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Although augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has been in use for several decades, many multidisciplinary teams do not implement the available knowledge in their practice. Limited availability of AAC programs has been purported as a reason for its limited use. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a dynamic intensive continuing education program aimed to provide multidisciplinary teams with theoretical and practical knowledge in AAC, teamwork, literacy, and family issues regarding the application of AAC for individuals with complex communication needs, on the participants' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and myths. A mixed method was used to investigate two out‐service and three in‐service continuing education programs consisting of 136 multidisciplinary staff members. Results demonstrate that participants gained knowledge and skills, changed attitudes, and refuted previously held myths. Participants reported changes in practice and in collaboration within their teams, with individuals at their settings, and with their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted, goal-focused approaches to mentoring can improve behavioral and mental health outcomes than more recreational, non-specific approaches. However, a focus on goals needs to be balanced with openness to including mentees' preferences. This study builds on prior work by exploring the benefits of goal- and youth-focused approaches to mentoring relationships from the youth mentee's perspective, including their associations with relationship measures (closeness and tension) and mental health outcomes (i.e., conduct problems, emotional symptoms, and depressive symptoms). This study was a secondary analysis of data from 2165 youth participating in thirty nationally representative mentoring programs in the United States. On average, youth were 12.3-years-old (SD = 1.43, range = 9–16) and the majority were female (55%); 36.7% were Black/African American, 22.4% were White, and 23.5% were Latino/Hispanic. Path analyses revealed 1) youth- and goal-focused approaches were positively associated with closeness, 2) youth-focused approaches were negatively associated with tension, 3) goal-focused approaches were positively associated with tension. At follow-up, a stronger mentoring relationship (less tension and greater closeness) was related to positive youth outcomes. As the field of mentoring corrects for an overemphasis on intuitive approaches and moves towards more targeted directions, it should resist veering too far from what sets the field apart from skills-training models: the role of a caring relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research is one of essential elements for development of each country and is a pioneer and precursor in providing accurate and making decision. Objective: This study evaluated the results of comprehensive health plan projects of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences from 2009 to 2013. Methods:This descriptive-analytical study was performed in four steps. The first two steps included the formation of a leadership team and holding of meetings with representatives of 22 executive authorities of the province. The third step included the compilation of the executive proposals of each organization and fourth step, received final reports and evaluations. In each step, a variety of methods were used for data collection, including reviewing all the documents, expert panel, focused group discussion and stakeholder analysis, Delphi technic and nominating group. Findings: From 43 conducted projects, only 31 projects (72%) were completed by Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. As the results, projects were in the field of policy documents (n=10), regulation (n=1), educational packages (n=4), educational programs (n=5), health index (n=1), models (n=7) and applications (n=18). Conclusion: Some of the defined projects were essential in 2010 and their implementation could solve some of health problems of the province. It seems that implementation joint projects could solve complex and multi-dimensional problems by promoting and applying intersectoral collaboration between health sector and executive authorities of the province.

