33 research outputs found
GP planning in a pandemic
There are a number of good reasons why GPs will need
to be prepared for pandemic influenza (PI). These
include: workload/business continuity, medico-legal,
ethical and personal reasons
ASPREN surveillance system for influenza-like illness - a comparison with FluTracking and the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System
Public health surveillance systems are fundamental to
the prevention and control of infectious diseases. Data
obtained by sentinel surveillance systems may be used to
inform public health decision making, priority setting and
subsequent action
Teaching health science students foundation motivational interviewing skills: use of motivational interviewing treatment integrity and self-reflection to approach transformative learning
© 2015 Schoo et al. Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative
Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://
creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.BACKGROUND:
Many undergraduate and graduate-entry health science curricula have incorporated training in motivational interviewing (MI). However, to effectively teach skills that will remain with students after they graduate is challenging. The aims of this study were to find out self-assessed MI skills of health students and whether reflecting on the results can promote transformative learning.
METHODS:
Thirty-six Australian occupational therapy and physiotherapy students were taught the principles of MI, asked to conduct a motivational interview, transcribe it, self-rate it using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) tool and reflect on the experience. Student MI skills were measured using the reported MITI subscores. Student assignments and a focus group discussion were analysed to explore the student experience using the MITI tool and self-reflection to improve their understanding of MI principles.
RESULTS:
Students found MI challenging, although identified the MITI tool as useful for promoting self-reflection and to isolate MI skills. Students self-assessed their MI skills as competent and higher than scores expected from beginners.
CONCLUSIONS:
The results inform educational programs on how MI skills can be developed for health professional students and can result in transformative learning. Students may over-state their MI skills and strategies to reduce this, including peer review, are discussed. Structured self-reflection, using tools such as the MITI can promote awareness of MI skills and compliment didactic teaching methods
Plan your pandemic: A guide for GPs
Background
Influenza A virus has a range of subtypes characterised by the
display of particular surface structures and is associated with
significant symptoms and a tendency to cause epidemics and
pandemics.
Objective
This article presents a checklist to assist general practitioners in
preparing for an influenza pandemic.
Discussion
The Australian Federal Government launched ‘Exercise
Cumpston’ in October 2006 to assess Australian pandemic
preparedness. The report of the outcomes recommends the
integration of general practice into the planning process at
a national and jurisdictional level. General practitioners are
enthusiastic about receiving further information and training in
pandemic preparedness but preparing a general practice to deal
with an influenza pandemic is a complex task
Embedding and sustaining motivational interviewing in clinical environments: a concurrent iterative mixed methods study
© 2019 The Author(s) This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Motivational interviewing (MI) is internationally recognised as an effective intervention to facilitate health-related behaviour change; although, how it is best implemented and maintained in everyday clinical practice is not so clear. The aim of this study is to understand how MI as an intervention can be embedded and sustained in the clinical practice and learning environments.
Methods
A concurrent iterative mixed methodology was utilised. Data collection occurred in two parts: a scoping review to identify reported barriers and enablers to embedding and sustaining MI in healthcare settings, and a survey of health professionals at an international clinical educator workshop on the topic. Results from both methods were integrated at the analysis phase (‘following a thread’) to understand how MI is embedded and the fidelity sustained in the clinical environments. Complexity theory as a conceptualising framework was utilised.
Results
Eleven studies were included, and 30 health professionals were surveyed. Sustainability of MI at micro-clinical levels can be fostered through use of enabling technology, focus on patient-centred care, personnel development and process improvement. At the meso-organisational level, developing shared vision, creating opportunities and an organisational culture supportive of continuous learning are relevant issues. At the macro levels, adopting systems thinking and a learning organisation approach is important for sustaining MI.
Conclusions
In addressing the recognised barriers to embedding and sustaining MI in health service provisions, clinical educators could potentially play a central role as change agents within and across the complex clinical system
What skills do primary health care professionals need to provide effective self-management support?: seeking consumer perspectives
Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policyObjective
This research aimed to identify the skills required by primary health care (PHC) professionals to provide effective chronic condition prevention and self -management (CCPSM) support, according to the perceptions of a sample of Australian consumers and carers.
Methods
Qualitative data was collected and integrated from a focus group, key informant interviews and National Stakeholder meetings and a National Workshop, supported by an extensive literature review.
Results
With the exception of health professionals specifically trained or currently working in this area, consumers and carers perceive there is a lack of understanding, competence and practice of CCPSM support among PHC professionals.
Discussion
The PHC workforce appears not to have the full set of skills needed to meet the growing burden of chronic conditions on the health system. Recommendations include education and training that focuses on improved communication skills, knowledge of community support resources, identification of consumers' strengths and current capacities, collaborative care with other health professionals, consumers and carers, and psychosocial skills to understand the impact of chronic conditions from the person’s perspective