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Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as inspiration, Noble and Mattick explore the parallels between learning to prescribe and becoming a health advocate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Globally, people with the academic and personal attributes to successfully study medicine experience disadvantages associated with sociodemographic factors. Governments have attempted to address this issue via macrolevel policies aimed at widening participation (WP) to medicine. These policies differ by country, suggesting much can be learned from examining and comparing international policy discourses of WP. Our question was: How are discourses of WP to higher and medical education positioned in the UK and Australia? Methods: A systematic search strategy was guided by five a priori themes inspired by United Nations Sustainability Goals (2015). Seventeen policy documents (UK n = 9, Australia n = 8) published between 2008 and 2018 were identified. Analysis involved two over‐arching, iterative stages: a document analysis then a Foucauldian critical discourse analysis, the latter with the aim of unveiling the power dynamics at play within policy‐related discourses. Results: Discourses of social mobility and individual responsibility within a meritocracy are still paramount in the UK. In contrast, the dominant discourse in Australia is social accountability in achieving equity and workforce diversity, prioritising affirmative action and community values. Similarities between the two countries in terms of WP policy and policy levers have changed over time, linked to the divergence of internal drivers for societal change. Both nations recognise tensions inherent in striving to achieve both local and global goals, but Australia appears to prioritise community values in working towards 'nation building' whereas in the UK the focus on individuality and meritocracy at times seems at odds with achieving parity for disadvantaged individuals. Discussion: WP policies and practices are situated and contextual so caution must be taken when extrapolating lessons from one context to another. The history of a country and the nature of marginalisation in that country must be scrutinised when trying to understand what drives WP policy. While the UK and Australia recognise tensions between local and global goals, Australia appears to prioritise community values and 'nation building' whereas UK discourses focus on social mobility and individual responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical Education 2011: 46: 13-20 Context The concept of outcomes has been used in health care for over 140 years. The use of outcomes in assessing quality of care regained prominence in the 1960s based on Donabedian's framework of structures, processes and outcomes. In the 1990s, the use of outcomes in medical education gained great favour, although the outcomes used were not carefully defined. Recently, a debate has ensued about the costs and, thus, sustainability of current health care programmes, focusing on the (non-)necessity of services, missed prevention opportunities and the efficiency of treatment programmes. Measurements using education outcomes and health care outcomes must take these issues into account, preferably from a common framework. As health care becomes increasingly costly and even inefficient, issues of effectiveness are often neglected in policy making. Methods This paper uses peer-reviewed evidence and an outcomes framework to explore the implications of current realities for the makers of education policy in the health professions and for the staff who train health professionals. Discussion If the ultimate impacts of practices and policies in health professions education are not considered, how will we know if our education structures, processes and outcomes are optimal? This essay examines this question from the perspectives of three related issues. The first refers to the need for a common framework if the outcomes of patient and community care are to be evaluated properly. The second perspective refers to whether it is feasible to consider both patient-based outcomes and patient-reported outcomes in assessing the impact of education programmes, especially at more advanced levels of training. The third perspective concerns the challenges and limitations that may be encountered in focusing on patient outcomes as a measure of the impact of education. The concluding discussion suggests how the results of such longer-term impact studies should be interpreted as key validity checks on the quality and effectiveness of medical education and clinical education if we are to address the validity and efficiency of outcomes used in education and training. Medical Education 2012: 46: 13-20 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidisciplinary and interprofessional working is currently a priority in health care policy, in caring for patients and in health professional education. Realising multidisciplinary approaches presents challenges in the context of changes in doctors' and nurses' roles and the increased emphasis placed on communication with patients. In communication in consultations, explanations are employed in the service of numerous activities, including decision making, diagnosis and physical examination, but they have been little studied. This paper presents findings from a comparative study of doctors' and nurses' communication with patients in multidisciplinary health care, focusing on diabetes in primary care. Video- and audio-recorded consultations were subjected to conversation analysis. Output from discussion groups with patient representatives and health professionals underwent qualitative analysis. Distinctive features of explanations in nurses' and doctors' consultations with patients were identified. These can be understood by reference to patterns of communication. Nurses' communication was mediated by patients' contributions; doctors' communication gave an overarching direction to the consultation as a whole. While nurses' explanations began from the viewpoint of a patient's responsibility and behaviour, doctors' explanations began from the viewpoint of biomedical intervention. Their consultations lent different opportunities for patients' involvement. Nurses' and doctors' communications each exhibit their own distinct features. Specification of these features, when considered in the context of a particular consultation activity such as explanations, allows both recognition of the distinct contributions each profession can offer and identification of ways of combining these to maximum effect. This has implications for policy, for practice and for interprofessional education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Matching the supply of health workers to need is necessary if a health system is