Burnout and psychiatric morbidity in new medical graduates

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and burnout in final-year medical students, and changes in these measures during the intern year. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal cohort study over 18 months, with assessment of psychiatric morbidity and burnout on six occasions. PARTICIPANTS: All 117 students in the first graduating cohort of the University of Sydney Graduate Medical Program were invited to participate in the study; 110 consented. OUTCOME MEASURES: Psychiatric morbidity assessed with the 28-item General Health Questionnaire and burnout assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. RESULTS: The point prevalence of participants meeting criteria for psychiatric morbidity and burnout rose steadily throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Internship remains a stressful time for medical graduates, despite initiatives to better support them during this period. The implications for the doctors themselves and for the communities they serve warrant further attention, including programs specifically aimed at reducing the rate of psychological morbidity and burnout during internship.NHMR

Assessment of and Response to Data Needs of Clinical and Translational Science Researchers and Beyond

Objective and Setting: As universities and libraries grapple with data management and “big data,” the need for data management solutions across disciplines is particularly relevant in clinical and translational science (CTS) research, which is designed to traverse disciplinary and institutional boundaries. At the University of Florida Health Science Center Library, a team of librarians undertook an assessment of the research data management needs of CTS researchers, including an online assessment and follow-up one-on-one interviews. Design and Methods: The 20-question online assessment was distributed to all investigators affiliated with UF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and 59 investigators responded. Follow-up in-depth interviews were conducted with nine faculty and staff members. Results: Results indicate that UF’s CTS researchers have diverse data management needs that are often specific to their discipline or current research project and span the data lifecycle. A common theme in responses was the need for consistent data management training, particularly for graduate students; this led to localized training within the Health Science Center and CTSI, as well as campus-wide training. Another campus-wide outcome was the creation of an action-oriented Data Management/Curation Task Force, led by the libraries and with participation from Research Computing and the Office of Research. Conclusions: Initiating conversations with affected stakeholders and campus leadership about best practices in data management and implications for institutional policy shows the library’s proactive leadership and furthers our goal to provide concrete guidance to our users in this area

Can You Credit This? A Credit-Bearing Information Literacy Course for Graduate Health Science Students

Objective: University of Florida HSCL librarians have long offered information-related instruction through guest lectures in the programs they serve and stand-alone workshops; however, librarians had not taught any credit-bearing courses focused on information literacy prior to 2016. To more fully integrate information-related skills into curricula, librarians developed a one-credit course for graduate students, initially targeting those in basic science programs but expecting that its modular format would allow easy adaptation for other health science programs. After two successful semesters teaching this course, librarians adapted the instructional content to an audience of graduate students in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. Methods: The basic science version of the course covered literature searching, bibliographic citation software, basic NCBI resources, funding sources, data management, and information ethics. In transforming the class for health professional students, librarians replaced the genetic and genomic resources sessions with introductory sessions on systematic reviews and grey literature. Conceptual material fit mapped well to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Framework. Health professions PhD program coordinators provided feedback on the syllabus and helped inform students about the course. Results: Formal student evaluation data is not yet available; however, informal feedback indicated that the course was incredibly valuable for doctoral students; one student even suggested making the course required. Student quiz scores and class discussion revealed that the choice of topics resonated with students, captured their interests, and fulfilled a need not met by their other courses. Conclusions: Developing and teaching a credit-bearing graduate course on information-related topics is one mechanism for librarians to further integrate into the curricula of their programs and broaden their reach. A course that has been developed and approved by a specific campus unit may prove relevant to other units and easily customized to fit their needs, thus increasing its impact

Use of annual surveying to identify technology trends and improve service provision

Objective: At an academic health sciences library serving a wide variety of disciplines, studying library users’ technology use provides necessary information on intersection points for library services. Administering a similar survey annually for five years generated a holistic view of users’ technology needs and preferences over time. Methods: From 2012 to 2016, the University of Florida Health Science Center Library (HSCL) annually administered a sixteen-to-twenty question survey addressing health sciences users’ technology awareness and use and their interest in using technology to engage with the library and its services. The survey was distributed throughout the HSC via email invitation from liaison librarians to their colleges and departments and advertisement on the HSCL home page. Results: Smartphone ownership among survey respondents was nearly universal, and a majority of respondents also owned a tablet. While respondents were likely to check library hours, use medical apps, and use library electronic resources from their mobile devices, they were unlikely to friend or follow the library on Facebook or Twitter or send a call number from the catalog. Respondents were more likely to have used EndNote than any other citation management tool, but over 50% of respondents had never used each tool or never heard of it. Conclusions: Annual review of survey results has allowed librarians to identify users’ needs and interests, leading to incremental changes in services offered. Reviewing the aggregate data allowed strategic consideration of how technology impacts library interactions with users, with implications toward library marketing, training, and service development.  This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program

