Assessment of the Implementation of the International Health Regulations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Portugal as a Case Study

Introduction: The International Health Regulations (IHR) were developed to prepare countries to deal with public health emergencies. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 underlined the need for international coordination, although few attempts were made to evaluate the integrated implementation of the IHR’s core capacities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether IHR shortcomings stem from non-compliance or regulatory issues, using Portugal as a European case study due to its size, organization, and previous discrepancies between self-reporting and peer assessment of the IHR’s core capacities. Methods: Fifteen public health medical residents involved in contact tracing in mainland Portugal interpreted the effectiveness of the IHR’s core capabilities by reviewing the publicly available evidence and reflecting on their own field experience, then grading each core capability according to the IHR Monitoring Framework. The assessment of IHR enforcement considered efforts made before and after the onset of the pandemic, covering the period up to July 2021. Results: Four out of nine core IHR capacities (surveillance; response; risk communication; and human resource capacity) were classified as level 1, the lowest. Only two were graded level 3 (preparedness; and laboratory), the highest. The remaining three) (national legislation, policy & financing; coordination and national focal point communication; and points of entry) were classified as level 2. Conclusion: Portugal exemplifies the extent to which implementation of the IHR was not fully achieved, which has resulted in the underperformance of several core capacities. There is a need to improve preparedness and international cooperation in order to harmonize and strengthen the global response to public health emergencies, with better political, institutional, and financial support

Promover a participação e a cooperação da relação escola-família

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada no ISPA – Instituto Universitário para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade em em Educação em Pré-EscolarO presente relatório insere-se na Unidade Curricular de Prática de Ensino Supervisionada (PES) e foi elaborado a partir da experiência vivenciada no decurso do estágio curricular, numa sala de três anos, de um Jardim de Infância inserido numa Instituição de Solidariedade Social (IPSS) em Lisboa. A problemática desta investigação circunscreve-se na relação entre a escola e a família. Desta forma, foi utilizado como referencial teórico o modelo explicativo da tipologia do envolvimento parental Epstein (2001), pretendendo-se compreender de que forma é vivenciada a relação escola/família, em contexto pré-escolar, no sentido de melhor conhecer a participação e cooperação entre os agentes educativos. A investigação foi alicerçada numa metodologia qualitativa que recorreu a questionários, aplicados aos pais (das salas de três anos) e aplicados às educadoras das respetivas salas. A observação direta e os respetivos registos em diário de campo também complementaram a recolha da informação necessária a esta investigação. Verificou-se que a instituição estabelece relação com as famílias embora não seja demonstrada a participação de todas as famílias no que diz respeito às propostas desenvolvidas pelo contexto escolar.ABSTRACT: This report is part of the Course of Supervised Teaching Practice (PES), and it was developed based on a three-year experience of curricular internship in a kindergarten of Social Solidarity Institution (IPSS)” in Lisbon. The problematic of this investigation was circumscribed in the relationship between the school and the family. In this way, the explanatory model of the typology of the Epstein parental involvement (2001) was used as a theoretical reference, aiming to understand how the school/family relationship is experienced in a pre-school context, in order to better understand the participation and cooperation among the educational agents. The research was based in a qualitative methodology that used questionnaires, delivered to the parents (from the three-year-old rooms) and applied to the educators of the respective rooms. The direct observation and the respective field journal records also complemented the collection of the information necessary for this investigation. It was verified that the institution establishes a relation with the families, although it does not verify the participation of all the families with respect to the proposals developed in the school context

Research in undergraduate medical education : a national and international overview

Trabalho Final do Curso de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 2018Atualmente espera-se que o médico esteja preparado para interpretar e adaptar à prática as mais recentes descobertas científicas, para além de contribuir para a construção de conhecimento enquanto investigador. Assim, as Faculdades de Medicina têm um papel preponderante na criação dos futuros médicos-investigadores. O objetivo desta tese é descrever o estado da arte referente à investigação na educação médica pré-graduada, caracterizando os programas de investigação internacionais/nacionais e as oportunidades de formação relacionadas com investigação. Para caracterizar a realidade internacional foi realizada uma revisão sistemática utilizando o PubMed, onde foram pesquisados artigos publicados entre 1 de janeiro de 2012 e 31 de dezembro de 2017. Dos 276 artigos identificados, 53 foram considerados elegíveis, de acordo com os critérios de inclusão e analisados pelo método de Análise de Conteúdo. A descrição da realidade nacional baseou-se na informação oficial disponível nos websites das Faculdades de Medicina Portuguesas. A maioria dos programas de investigação são organizados pelas Faculdades. O desenvolvimento de capacidades relacionadas com investigação, estabelecimento de uma relação de tutorado com supervisor sénior e aquisição de capacidades de interpretação/revisão de investigação destacaram-se como vantagens em realizar investigação. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os outcomes da investigação entre programas curriculares obrigatórios vs opcionais, mas conclui-se que uma exposição precoce à investigação no currículo promove a carreira académica e que existe uma correlação entre a área de investigação em que se foca o projeto e a especialidade médica escolhida no internato. Concluindo, as oportunidades de investigação e de formação em investigação nas Faculdades Portuguesas parecem ser insuficientes. Os stakeholders devem promover uma mudança na cultura de investigação na educação médica. Mais oportunidades de formação e participação em projetos de investigação obrigatórios/opcionais são necessárias. Acima de tudo, as Faculdades devem alertar os alunos para a importância da investigação em Medicina, motivando-os a tornarem-se médicosinvestigadores.Nowadays, physicians are expected to interpret and adapt to medical practice the latest scientific discoveries and, when researchers, to contribute to the development of knowledge. Therefore, Faculties of Medicine have a preponderant role in the preparation of the future physician-scientists. The goal of this dissertation is to describe the state-of-art regarding research in undergraduate medical education, by identifying the international/national research programs and opportunities for training in research skills offered by Medical Faculties. To characterize the international reality, a systematic review was carried out in PubMed electronic database between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2017. From the 276 records identified, the 53 eligible articles, according to inclusion criteria, were analysed using content analysis technique. The description of Portuguese reality was based on the official information available at Faculties’ websites. Most research programs are organized by Faculties. The development of research related skills, the establishment of a mentoring relationship with a senior supervisor, and skills development to interpret and review research were the major learning outputs. When comparing outcomes of students’ research in optional vs mandatory curriculum no significant differences were found. However, an early exposure to medical research in undergraduate curriculum appears to foster a career in academic medicine as well as establishing a link between the area of research and the specialty to be chosen by students for their future residency. Therefore, undergraduate research opportunities and research skills training seem to be insufficient in Portuguese Medical Schools. Stakeholders should promote a change in research culture in undergraduate medical education. More opportunities for students’ research training and their engagement in research projects at core/optional curriculum are needed. Above all, Faculties should alert students for the importance of doing medical research while motivating them to pave their way to become physician-scientists