Promoting Breastfeeding-Friendly Hospital Practices: A Washington State Learning Collaborative Case Study.

Background: Hospital breastfeeding support practices can affect breastfeeding outcomes. Learning collaboratives are an increasingly common strategy to improve practices in health care and have been applied to breastfeeding in many cases.

Objectives: The aims of this study of the Evidence-Based Hospital Breastfeeding Support Learning Collaborative (EBBS LC) were to describe the perceptions of participants regarding the process and effectiveness of the EBBS LC, describe perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, and identify additional actions and resources needed in future learning collaboratives.

A new measure of the cognitive, metacognitive, and experiential aspects of residents' learning.

Purpose: Psychometric data are presented for the Cognitive Behavior Survey: Residency Level (rCBS), a survey that profiles cognitive, metacognitive, and experiential aspects of residents' learning.

Method: The authors asked 963 residents from seven medicine residencies of large academic medical centers to participate in their study and gathered data from the respondents during a three-year period, 2000-2002. A factor analysis cross-validation design guided the development of rCBS's seven scales: memorization, conceptualization, reflection, independent learning, critical thinking, meaningful learning experience, and attitude toward educational experience.

Using contextual design to identify potential innovations for problem based learning.

We report on the use of Contextual Design (CD) to develop models of the information management, resource integration, and collaborative processes of medical students in problem-based learning groups. CD is a modified ethnographic technique designed to provide a detailed understanding of the user's needs. Although the technique has been used in non-healthcare related fields, there is limited published data on the application of CD within healthcare settings.