School-based drug education initiatives are designed and marketed to prevent substance use and misuse. Over the past several decades, school-based drug education has evolved from delivering only information about drugs and the negative outcomes of their use to a multi-faceted, interactive approach, with several programs now using a combination of information, decision-making, social competency and to a lesser extent, harm minimization. Our study using a case study of a sample of Ontario, Canada elementary schools, found that the majority of programs that are being offered are selected less by empirically supported outcome studies than popular belief and marketing. Based on our findings we recommend that a consistent set of criteria be established based upon best practices to assist educational decision makers select prevention programs rather than allowing marketing or ideological positions govern what is delivered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of increased research and funding, youth mentoring programs, overall, yield small effects on youth outcomes. As a result, there are growing calls for programs to utilize the mentoring relationship as context for intentional, targeted skills development, in which mentors employ targeted skills designed to match the presenting concerns of mentees. This targeted approach contrasts with the historically dominant, non-specific friendship model, which holds that a supportive relational bond—alone—promotes positive developmental change. The current study is a follow-up meta-analysis using a comprehensive dataset of all intergenerational, one-on-one mentoring program evaluations published between 1975 and 2018, investigating the comparative impact of targeted, skills-based versus non-specific, relational approaches to mentoring. Analyses of 48 mentoring studies of youth outcomes (average youth age of 12.25 years old) revealed the overall effect size of targeted programs to be more than double that of non-specific relational approaches, with significant moderator effects on academic, psychological, and social functioning. Findings suggest that youth mentoring programs can promote positive outcomes, particularly when mentors employ targeted approaches matched to the needs of their mentees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Task shifting from trained clinicians to community health workers (CHWs) is a central, primary health care strategy advocated by global health policy planners in resource-poor settings where trained health professionals are scarce. The evidence base for the efficacy of these programs, however, is limited—in particular, research that identifies their potential unintended consequences. Based on sustained ethnographic study of CHWs working for AIDS projects in South Africa at the height of the country's AIDS epidemic, this article identifies how structural and local factors produced unintended consequences for CHW programs. These consequences were (a) CHWs moonlighting for multiple organizations, (b) CHWs freelancing in communities without regulation, and (c) adverse patient outcomes resulting from uncoordinated care. These consequences stemmed from structural elements of a bureaucratically weak health system and from local grassroots dynamics that jeopardized long-term CHW program sustainability and eroded national health goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BACKGROUND: Faculty development programs as useful approaches for organizational development improved competencies in faculty members which assist them to cope with workload and environment changes. Evaluating organizational development for faculty development programs provides insight into the impact of these programs on system development. The aim of present study was conducted to study the organizational development for faculty development programs at Kerman University of Medical Sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2020. The organizational development for faculty development questionnaire was sent to a simple random sampling of 100 faculty members who had been participated in the “Medical Education Fellowship” program. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc, using version 24.0 of SPSS. RESULTS: The response rate was 82%. Most of the faculty highly agreed that the “Medical Education Fellowship” program had produced organizational development. The score of the “Development and sustaining faculty development programs” domain (mean = 3.35, standard deviation [SD] =0.96) was higher than “Development and innovation in teaching and learning process” (mean = 3.31, SD = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Specific characteristics of the organizational development process for faculty development programs in health profession education were recognized. The findings emphasized on the importance of these interventions on creating developments in the broader community system.

Background: Organizational capacity development is an important outcome of faculty development programs, but there is a lack of an appropriate instrument for its evaluation. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire to evaluate the organizational capacity development for faculty development programs and to test its psychometrics. Materials and Methods: The initial capacity development for faculty development questionnaire (CDQ-FD) of 26 items was developed based on a literature review and opinion of experts. Content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), content validity index for items (I-CVI), and the content validity index for scales (S-CVI) were computed for content validity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were performed for construct validation. Results: The score for CVR, CVI, I-CVI, and S-CVI was 0.71, 0.83, 0.87, and 0.90, respectively. EFA resulted in a three-factor model with total variance extraction of 64%. Cronbach's alpha and Spearman Brown coefficient were investigated for reliability assessment. The Cronbach's alpha of overall scale was 0.8 and the test-retest reliability of the overall scale was 0.78. The final CDQ-FD contained 21 items and three categories. Conclusions: The CDQ-FD questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of organizational capacity development for faculty development in the medical education.