to be sustainable, affordable and fit for purpose. On the 30th anniversary of the 1988 Edinburgh Declaration of the World Federation for Medical Education, levels of compliance with the 10th recommendation, 'Ensure admission policies that match the numbers of students trained with national needs for doctors', warrant review. There are two domains to such a review, concerning, respectively, how well these health needs are known, and whether workforce supply is well matched. Methods This is a literature review-based analysis of extant health system planning, which underpins current understanding of national health needs and of the consequent alignment of student selection processes. Results The core finding is that national need for doctors, and any other health workers, is not confidently known for any jurisdiction. Consequently, validation of student selection processes is impossible against this endpoint and data to validate these processes against the alternative endpoint of a positive impact on health outcomes do not exist. Data do exist to suggest some student selection processes result in desirable career and career location uptakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Globalisation and severe doctor shortages in many countries have resulted in increased numbers of international medical graduates (IMGs) in medical training programmes in major recipient countries such as Canada. Much of the literature on IMGs is written from the perspective of the doctor workforce. Less is known about the recertification training experiences of IMGs in recipient countries. This study aims to describe the recertification training experiences of IMGs in Canada in order to help medical training programmes understand how to facilitate the integration of IMGs into recipient medical communities. Methods A phenomenological (qualitative) research approach was undertaken for this study. International medical graduates undergoing recertification training in order to practise in Canada were individually interviewed about their experiences. Data collection and analysis followed the procedures of interpretive phenomenology. Results Twelve IMGs participated. Analysis of the interviews revealed 4 themes that typified IMG recertification training experiences: training entry barriers; and a 3-phase process of loss, disorientation and adaptation. International medical graduates must complete this 3-phase process in order to feel fully integrated into their professional environments. Conclusions This study provided a description of IMGs’ training experiences during certification for practice in Canada and revealed that these experiences were characterised by a 3-phase process of adjustment. Using this framework, a series of recommendations were proposed for medical training programmes to help IMGs with this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context The subject of economic migration among health care professionals has received intense attention. However, the aetiology of this migration has not been rigorously evaluated in Pakistan. Such knowledge can potentially influence health care and academic policies. Our current study proposes to quantify the relative contributions of various personal, professional and economic variables among final-year medical students in Karachi. Methods A self-administered structured questionnaire using a 10-point scale was developed and piloted among Karachi medical students. Additional open-ended questions were included to allow us to capture information not otherwise covered in the questionnaire.spss software was used for data entry and analysis. Results Over 95% of Aga Khan University (AKU) and over 65% of Baqai University (BU) final-year medical students intend to proceed abroad for their postgraduate training. The 2 most important factors behind this intent as pointed out by the students are poor salary structure (AKU mean score 8.94 ± 1.73, BU mean score 7.14 ± 2.6) and poor quality of training in the home country (AKU mean score 9.20 ± 1.20, BU mean score 8.68 ± 2.03). Other interesting factors captured through the open-ended questions were the poor work environment and lack of rigor in teaching of residents in domestic university hospitals. Over 50% of final-year medical students cited these issues as major reasons behind their decision to migrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo explore an approach for informing the development of regional policy by eliciting the considered views of GP participants at an educational event. In particular we discuss the reaction of GP participants to this approach. (In this instance our GP participants were trainers and the evolving policy under discussion was that of ‘clinical governance’.) MethodAn educational event was planned to facilitate discussion and the recording of the considered views of GP trainer participants. The acceptability of this approach to the participants was evaluated via observation and through feedback forms. ResultsWhile observation suggested that the participants were involved in many lively and constructive discussions, the feedback generated showed that many participants felt uncomfortable about the use of an educational event to inform development. DiscussionWe recognize the need to inform and facilitate change through the involvement of those who will be participants in the change process. The rapid timescales imposed by change and the ‘burden’ of additional research involvement on practitioners are issues. Approaches based on action research and participatory research principles may have potential and can throw light on the difficulties we experienced. ConclusionWe need to identify approaches which will allow us to ground development within the views of those to be affected by change. Our own attempt demonstrated difficulties. We would welcome further debate over methods and approaches applicable in this border territory between research, development and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which asserts the effectiveness of interprofessional team-based learning in developing U.S. health care policy. The study was conducted through the participation of the members of the National Academies of Practice. It reveals that the approach is effective in understanding the different aspects of health care and professional policy.

Examines a summer research training program in health care disparities sponsored by the Michigan State University Centre for Excellence in Minority Education and Health in East Lansing, Michigan. Focus of the program on enhancing medical students' knowledge of health care disparities and cultural diversity; Consistency of the evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care across a broad range of health care issues and services; Need for research into issues that impact minority populations and are related to health services and policy.