Repeat induced abortions in Georgia, characteristics of women with multiple pregnancy terminations: secondary analysis of the Reproductive Health Survey 2010.

Objective: To examine the multi-faceted characteristics of women with repeat induced abortions and assess post-abortion family planning service provision in Georgia.

Study Design: We performed secondary analysis of the data from the Georgian Reproductive Health Survey 2010. A logistic regression model was used to assess the socio-demographic and behavioral factors, contraceptive practices in relation to repeat induced abortions for 2203 women of reproductive age with at least one induced abortion.

Food for Thought: Are Radiation Therapists Able to Recognize Patients Who Would Benefit from Dietary Counseling?

Malnutrition is commonly seen in cancer patients before starting treatment and can worsen as they undergo radiation therapy. At the Odette Cancer Centre, there is currently no protocol or guideline for radiation therapists (RTs) to refer patients to registered dietitians before or during treatment. The aim of our study was to determine if RTs across Canada were able to identify and/or recognize nutrition-related side effects in patients during their course of radiation treatment who would require/benefit from a referral to a registered dietitian for additional support.

Breast and Prostate Cancer Patient Perspectives and Perceptions of Interprofessional Collaboration during Cancer Treatment: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in radiation oncology is inherent in the care of the cancer patient. Breast and prostate cancer patients encounter a number of health care providers during their cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow up. As the complexity of cancer treatment increases, patients are seen by interprofessional teams of specialists.

Republished: going glass to digital: virtual microscopy as a simulation-based revolution in pathology and laboratory science.

The recent technological advance of digital high resolution imaging has allowed the field of pathology and medical laboratory science to undergo a dramatic transformation with the incorporation of virtual microscopy as a simulation-based educational and diagnostic tool. This transformation has correlated with an overall increase in the use of simulation in medicine in an effort to address dwindling clinical resource availability and patient safety issues currently facing the modern healthcare system. Virtual microscopy represents one such simulation-based technology that has the potential to enhance student learning and readiness to practice while revolutionising the ability to clinically diagnose pathology collaboratively across the world.

A Pilot Study Evaluating the Usability and Usefulness of a Multi-language Online Patient Education Tool for Patients Undergoing Radiation Treatment: Findings from a Student Project.

Purpose: Treatment-related information is the most important informational need of cancer patients and online media sources are gaining popularity as a cancer communication method. Our aim was to determine if new multilanguage patient online education modules in radiation therapy are usable and beneficial for the multicultural cancer patient population who may face language barriers.

Methods: Eight new patients from the radiation oncology clinic at the Odette Cancer Centre (OCC) were recruited to participate in the study over a 3-month period.

Going glass to digital: virtual microscopy as a simulation-based revolution in pathology and laboratory science.

The recent technological advance of digital high resolution imaging has allowed the field of pathology and medical laboratory science to undergo a dramatic transformation with the incorporation of virtual microscopy as a simulation-based educational and diagnostic tool. This transformation has correlated with an overall increase in the use of simulation in medicine in an effort to address dwindling clinical resource availability and patient safety issues currently facing the modern healthcare system. Virtual microscopy represents one such simulation-based technology that has the potential to enhance student learning and readiness to practice while revolutionising the ability to clinically diagnose pathology collaboratively across the world.

Innovations in applied health: evaluating a simulation-enhanced, interprofessional curriculum.

Background: In response to current trends in healthcare education, teachers at the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences implemented a New Curriculum Model (NCM) in 2006, building a curriculum to better transition students from didactic to clinical education. Through the implementation of interprofessional education and simulated clinical scenarios, educators created a setting to develop, contextualize and apply students' skills before entry to the clinical environment.

Aims: In this pilot study, researchers assessed the impact of the NCM intervention on student preparedness for clinical practicum.

Canada's health human resource challenges: what is the fate of our healthcare heroes?

Each year, the Canadian health education system graduates thousands of health professionals who have the best intentions of practising to their full scope of knowledge and skills to help improve the patient care experience in this country. However, a recent research study points to the fact that members of the healthcare team may be practising in a challenging environment in which only a limited number of their skills are actually being used. The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences believes that these issues, which include increased role specialization, limited scopes of practice, rapidly advancing technology, and challenges transitioning from hospital to community settings, have broader health education and health system implications that need to be addressed by policy makers, educators, and healthcare system leaders in order to enhance health professional education as well as patient care.

Teaching Collaboration: A Retrospective Look at Incorporating Teamwork into an Interprofessional Curriculum.

Introduction: At the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, an interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum has been integrated into all health professional programs. A significant component of the introductory course in this IPE curriculum is on teamwork.

Objective: Our aim is to share the experiential strategies that we integrated into our didactic curriculum to demonstrate the importance of teams and their value to the future collaboration in clinical practice for our students.

An exploration of the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and the Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI).

The present study explored the relationship between the Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) admissions process and the Bar-On EQ-i emotional intelligence (EI) instrument in order to investigate the potential for the EQ-i to serve as a proxy measure to the MMI. Participants were 196 health science candidates who completed both the MMI and the EQ-i as part of their admissions procedure at the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences. Three types of analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the two tools: reliability analyses, correlational analyses, and a t-test.

Role of educational institutions in identifying and responding to emerging health human resources needs.

The healthcare system continues to evolve, requiring innovation to promote patient-centred, fiscally responsible healthcare delivery. This evolution includes changes to the skills and competencies required of the health human resources (HHR), both regulated and unregulated, who are central supports to healthcare delivery. This has become a priority agenda item at the international, national, provincial, regional and local levels.

Supporting Student Success.

Whether we are passionate about educating students or whether we believe that educating students is a job responsibility, as practicing medical radiation technologists/therapists, we are all clinical role models and clinical teachers. Although the majority of students adapt to the clinical environment and professional culture without too much difficulty, as clinical teachers, we have all encountered the student we felt was a challenge to educate. You may have experienced a student you thought was not motivated, did not effectively communicate, or was just a "problem"! As clinical teachers, we often struggle with how best to educate the student who is experiencing difficulty, which can lead to feeling helpless as to how to assist the student to be successful.

Skills integration in a simulated and interprofessional environment: an innovative undergraduate applied health curriculum.

The objective of our study was to propose an innovative applied health undergraduate curriculum model that uses simulation and interprofessional education to facilitate students' integration of both technical and "humanistic" core skills. The model incorporates assessment of student readiness for clinical education and readiness for professional practice in a collaborative, team-based, patient-centred environment. Improving the education of health care professionals is a critical contributor to ultimately improving patient care and outcomes.

Health human resources: consider the health technology professions.

Any analysis of health human resources must take into account the critical shortages in the health technology professions, such as medical laboratory technology, medical radiation technology, respiratory therapy and other allied health professions. These professions are often overlooked or invisible to patients, but they provide a vital role in diagnostic and therapeutic services. If projected shortages are not addressed, there will be a major impact on patient care.