Background: We formed a self-funded hypertension treatment group in a resource-poor community in rural Honduras. After training community health workers and creating protocols for standardized treatment, we used group membership fees to maintain the group, purchase generic medications in bulk on the local market, and hire a physician to manage treatment. We then assessed whether participation in the group improved treatment, medication adherence, and hypertension control. Design: This is a program evaluation using quasi-experimental design and no control group. Using data from the 86 members of the hypertension treatment group, we analyzed baseline and follow-up surveys of members, along with 30 months of clinical records of treatment, medication adherence, and blood pressure readings. Results: Our initial hypertension needs assessment revealed that at baseline, community hypertensives relied on the local Ministry of Health clinic as their source of anti-hypertensive medications and reported that irregular supply interfered with medication adherence. At baseline, hypertension group members were mainly female, overweight or obese, physically active, non-smoking, and non-drinking. After 30 months of managing the treatment group, we found a significant increase in medication adherence, from 54.8 to 76.2% (p

Evaluation and development process of Educational programs is a systematical and dynamic process covering the design, development, evaluation, implementation, testing and fixing of a program. Program evaluation studies is of an important place in determining the effectiveness, success and sustainability of programs implemented in schools. Program evaluation applications in education give detailed information about the components of the program to program managers and executers in the process of developing program. And it is also important as it gives an active role to the students who constitutes one of the most basic components in the process of development. The purpose of this research is to describe the innovations that the relevant institution has made according to the results of doctoral dissertation titled "Modification and Development of the Associate Degree Program in Social Sciences at the Open Education Faculty'' completed in 2015. The study is a descriptive scanning work. Research data has been reached by the respective results derived from doctoral thesis and by examining the web page of concerned institution. It is seen that improvements have been made in the majority of the results obtained from doctoral thesis according to considerations of institution managers. It has been resulted that improvements are fairly obvious on open education books, examination system and e-learning materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To develop and implement more effective programs of health care delivery to prevent and control diabetes, Iran has developed and implemented the urban phase of the specialized care program for diabetic′s patients. Deeply understanding the views and experiences of various stakeholders in this program can assist policy makers to identify the program′s strengths and weaknesses and enable them to develop action plans. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the planning and establishing of this program from the perspective of providers. Methods: A qualitative study was applied using documents review and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with the program leads and relevant executive managers of the local medical universities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Three main themes and nine subthemes were explored, including program planning (the content and the strengths, weaknesses, and corrective measures), implementation (executive mechanisms at the university level, establishment of referral system, collaboration between deputies of health and treatment, information dissemination mechanisms, satisfaction measurement and strengths, weaknesses and corrective measures), and result (implementation results). Conclusions: The urban phase of the specialized care program for diabetic′s patients has been a good base to improve continuity of care, which emphasizes on controlling and prevention of occurrence or progression of chronic complications of diabetes. This model can also be used for better management of other chronic disease. However, there are still issues that should be considered and improved such as allocation of guaranteed resources, more trained health professionals, and more evidence based guidelines and protocols, better collaboration among medical universities′ deputies, clearer payment system for program evaluation and better information management system.

Continuous professional development is important for improving professional competencies, such as cognitive knowledge, technical skills, behaviors, and attitudes. Trainees who complete training programs can have a positive influence on their workplaces. However, it is challenging to establish a process that can facilitate individual learning and help achieve training outcomes in educational and clinical workplaces. In Cambodia, a tumultuous history has played a part in the deficit of adequately prepared nursing faculty. Since the faculty development is vital to ensuring the quality of education, the application of upgraded nursing programs has started in 2011. After the completion of upgraded program, an immediate post-training study was conducted in 2014. Results showed that some faculty members did not accept trainees because they lacked an understanding about nursing concepts. The current study aimed to evaluate the medium-term outcomes of an established program that can improve nursing education and to identify relevant factors in light of the institutional development of educational and clinical facilities in Cambodia. A qualitative study incorporating focus group discussions, key-informant interviews, and teaching document reviews was performed with a thematic analysis using the four-level training evaluation model of Kirkpatrick. Finally, factors influencing outcomes were assessed based on the Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory. Five themes for behavior and three themes for results were identified as medium-term outcomes from an institutional development aspect. The major enabling factors for the above-mentioned themes were the support of institutional managers, continuous networking among trainees, and supportive national policy. Compared with the immediate post-training study findings, the perceived medium-term outcomes became more strategically focused. Then, the impact of training at a considerably broader scale within the workplace was discussed. The findings highlighted the importance of medium-term program delivery and monitoring if one understands the role played in stimulating outcomes. Moreover, the importance of contextual factors including the influence of managers and policy environment were emphasized. • The medium-term outcomes of trainees of faculty development became more strategically focused within the workplace • Institutional manager support, ongoing networking among trainees, and supportive national policies were the major driving factors • Monitoring and evaluation of faculty development program designs to enhance accountability for subsequent implementation and to maximize the sustainable impact of health professional training from an institutional development aspect [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provided a springboard for teacher preparation evaluation studies by examining what content and pedagogical content knowledge mathematics pre-service teachers demonstrated in the 4 – 8 mathematics teacher preparation program at an urban research university. Twenty nine pre-service students participated in an assessment called Diagnostic Mathematics Assessments for Middle School Teachers. The study found that pre-service teachers displayed the highest scores for Memorized/Factual Knowledge, followed by Conceptual Understanding, Reasoning/Problem Solving, and Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Pre-service teachers had higher Memorized/Factual Knowledge than Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The pre-service teachers’ overall content knowledge was not strong, and the two lowest-performing content knowledge areas were Geometry/Measurement and Probability/Statistics. In conclusion, the picture emerging from this study was of pre-service teachers demonstrating low knowledge of content and pedagogy, thereby placing the program in difficulty of building a pedagogical prowess upon the mathematical content.

