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Biomedical subjects

Maria J Grant

Publications and source records attributed to Maria J Grant.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Education needs for integrated care: a literature review.

AIM: This paper reports a systematic review to identify the education needs of the workforce within primary care to promote the effective delivery of integrated health and social care services. BACKGROUND: The need for different professionals to work more closely dominates global health policy. The drive to develop a workforce prepared for the future is crucial to the success of integrated services. However, some have argued that nurses are ill-equipped to meet the challenges of integrated service provision. The ability to work interprofessionally is an important skill which needs to be developed to support integrated working. METHODS: Structured searches were undertaken on organizational websites and the Caredata, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Sociofile databases between December 2002 and April 2004 to identify policy documents and primary research studies. The robustness of identified research studies were appraised using recognized appraisal tools. FINDINGS: Six themes were identified which indicate essential elements needed for integrated care. The need for effective communication between professional groups within teams and an emphasis on role awareness are central to the success of integrated services. In addition, education about the importance of partnership working and the need for professionals to develop skills in relation to practice development and leadership through professional and personal development is needed to support integrated working. CONCLUSION: Education which embeds essential attributes to integrated working is needed to advance nursing practice for interprofessional working. Further research exploring this and its impact on integrated provision is essential to ensure that evidence-based services are provided. The reinforcement of partnerships between higher education institutions and health and social care organizations should ensure that the workforce is educated to manage continuous change in service delivery. Innovative ways of teaching and learning which promote inter-professional working need to be explored.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2006

Developing and evaluating an interactive information skills tutorial.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate a web-based interactive information skills tutorial integrated into the curriculum. To determine whether the tutorial was acceptable to students and explore the use of a skills assessment tool in identifying whether the tutorial improved skills. METHODS: The development of a tutorial on OVID medline to teach transferable information skills. A small cohort study to evaluate students' views on the tutorial and its effects on information skills. RESULTS: Thirteen objective assessments were usable. There was a statistically significant improvement in mean final assessment scores, compared with mean pre-training scores, F(2,14) = 11.493, P = 0.001. Eleven (85%) students had improved their overall information skills. The improvement in overall searching skills was enhanced by referral to the tutorial. CONCLUSIONS: The tutorial was successfully developed and integrated into a Masters programme curriculum. In this setting, it appears to reinforce active learning, and was well received by students, who developed core generic searching skills and demonstrated improved information skills in the short and longer term. Students could use the tutorial for revision and study at a time and place of their choosing. Further evaluation is required to assess the impact of using the tutorial with large groups of students, and as a stand-alone teaching medium.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

How does your searching grow? A survey of search preferences and the use of optimal search strategies in the identification of qualitative research.

The objective was to gain an overview of researchers experiences of searching the literature, with particular reference to the use of optimal search strategies (OSSs) and searching for qualitative research studies. A 13-item semi-structured questionnaire investigating search behaviour was distributed to members of the Cochrane Qualitative Methods Network. Follow-up interviews were conducted with a subset of respondents to explore issues raised and clarify points of ambiguity. Findings were analysed using data reduction, data displays and verification techniques. Eighty-six per cent of distributed questionnaires were returned. All respondents reported searching electronic databases as part of their literature search, with 80% expressing a preference for searching alone or with colleagues. Forty-one per cent indicated that they consider a database search to be only one aspect of a comprehensive literature search. The rigour and availability of OSSs was a concern for 30% of respondents. Twenty-five per cent of respondents had searched for qualitative studies, although the difficulty of locating this type of literature was considered problematic because of the varied use of the term 'qualitative'. Whilst the majority of respondents reported using OSSs in some capacity, reservations were expressed about their ability to facilitate a comprehensive search. Replies indicated a belief that OSSs can reduce the sensitivity of a search, and might limit the breadth of coverage required. A greater appreciation of the availability and purpose of OSSs-including the ability to optimize either sensitivity or recall-is needed if this enhanced approach to accurate data retrieval and potential improvement in time management is to become widespread.

Information Storage and Retrieval↗