Journal of evaluation in clinical practice
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Effective treatment of depression involves collaboration with informed patients and families and appropriate knowledge sharing. We describe here our experience, as a case example, of a collaboration to "translate" a clinical guideline designed for practitioners into an accessible, plainlanguage version that patients and families can use during the care process, both to provide basic educational information and to foster informed discussions with their treatment providers. Content experts in knowledge translation, patient advocacy, patient-oriented research, and psychiatry guided overall project design. ⋯ Both during and at the end of the project, writers provided additional recommendations for improving the process, including more in-person meetings, distribution of step-by-step instructions on the writing task, and a key terms glossary of technical terms to support their role. In conclusion, we describe a process with practical tips and reflective feedback on important considerations for engaging persons with lived experience as leaders in the codesign and writing process of lay treatment guidelines. These methods may serve as a model for similar projects in other areas of healthcare.
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A clinical decision support system (CDSS) is a computerized system using case-based reasoning to assist clinicians in assessing disease status, in selecting appropriate therapy or in making other clinical decisions. Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs or trials) have shown that CDSSs have the potential to improve the insulin use, but the evidence was conflicting and uncertain. The purpose of our study was to determine whether a CDSS improves the use of insulin. ⋯ CDSSs have the potential to improve the insulin use and blood glucose control in a clinical setting. The methodologies in these studies were of mixed quality. Better designed and longer-term studies are required to ensure a larger and more reliable evidence base on the effects of CDSS intervention on insulin use.
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Low mood may affect developing relationships with a new baby, partner and family. Early identification of mood disturbance is crucial to improve outcomes for women perinatally. Instruments such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) are used routinely, with evidence that some women do not feel comfortable with how they are asked about their mental health. ⋯ The outcome checklist may be appropriate for use in clinical practice. It demonstrated effective psychometric properties and clear cross-validation with existing commonly used measures.
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Competency-based medical education (CBME) has gained momentum as an improved training model, but literature on outcomes of CBME, including evaluation of implementation processes, is minimal. We present a case for the following: (a) the development of a program theory is essential prior to or in the initial stages of implementation of CBME; (b) the program theory should guide the strategies and methods for evaluation that will answer questions about anticipated and unintended outcomes; and (c) the iterative process of testing assumptions and hypotheses will lead to modifications to the program theory to inform best practices of implementing CBME. ⋯ Deliberately pairing evaluation alongside change is an important activity and, when accomplished, yields valuable information from the experiences of those implementing and experiencing a program. Evaluation and the development of an updated program theory facilitate the introduction of new changes and theories that build on these findings, which also supports the desired goal of contributing toward cumulative science rather than "reinventing the wheel."
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Review
Competency-based education in pharmacy: A review of its development, applications, and challenges.
There has been a resurgence of interest in the application of competency-based education (CBE) in health care professionals' education in recent years, including the pharmacy profession. This model strives to prepare a competent pharmacy workforce to help meet societal needs for effective, safe, and economical health care services. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the applications of CBE in the education and training of pharmacists, the process for constructing a competency-based pharmacy curriculum, and the potential advantages and challenges associated with its implementation. ⋯ The adoption of CBPE can enhance the ability of pharmacy education to meet the rapidly evolving societal health care needs. This model has been applied in developed countries at different levels throughout the pharmacist's learning continuum. It has also been investigated in some developing regions.