixed-methods systematic review. Method: Seven electronic databases were searched to identify both quantitative and qualitative studies concerning identification and management of long-term conditions in adults with intellectual disability in primary care. Both the screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts, and the quality assessment were carried out in duplicate. Findings were combined in a narrative synthesis. Results: Fifty-two studies were identified. Adults with intellectual disabilities are less likely than the general population to receive screening and health promotion interventions. Annual health checks may improve screening, identification of health needs, and management of long-term conditions. Health checks have been implemented in various primary care contexts, but the long-term impact on outcomes has not been investigated. Qualitative findings highlighted barriers and facilitators to primary care access, communication, and disease management. Accounts of experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities reveal a dilemma between promoting self-care and ensuring access to services, while avoiding paternalistic care. Conclusion: Adults with intellectual disabilities face numerous barriers to managing long-term conditions. Reasonable adjustments, based on the experience of adults with intellectual disability, in addition to intervention such as health checks, may improve access and management, but longer-term evaluation of their effectiveness is required

Nurses’ Perceptions of Community Health Workers in Health Care

The purpose of this study was to explore registered nurses’ and social workers’ experiences working with community health workers (CHWs) in clinics and homecare. Six nurses participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that CHWs are considered vital members of the health care team. Their expert knowledge of community resources and ability to bridge cultural and language gaps make them ideally placed to impact social determinants of health. The role of the CHW is evolving. Team building and role clarity are essential elements for successful integration of CHWs on health care teams. The investigator was unable to recruit social workers for this study. Further research is needed to solicit social workers’ perceptions of the CHW role in health and human services

Registered Nurses’ Perceptions of Community Health Workers

Objective: The objective was to explore the experiences of Registered Nurses and Licensed Social Workers who work directly with Community Health Workers (CHWs) in health care. Design and Sample: A descriptive qualitative design was utilized. Six registered nurses participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audiotaped. Content analysis consisted of identifying themes and patterns that emerged from the narratives. Results: Three themes were identified, 1) the importance of role clarity, 2) relationship building, and 3) filling in gaps in care. Conclusions: Nurses consider CHWs to be vital members of the health car team. CHWs’ extensive knowledge of community resources and their ability to provide culturally sensitive care has benefits for both patients and health professionals. The role of the CHW is evolving. Clear delineation roles is an important factor in the implementation of new health professions

Identifying Subject-specific Conferences as Professional Development Opportunities for the Academic Librarian

A major challenge facing academic libraries is the need for reference librarians to become knowledge experts in their assigned subject areas. The subject-specialist approach increases the effectiveness of collection development, classroom instruction, and faculty liaison interactions. Simultaneously, this approach creates the need for continuous learning opportunities. Conferences organized around academic disciplines provide a direct connection to subject-specific information as well as opportunities for meeting people who share common interests. With the increase in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and research, the authors argue that attending subject-specific conferences is the best way to keep up with information needs in various fields. This article reviews the benefits of attending academic conferences and discusses five strategies for selecting an appropriate subject conference in any discipline. First-person accounts of conference experiences illustrate these benefits