Background: To develop and implement more effective programs of health care delivery to prevent and control diabetes, Iran has developed and implemented the urban phase of the specialized care program for diabetic's patients. Deeply understanding the views and experiences of various stakeholders in this program can assist policy makers to identify the program's strengths and weaknesses and enable them to develop action plans. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the planning and establishing of this program from the perspective of providers. Methods: A qualitative study was applied using documents review and face-to-face semi-structured interviews with the program leads and relevant executive managers of the local medical universities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Three main themes and nine subthemes were explored, including program planning (the content and the strengths, weaknesses, and corrective measures), implementation (executive mechanisms at the university level, establishment of referral system, collaboration between deputies of health and treatment, information dissemination mechanisms, satisfaction measurement and strengths, weaknesses and corrective measures), and result (implementation results). Conclusions: The urban phase of the specialized care program for diabetic's patients has been a good base to improve continuity of care, which emphasizes on controlling and prevention of occurrence or progression of chronic complications of diabetes. This model can also be used for better management of other chronic disease. However, there are still issues that should be considered and improved such as allocation of guaranteed resources, more trained health professionals, and more evidence based guidelines and protocols, better collaboration among medical universities' deputies, clearer payment system for program evaluation and better information management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This article aims to explore the challenges posed by the conceptual framework and diversity of practice of education for sustainable development (ESD). The implications of plurality of ESD perspectives and methodological approaches as well variations in ESD practice will be addressed. Critical framework for conceptualizing of ESD which takes environmental ethics into account will be proposed through the discussion of The Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes Toward the Sustainable Development (EAATSD) scale. Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for a general review approach, covering literature that provides an overview of the concepts and practices of ESD, as well as program evaluation studies. Additionally, qualitative evaluation of EAATSD scale with students of higher professional education was conducted, using in-depth interviews and dialogue with individual students as well as classroom discussions. Findings – It was found that there are wide and inconclusive debates about the aims of ESD based on the critique of sustainable development discourse in general and instrumentalism embedded in ESD in particular. According to the qualitative evaluation, EAATSD scale can be used for testing anthropocentric and Ecocentric Attitudes Towards Sustainable Development in students of higher education. Based on these results, this scale was found to be revealing of the critical view of paradoxes and challenges inherent in multiple goals of sustainable development as well as useful for testing anthropocentric and ecocentric attitudes in students of higher education. Research limitations/implications – Reliability of the scale needs further statistical testing, and as is the case in conventional EE/ESD evaluations, and consequent research is necessary to improve institutional, national, and international applicability to particular cases. Future research should draw from this critical review in order to devise alternative evaluation tools. Practical implications – In practice, this implies that currently administered evaluations of generic ESD, while useful in concrete cultural or institutional settings, might be premature. The article concludes with the reflection upon which conceptual, methodological, cultural, and ethical challenges of ESD which should be useful for ESD researchers and practitioners in different national settings. Originality/value – This article fulfills an identified need to address the paradoxes of sustainable development and to study how ESD can be more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large multi-day conferences have often been criticized as ineffective ways to improve social outcomes and to influence policy or practice. Unfortunately, many conference evaluations have also been inadequate in determining the impact of a conference on its associated social sector, with little evidence gathered or analyzed to substantiate or refute these criticisms. The aim of this scoping review is to investigate and report stakeholders' objectives for planning or participating in large multi-day conferences and how these objectives are being evaluated. We conducted a scoping review supplemented by a small number of key informant interviews. Eight bibliographic databases were systematically searched to identify papers describing conference objectives and/or evaluations. We