IXPE Mission System Concept and Development Status

The Goal of the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Mi SMEX), is to expand understanding of high-energy astrophysical processes and sources, in support of NASAs first science objective in Astrophysics: Discover how the universe works. IXPE, an international collaboration, will conduct X-ray imaging polarimetry for multiple categories of cosmic X-ray sources such as neutron stars, stellar-mass black holes, supernova remnants and active galactic nuclei. The Observatory uses a single science operational mode capturing the X-ray data from the targets. The IXPE Observatory consists of spacecraft and payload modules built up in parallel to form the Observatory during system integration and test. The payload includes three X-ray telescopes each consisting of a polarization-sensitive, gas pixel X-ray detector, paired with its corresponding grazing incidence mirror module assembly (MMA). A deployable boom provides the correct separation (focal length) between the detector units (DU) and MMAs. These payload elements are supported by the IXPE spacecraft which is derived from the BCP-small spacecraft architecture. This paper summarizes the IXPE mission science objectives, updates the Observatory implementation concept including the payload and spacecraft ts and summarizes the mission status since last years conference

Imaging X-Ray Polarimeter Explorer Systems Engineering Approach and Implementation

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a NASA Small Explorer x-ray astrophysics mission being implemented by a geographically dispersed team. Each IXPE partner provides unique capabilities and experience which are utilized to design, build and launch the IXPE observator. A rigorous and iterative systems engineering approach is essential to ensuring the successful realization of reliable and cost effective IXPE mission system. The IXPE collaboration and observatory complexity provide both unique challenges and advantages for project systems engineering. The project uses established and tailored systems engineering (SE) methods and teaming approaches to achieve the IXPE mission goals. The IXPE systems engineering team spans all partner organizations. Currently, the project is in system integration and test working through structural environmental testing–vibration testing is just starting. Systems work is now focused on requirements management and maturity assessments, requirements verification and validation via sell-off packages (SOP) and interface control document (ICD) verification while supporting environmental test planning and execution. IXPE verification, validation and characterization (V&V) starts at the component/unit level and rolls up to appropriate higher levels where V&V compliance is assured by collaborative development by the cross-organizational V&V Team. This paper provides a technical summary of the IXPE concept of operations and mission-system (payload, spacecraft, observatory, ground system, launch vehicle), overviews the IXPE systems engineering approach (communications, project reviews, requirements analysis and management, baseline design and design trade studies, interfaces definition and documentation, resource management), describes the verification, validation and characterization activities (requirements validation, models and simulations validation, systems integration and test (I&T), system validation), discusses risk and opportunities philosophy and implementation, outlines COVID 19 accommodations, itemizes some key challenges and lessons-learned followed by the path to launch and conclusions

The community-based prevention of diabetes (ComPoD) study: A randomised, waiting list controlled trial of a voluntary sector-led diabetes prevention programme

© 2019 The Author(s). Objective: This two-site randomised trial compared the effectiveness of a voluntary sector-led, community-based diabetes prevention programme to a waiting-list control group at 6 months, and included an observational follow-up of the intervention arm to 12 months. Methods: Adults aged 18-75 years at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes due to elevated blood glucose and being overweight were recruited from primary care practices at two UK sites, with data collected in participants' homes or community venues. Participants were randomised using an online central allocation service. The intervention, comprising the prototype "Living Well, Taking Control" (LWTC) programme, involved four weekly two-hour group sessions held in local community venues to promote changes in diet and physical activity, plus planned follow-up contacts at two, three, six, nine and 12 months alongside 5 hours of additional activities/classes. Waiting list controls received usual care for 6 months before accessing the programme. The primary outcome was weight loss at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure, physical activity, diet, health status and well-being. Only researchers conducting analyses were blinded. Results: The target sample of 314 participants (157 each arm) was largely representative of local populations, including 44% men, 26% from ethnic minorities and 33% living in deprived areas. Primary outcome data were available for 285 (91%) participants (141 intervention, 144 control). Between baseline and 6 months, intervention participants on average lost more weight than controls (- 1.7 kg, 95% CI - 2.59 to - 0.85). Higher attendance was associated with greater weight loss (- 3.0 kg, 95% CI - 4.5 to - 1.5). The prototype LWTC programme more than doubled the proportion of participants losing > 5% of their body weight (21% intervention vs. 8% control, OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.36 to 5.90) and improved self-reported dietary behaviour and health status. There were no impacts on HbA1c, blood pressure, physical activity and well-being at 6 months and, amongst intervention participants, few further changes from six to 12-months (e.g. average weight re-gain 0.36 kg, 95% CI - 0.20 to 0.91). There were no serious adverse events but four exercise-related injuries were reported in the intervention arm. Conclusions: This voluntary sector-led diabetes prevention programme reached a broad spectrum of the population and had modest effects on weight-related outcomes, but limited impacts on other diabetes risk factors. Trial registration: Trial registration number: ISRCTN70221670, 5 September 2014 Funder (National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research) project reference number: SPHR-EXE-PES-COM