Supporting the transition from HND Social Sciences into BPS accredited second year psychology degrees

Executive Summary Under the auspices of the Higher Education Academy Psychology Network, and supported by the Scottish Funding Council, a small Colleges/ HEI working group was set up with the objective of investigating any pedagogical objections which could be a barrier to transition for students with a HND in Social Sciences articulating to second year BPS accredited degrees in Psychology. To investigate possible gaps in curriculum between Psychology content in the newly validated HND Social Sciences and that of first year undergraduate in HEIs, a survey of the course content, delivery and assessment methodology of undergraduate Psychology courses were undertaken. The findings were then compared to those in the Psychology component delivered in the newly validated (May 2006) HND Social Sciences. The survey showed that there was a communality of curriculum between the Psychology content of the HND and the first year undergraduate in Scottish HEIs, and that the delivery and assessment methods needed for the successful completion of the HND were comparable. To order to assess the likely consistency of delivery between Scotland’s Colleges and the HEI sector a comparison of the main Quality Assessment procedures were undertaken with the parallel processes in place for colleges by the SQA and HMIE. Information from the following four areas was examined. • • • Provision of SPSS Licence and tutor training across the Scotland’s Colleges Matching of optional topics by Course Leaders in colleges to those widely used in Universities Wide distribution of this report to all interested parties • • • • Resource review Content review Assignments – setting, undertaking and grading Recording processes The exercise showed clearly that there were rigorous Quality Assurance mechanisms in place in colleges which compared well to those present in HEIs. The report concludes that there are no pedagogical barriers to second year entry to Psychology courses for HND Social Science students qualified under the newly validated format. Several recommendations to improve HND/HEI transition into second year Psychology degrees, including; To assist greater transparency and clarity with regard to UCAS applications and admission to HEIs, a number of short advice/recommendation documents to assist students, college tutors and HEI admission officers are attached

Impact of in-house specialty pharmacy on access to novel androgen axis inhibitors in men with advanced prostate cancer

Introduction: Novel androgen axis inhibitors are standard of care treatments in advanced prostate cancer. The billed amounts for these medications are often very high, which may create significant financial toxicity for patients and lead to delays in treatment. Our institution implemented an in-house specialty pharmacy in 2014, that provides these medications and evaluates copay assistance options for all patients. We evaluated the program’s impact on out of pocket cost (OOP) and turnaround time (TAT). Methods: We reviewed available internal specialty pharmacy records to identify prescriptions for abiraterone or enzalutamide filled between 1/1/17 and 12/31/18. Payments were stratified by primary payment (amount reimbursed by the patient’s prescription plan based on the benefit’s design) and copayment assistance. Turnaround times (TAT) in business days were stratified by prescriptions requiring intervention (prior authorization, copayment assistance, or insufficient inventory) and clean prescriptions (those requiring no intervention). Results: One thousand four hundred seventeen prescriptions for 175 unique patients requiring abiraterone (n=869, 61.3%) or enzalutamide (n=548, 38.7%) were filled through the institution’s specialty pharmacy. The average amount paid by primary payer was $9,492.96 for a 30 day supply (range:$3,382.48-$12,939.84). Average quoted copay was$577.53 (range $3.08-$10,560.39). 64% of patients received copayment assistance. Average OOP cost per prescription after co-pay assistance was $100.83 (range$0-$8556.64). Three patients declined treatment due to cost (1.7% of overall). Average TAT was 2.98 days for clean prescriptions and 3.36 days for prescriptions needing intervention (p=0.055). Discussion: OOP cost varied significantly based on plan design and copayment assistance eligibility. The majority of patients received copayment assistance, which markedly reduced OOP cost. Cost rarely precluded access to treatment. TAT was not significantly prolonged for prescriptions requiring intervention. Further studies to determine impact of pharmacy type on access to specialty medications are indicated

Valproate Used in Women of Childbearing Age with Epilepsy

Valproate is one of the oldest known anti-epileptic drugs (AED) in practice which was discovered in 1881 and later in 1962 was approved for treating epilepsy. It is indicated in most of the seizure types including generalized onset (motor, non-motor and myoclonic), focal onset, unknown onset and unclassified. Valproate has other indications in migraine prophylaxis, and bipolar disorder

Repensando as compras públicas de alimentos : contextualizando lições e avanços nas reformas das políticas de alimentação escolar