developed a conference evaluation framework based on theoretical models and empirical findings, which structured the descriptive synthesis of the data. We identified 3,073 potential papers for review, of which 44 were included in this study. Our evaluation framework connects five key elements in planning a conference and its evaluation (number in brackets refers to number of themes identified): conference objectives (8), purpose of evaluation (7), evaluation methods (5), indicators of success (9) and theories/models (8). Further analysis of indicators of success identified three categories of indicators with differing scopes (i.e. immediate, prospective or follow-up) as well as empirical links between the purpose of evaluations and these indicators. Conference objectives and evaluations were largely correlated with the type of conference (i.e. academic, political/ governmental or business) but diverse overall. While much can be done to improve the quality and usefulness of conference evaluations, there are innovative assessments that are currently being utilized by some conferences and warrant further investigation. This review provides conference evaluators and organizers a simple resource to improve their own assessments by highlighting and categorizing potential objectives and evaluation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case managers (CMs) facilitate continuity of care for persons living with HIV (PLWH) by coordination of resources and referrals to social services and medical care. The complexity of the management of HIV drives the need for more coordination, which can be achieved through the use of health information technology (HIT). However, HIT has not been well studied in the context of HIV services. The primary aim of this qualitative study was to assess CMs' perceptions regarding factors that influence acceptance and use of an electronic continuity of care record (CCR) for PLWH. Focus group methodology was used to gather perceptions from 37 CMs. Major themes related to factors for CCR adoption and use included: predisposing (system functionality and confidentiality), enabling (user training and computer access), reinforcing (work efficiency, continuity of care, information quality, and communication). Electronic CCRs have the potential to improve coordination of services and information sharing for PLWH. Careful attention must be paid to factors that predispose, enable, and reinforce use of HIT such as CCRs so that potential benefits in terms of quality and efficiency can be realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with data on nosocomial infections acquired in the Geneva University Hospitals. Goal of the work is to derive a model from a hospital-acquired infection (HAI) prevalence survey of year Y and apply them to a prevalence survey of years Y+1, Y+2. This analysis permits to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive measures taken after the prevalence survey in year Y. It also analyzes the robustness of the SVM algorithm on time-variable attributes. The model build on the dataset of year Y gives better results than in a previous study. The application of the model on the Y+1 and Y+2 prevalence surveys shows simultaneously improvements and deteriorations of 5 performance measures. This highlights the effectiveness of prevention and reduces the risk of HAI after the prevalence survey of year Y. We introduce a new method to detect redundancy in a dataset with the SVM algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory investigation benchmarks evaluation processes employed by for-profit and not-for-profit Louisiana-based destination marketing organizations. In February 2008, selected National destination marketing organizations were interviewed and findings added in our survey development. Findings indicated that 85.7% conduct evaluations; however, the respondents' interpretation of the term “program evaluation” varied, and many lacked the knowledge and skills required to collect objective data. Study results may be used to develop mechanisms to overcome constraints to conducting defensible assessment. Additionally, the data collected may assist in the development of a parsimonious yet robust post convention/meeting/events (post-con) survey to be used by destination marketing organizations to obtain a sustainable differential advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the results of the evaluation of objective prison classification systems in the U.S. Features of the classification system; Development of the classification system; Implementation of the system.

Interest in the political context of evaluations has generated a number of misconceptions as well. it is wrongly assumed that evaluations conducted within a political context lack every degree of programmatism. This and similar misconceptions result from a faulty understanding of politics and the political nature of evaluation research. Reexamination of the evaluation context offers several implications about the program evaluator's character. The evaluator should recognize his or her role as politician. This involves a profound awareness of concerns such as what are to be obtained, who are likely to obtain them, when they may be obtained, and the binding nature of relationships that may be associated with the entire process.

