Tools for Assessing Communication in Pharmacy Education: Review and Recommendations.

Objectives: Well-developed and finely tuned communication skills are foundational for pharmacists and should be at the core of Doctor of Pharmacy curricula. This narrative review aimed to identify and summarize useful instruments for pharmacy educators interested in assessing communication skills.

Findings: Fifty-seven studies were evaluated.

Almond consumption affects fecal microbiota composition, stool pH, and stool moisture in overweight and obese adults with elevated fasting blood glucose: A randomized controlled trial.

Regular almond consumption has been shown to improve body weight management, lipid profile and blood glucose control. We hypothesized that almond consumption would alter fecal microbiota composition, including increased abundance and activity of potentially beneficial bacterial taxa in adults who are overweight and obese with elevated fasting blood glucose. A total of 69 adults who were overweight or obese with an elevated plasma glucose (age: 60.

Parental food choices for children when eating out: attitudes and impact of healthy choice menu labelling based on a hypothetical scenario.

Objective: To understand how healthy menu labelling information is used by parents/caregivers and where it fits within predictors of healthy meal choices when eating out.

Design: Parents were recruited to complete a 15-min observational, online survey regarding their experiences and hypothetical choices when eating out with their child/ren.

Setting: Australia.

Evaluation of an individualized vs non-specific standardized patient activity in improving communication skills amongst pharmacy students.

Background And Purpose: To evaluate the impact of two standardized patient (SP) approaches on student communication skills and self-perceived confidence.

Educational Activity And Setting: Second professional year pharmacy students were assessed on overall and area of improvement (AOI) communication skills and self-perceived confidence. Students were invited to participate in a SP intervention activity, following a fall and before a spring class assessment, where they were randomized to an individualized or non-specific SP group.

Effects of almond consumption on metabolic function and liver fat in overweight and obese adults with elevated fasting blood glucose: A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Almonds are a rich source of bioactive components. This study examined the effects of daily almond consumption on glycaemic regulation, liver fat concentration and function, adiposity, systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic health.

Methods: 76 adults with elevated risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) or T2D (age: 60.

Randomized Trial of a High Protein, Partial Meal Replacement Program with or without Alternate Day Fasting: Similar Effects on Weight Loss, Retention Status, Nutritional, Metabolic, and Behavioral Outcomes.

Higher-protein diets, meal replacements, and greater early weight loss have separately been associated with greater weight loss. We compared a high-protein, meal replacement program with daily energy restriction (DER) to one which provided greater energy restriction adding alternate day fasting (ADF + DER; alternating days of modified-fasting and DER plus 1 day/week) on retention, weight loss, physiological, nutritional, and behavioral markers. Participants were randomized to ADF + DER or DER for 16 weeks ( = 162, age 40 ± 8 years BMI 36 ± 6 kg/m² (Mean ± SD)) plus 8 weeks weight maintenance.

Nurses' attitudes and behaviors on patient medication education.

Background: Medication education is vital for positive patient outcomes. However, there is limited information about optimal medication education by nurses during hospitalization and care transitions.

Objective: Examine nurses' attitudes and behaviors regarding the provision of patient medication education.

Predictors of Response in Emergency Department Patients Receiving Intravenous Opioids for Severe Pain.

The primary objective of this study was to identify significant environmental and patient characteristics of emergency department (ED) patients who responded to intravenous (IV) hydromorphone and IV morphine for severe pain. Secondary objectives were to investigate the individual effect of the significant environmental and patient characteristics of responders, and to assess the nature and strength of the correlation of initial dose and change in pain score from arrival to pre-administration. A retrospective chart review was performed in patients who received IV hydromorphone or morphine in the ED for severe pain.

Variables Affecting Pharmacy Students' Patient Care Interventions during Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

To identify the temporal effect and factors associated with student pharmacist self-initiation of interventions during acute patient care advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). During the APPE, student pharmacists at an academic medical center recorded their therapeutic interventions and who initiated the intervention throughout clinical rotations. At the end of the APPE student pharmacists completed a demographic survey.

Strategies to increase children's vegetable intake in home and community settings: a systematic review of literature.

A systematic review was undertaken to identify intervention characteristics associated with increasing consumption of vegetables in children (2-12 years). PubMed, PsychINFO and CABabstracts were used to identify studies published between 2004-2014 that had measures of vegetable consumption, a minimum of 3-month follow-up and were conducted in home and community settings (outside of schools). Twenty-two studies were included in the review.

Pharmacists implementing transitions of care in inpatient, ambulatory and community practice settings.

Objective: To introduce pharmacists to the process, challenges, and opportunities of creating transitions of care (TOC) models in the inpatient, ambulatory, and community practice settings.

Methods: TOC literature and resources were obtained through searching PubMed, Ovid, and GoogleScholar. The pharmacist clinicians, who are the authors in this manuscript are reporting their experiences in the development, implementation of, and practice within the TOC models.

The effect of beverages varying in glycaemic load on postprandial glucose responses, appetite and cognition in 10-12-year-old school children.

Reducing glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) inconsistently improves aspects of cognitive function and appetite in children. Whether altering the GL by lowering carbohydrate relative to protein and fat has a role in these effects is unknown. Therefore, we assessed the differential effects of beverages varying in GL and dairy composition on appetite, energy intake and cognitive function in children.

Dairy food intake of Australian children and adolescents 2-16 years of age: 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey.

Objective: Dairy food consumption is important for Australian children as it contributes key nutrients such as protein and Ca. The aim of the present paper is to describe dietary intake from dairy foods for Australian children aged 2-16 years in 2007.

Design: Secondary analysis of a quota-sampled survey using population-weighted, 1 d (24 h) dietary recall data.

Understanding parent concerns about children's diet, activity and weight status: an important step towards effective obesity prevention interventions.

Objective: To identify parents' concerns and attitudes towards children's diets, activity habits and weight status.

Design: Computer-assisted telephone interviewing administration of a 37-item survey. Data were weighted for parental education level.

Appetite regulatory hormone responses to various dietary proteins differ by body mass index status despite similar reductions in ad libitum energy intake.

Context: Although dietary protein produces higher acute satiety relative to carbohydrate, the influence of protein source and body mass index (BMI) has not been clearly described.

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess postprandial responses to different protein sources, compared with glucose, in males with normal and high BMI.

Design: This was a randomized, crossover study of four preloads followed by blood sampling (+15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180 min) and buffet meal.

Energy intake, ghrelin, and cholecystokinin after different carbohydrate and protein preloads in overweight men.

Context: Dietary proteins appear to be more satiating than carbohydrate. The mechanism and effect of protein and carbohydrate type are unclear.

Objective: The objective of the study is to compare the acute effect of different proteins and carbohydrates on indicators of appetite and appetite regulatory hormones.

A high dairy protein, high-calcium diet minimizes bone turnover in overweight adults during weight loss.

Weight loss induces bone resorption and this can be attenuated by calcium supplementation. Protein-rich diets were recently associated with favorable effects on bone density, although this remains controversial. We hypothesized that a diet high in calcium and protein would minimize bone resorption during weight loss compared with a lower calcium, protein-rich diet.