This article seeks to identify the core dimensions of and the challenges to innovative school food reforms. Aiming to frame the discussion, the article examines three school feeding strategies: the World Food Programme’s Purchase for Progress (P4P) programme, the Brazilian School Feeding Program, and the European Public Food Procurement system. The first part conceptually defines what is meant by innovative forms of school food procurement, especial-ly regarding its underlying values. It shows that school food reforms go beyond improving access to food, enhancing educational outputs and supporting economic development goals. School feeding holds a transformative potential, insofar as institutional purchases become organized and develop in line with the goals of sustainable development, well-being and social justice. In the second part, we present contemporary examples of good school feeding practic-es, whose elements might, or might not, be pertinent in particular cases. There are two main lessons emerging from our research. First, policy reform and governmental will are not enough, if the institutional and legal frameworks for operationalizing new school feeding programs are not adjusted to local conditions. Second, we argue that pro-curement policies or city food strategies can open spaces of manoeuvre within fiscal, material and governance con-straints, although the role of social actors is essential and constructive for the success of nesting policy innovations.Este artigo busca identificar as dimensões centrais e os desafios que os programas alimentação escolar estão enfren-tando para inovar. Para dimensionar a discussão, o artigo analisa três experiências e seus respectivos contextos que são o sistema de compras do Programa Mundial de Alimentos para o Progresso (P4P), o programa de alimentação escolar do Brasil e sistemas de compras públicas de alimentos na Europa. A primeira parte do trabalho apresenta as características conceituais do que se entende por reformas inovadoras na aquisição pública de alimentos para as es-colas, especialmente em relação aos seus princípios subjacentes. Indica-se que as reformas nos sistemas de alimen-tação escolar vão além de ampliar o acesso aos alimentos, ou melhorar os resultados no desempenho educacional bem como apoiar o alcance de metas de desenvolvimento econômico. Na verdade, a alimentação escolar torna-se uma chave da transformação dos sistemas alimentares escolares à medida que as compras institucionais passam a se organizar e desenvolver de forma integrada aos objetivos da sustentabilidade, bem-estar e justiça social. O arti-go também apresenta exemplos contemporâneos sobre os elementos que podem ou não ser pertinentes em contex-tos particulares. Duas lições principais podem ser tomadas a partir de nossa pesquisa. Em primeiro lugar, a reforma das políticas públicas de alimentação escolar e o apoio dos governos não são suficientes se as instituições e leis ne-cessárias para a operacionalização dos programas não forem adaptadas às condições locais. Em segundo lugar, de-monstramos que as compras públicas ou as estratégias alimentares urbanas podem abrir espaços de manobra para superar restrições fiscais, materiais e de governança, embora o papel dos atores sociais seja essencial e construtivo

Developing Age-Friendly Communities in an Emergent Post-Pandemic World: Executive Summary

‘Developing Age-Friendly Communities in an Emergent Post-Pandemic World’ was a research project led by the University of Salford in partnership with Inspiring Communities Together and Manchester Metropolitan University. It was funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust, through its Building and Delivering Suitable Living Environments and Communities for an Ageing Population programme. The project investigated the legacy and impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older adults’ connections to other people and places in order to develop evidence-based recommendations to support older adults to continue to age in place. The research centred on three questions: 1) How have older adults made connections within and around their environments during the pandemic, and what can we learn from this as we move out of it? 2) What has been the impact of Covid-19 on older adults and their livingenvironments, and how can the development and adaption of new andexisting support activities help age-friendly places to succeed?3) How have activities for older adults changed, and how might these continue to adapt post-Covid-19? This executive summary provides a short overview of the project findings and key recommendations

Developing Age-Friendly Communities In An Emergent Post-Pandemic World: Final Project Report

This report presents findings from the 'Developing Age-friendly Communities in an Emergent Post-Pandemic World' research project. The Dunhill Medical Trust funded the work, which has been completed by a partnership led by the University of Salford with Inspiring Communities Together, Age UK Salford, and Manchester Metropolitan University. The report consists of three sections: Section 1: provides some context and rationale for the work, outlines the aims, and describes how the data it contains was collected in three strands. Section 2: presents findings in four thematic sections:• Isolation and adaptation: Social shifts during and after the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.• Changes in age-friendly service provision: Innovation, collaboration, and challenges.• Local as a lifeline: Community support, engagement, and green space.• Beyond lockdown: Continued challenges and enduring complexities.The report integrates data from all three strands of data collection to illuminate the impacts on older people’s social interactions, access to services, community engagement, and overall well-being. By investigating these areas, the report challenges the prevailing notion that life has returned to normal for older people as we transition into the next phases of the pandemic. Instead, it highlights the persistent, opportunities adaptations, and complexities that continue to shape this groups daily lives and relationships.Section 3: provides an account of the enduring legacies of the pandemic, examining the interconnectedness of the issues raised, and considers potential long-term implications for the design and development of age-friendly communities. It also provides key takeaway messages and recommendations for service providers, policymakers, and community organisations in developing strategies and services to support older people as we move beyond the pandemic

Reflections on an interprofessional student placement initiative in care homes

Interprofessional learning can offer students from different disciplines an opportunity to learn from, with and about each other. Additionally, practice placements in care home settings can offer students a rich learning experience. In 2021, a pilot interprofessional student placement initiative in care homes took place in the Manchester area, with three care homes and 17 students from a range of health and social care disciplines. In this article, the members of the core operational group that implemented the initiative reflect on their experiences. Using the 'What? So what? Now what?' reflective framework, they describe the context of the initiative, explore the lessons learned and make recommendations for future initiatives. The authors' intention is to inspire other educators to consider offering interprofessional placements to students, recognise the value of care homes as placement settings, and acknowledge the benefits of using reflection-in-action and reflective frameworks in healthcare education and practice