Background: Faculty development programs as useful approaches for organizational development improved competencies in faculty members which assist them to cope with workload and environment changes. Evaluating organizational development for faculty development programs provides insight into the impact of these programs on system development. The aim of present study was conducted to study the organizational development for faculty development programs at Kerman University of Medical Sciences., Materials and Methods: This analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2020. The organizational development for faculty development questionnaire was sent to a simple random sampling of 100 faculty members who had been participated in the "Medical Education Fellowship" program. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including independent sample t -test, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc , using version 24.0 of SPSS., Results: The response rate was 82%. Most of the faculty highly agreed that the "Medical Education Fellowship" program had produced organizational development. The score of the "Development and sustaining faculty development programs" domain (mean = 3.35, standard deviation [SD] =0.96) was higher than "Development and innovation in teaching and learning process" (mean = 3.31, SD = 0.74)., Conclusions: Specific characteristics of the organizational development process for faculty development programs in health profession education were recognized. The findings emphasized on the importance of these interventions on creating developments in the broader community system., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

Background: Evaluation is one of the most important tools for determining the quality of any educational program, which can lead to reformation, revision, or termination of programs. Quality in higher education requires assessment and judgment of goals and strategies, executive policies, operational processes, products, and outcomes. The Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model is a comprehensive perspective that attempts to provide information in order to make the best decisions related to CIPP. Due to the importance of this topic, the present study examined the application of the CIPP model in the evaluation of medical education programs through a systematic review., Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, Persian databases including ISC, SID, Mag Iran, CivilicaL, and Noormags and English databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC, and Google Scholar were searched using relevant keywords, such as evaluation, program evaluations, outcome and process assessment, educational assessment, and educational measurements. The search was done with no time limits and 41 papers were obtained until May 22, 2020. This systematic review was performed by following the data extraction steps and assessing the quality of the studies and findings. Critical Appraisal Skills Programs and Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool checklists were used to check the quality of the papers., Results: This systematic review was conducted on 41 studies, 40 of which were research papers and one was a review paper. From the perspective of the CIPP model of evaluation, most papers showed quite a good level of evaluation of educational programs although some studies reported poor levels of evaluation. Moreover, factors such as modern teaching methods, faculty members, financial credits, educational content, facilities and equipment, managerial and supervisory process, graduates' skills, produced knowledge, and teaching and learning activities were reported as the factors that could influence the evaluation of educational programs., Conclusion: Due to the important role of evaluation in improvement of the quality of educational programs, policymakers in education should pay special attention to the evaluation of educational programs and removal of their barriers and problems. To promote the quality of educational programs, policymakers and officials are recommended to make use of the CIPP model of evaluation as a systemic approach that can be used to evaluate all stages of an educational program from development to implementation., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

Background: Organizational capacity development is an important outcome of faculty development programs, but there is a lack of an appropriate instrument for its evaluation., Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire to evaluate the organizational capacity development for faculty development programs and to test its psychometrics., Materials and Methods: The initial capacity development for faculty development questionnaire (CDQ-FD) of 26 items was developed based on a literature review and opinion of experts. Content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), content validity index for items (I-CVI), and the content validity index for scales (S-CVI) were computed for content validity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were performed for construct validation., Results: The score for CVR, CVI, I-CVI, and S-CVI was 0.71, 0.83, 0.87, and 0.90, respectively. EFA resulted in a three-factor model with total variance extraction of 64%. Cronbach's alpha and Spearman Brown coefficient were investigated for reliability assessment. The Cronbach's alpha of overall scale was 0.8 and the test-retest reliability of the overall scale was 0.78. The final CDQ-FD contained 21 items and three categories., Conclusions: The CDQ-FD questionnaire appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for the evaluation of organizational capacity development for faculty development in the medical education., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

Objective　To examine the short-term effects of an inter-professional educational program developed for physicians and other home care specialists to promote home care in the community.Methods　From March 2012 to January 2013, an inter-professional educational program (IEP) was held four times in three suburban areas (Kashiwa city and Matsudo city in the Chiba prefecture, and Omori district in the Ota ward). This program aimed to motivate physicians to increase the number of home visits and to encourage home care professionals to work together in the same community areas by promoting inter-professional work (IPW). The participants were physicians, home-visit nurses, and other home care professionals recommended by community-level professional associations. The participants attended a 1.5-day multi-professional IEP. Pre- and post-program questionnaires were used to collect information on home care knowledge and practical skills (26 indexes, 1-4 scale), attitudes toward home care practice (4 indexes, 1-6 scale), and IPW (13 indexes, 1-4 scale). Data from all of the participants without labels about the type of professionals were excluded, and both pre-test and post-test responses were used in the analysis. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test and a paired t-test were conducted to compare pre- and post-program questionnaire responses stratified for physicians and other professionals, and the effect size was calculated.Results　The total number of participants for the four programs was 256, and data from 162 (63.3%) were analyzed. The physicians numbered 19 (11.7%), while other professionals numbered 143 (88.3%). Attending this program helped participants obtain home care knowledge of IPW and a practical view of home care. Furthermore, indexes about IPW consisted of two factors: cooperation and interaction; non-physician home care professionals increased their interactions with physicians, other professionals increased their cooperation with other professionals, and physicians increased their cooperation with other physicians.Conclusion　Short-term effects to motivate physicians to increase home visits were limited. However, physicians obtained a practical view of home care by attending the IEP. Also, the participation of physicians and other home care professionals in this program triggered the beginning of IPW in suburban areas. This program is feasible when adapted for regional differences.

We formed a self-funded hypertension treatment group in a resource-poor community in rural Honduras. After training community health workers and creating protocols for standardized treatment, we used group membership fees to maintain the group, purchase generic medications in bulk on the local market, and hire a physician to manage treatment. We then assessed whether participation in the group improved treatment, medication adherence, and hypertension control. This is a program evaluation using quasi-experimental design and no control group. Using data from the 86 members of the hypertension treatment group, we analyzed baseline and follow-up surveys of members, along with 30 months of clinical records of treatment, medication adherence, and blood pressure readings. Our initial hypertension needs assessment revealed that at baseline, community hypertensives relied on the local Ministry of Health clinic as their source of anti-hypertensive medications and reported that irregular supply interfered with medication adherence. At baseline, hypertension group members were mainly female, overweight or obese, physically active, non-smoking, and non-drinking. After 30 months of managing the treatment group, we found a significant increase in medication adherence, from 54.8 to 76.2% (p<0.01), and hypertension control (<140/90 mmHg), from 31.4 to 54.7% (p<0.01). We also found a mean monthly decrease of 0.39 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (p<0.01). At the end of the 30-month observation period, the local Ministry of Health system had increased provision of low-cost anti-hypertensive medications and adopted the hypertension treatment group's treatment protocols. Formation of a self-funded, community-based hypertension treatment group in a rural, resource-poor community is feasible, and group participation may improve treatment, medication adherence, and hypertension control and can serve as a political driver for improving hypertension treatment services provided by the public system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated care models are gaining popularity as a clinical strategy to reduce costs and improve client outcomes; however, implementation of such complex models requires an understanding of programmatic core components essential to producing positive outcomes. To promote this understanding, evaluators can work collaboratively with organization staff and leaderships to gather information on program implementation, adaptations, organizational buy-in, and project outcomes. In 2011, SAMHSA funded two Miami health clinics to implement integrated care models in co-located settings. Changes in the federal healthcare landscape, non-Medicaid expansion for Florida, and the complexity of projects goals led evaluators to facilitate a core component review as part of evaluation. A manual was developed throughout the project and captured a description, adaptations, inputs needed, lessons learned, and sustainability for each integrated care component. To increase chances for program success, evaluators should institute a method to better define core components of new programs and implementation adaptations, while keeping program replication in mind. Breaking down the program structurally gave the evaluation utility for stakeholders, and ultimately served as a resource for organizations to better understand their program model. The manual also continues to serve as a dissemination and replication source for other providers looking to implement integrated care., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)