UNASSIGNED: This study describes the development and evaluation of a competency based training program in behaviour change counselling for obesity management. This was a real world study attempting to obtain evidence on the learning experience; specifically, achievement of level of competency as well as personal experiences of the integration of skills learned into practice.
UNASSIGNED: This was a training effectiveness study involving a total of 28 evaluable licenced healthcare providers providing obesity care services. The design for this study is pre-experimental; specifically a one-group post-test only quasi-experimental design.Based on previous work developing a competency-based model of behaviour change counselling (developing change-based relationships, assessing and promoting readiness to change, implementing behaviour modification when ready, and addressing psychosocial determinants of behaviour) we report on training outcomes; specifically, the level of competency achieved in the various skill components of the intervention model. The model of training was based on corrective feedback, the development of peer-based learning and the creation of a mindmap to guide adaptation of interventions to the unique characteristics of individuals with obesity. Quantitative data on competency of components skills and qualitative information on the experience of training were used to evaluate the program.
UNASSIGNED: Objective assessment of skill competency post training demonstrated moderate to high skill in all aspects of behaviour change counselling. Learners reported frequent use of skills in clinical practice, particularly change-based relationships and readiness assessment/intervention. Qualitative interviews confirmed the value to learners in creating a safe place for corrective feedback, the development of the mindmap concept and the opportunity to teach back learned skills to peers.
UNASSIGNED: Provision of competency-based behaviour change counselling in obesity management is critical to support the reformulation of obesity as a chronic disease and to be an important adjunct to medical/surgical interventions. In this paper, we have demonstrated the value of an intensive training program for obesity providers.

UNASSIGNED: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in the public health workforce\'s capacity to deploy digital technologies while upholding ethical, social justice, and health equity principles. Existing public health competency frameworks have not been updated to reflect the prominent role digital technologies play in contemporary public health, and public health training institutions are seeking to integrate digital technologies in their curricula.
UNASSIGNED: As a first step in a multiphase study exploring recommendations for updates to public health competency frameworks within the Canadian public health context, we conducted a rapid review of literature aiming to identify recommendations for digital competencies, training approaches, and inter- or transdisciplinary partnerships that can enhance public health practitioners\' capacity to support the digital transformation of public health.
UNASSIGNED: Following the World Health Organization\'s (2017) guidelines for rapid reviews, a systematic search was conducted on Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles. We also searched Google Scholar and various public health agency and public health association websites for gray literature using search terms related to public health, digital health, practice competencies, and training approaches. We included articles with explicit practice competencies and training recommendations related to digital technologies among public health practitioners published between January 2010 and December 2022. We excluded articles describing these concepts in passing or from a solely clinical perspective.
UNASSIGNED: Our search returned 2023 titles and abstracts, of which only 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. We found recommendations for new competencies to enable public health practitioners to appropriately use digital technologies that cut across all existing categories of the core competencies for public health framework of the Public Health Agency of Canada. We also identified a new competency category related to data, data systems management, and governance. Training approaches identified include adapted degree-awarding programs like combined public health and informatics or data science degree programs and ongoing professional certifications with integration of practice-based learning in multi- and interdisciplinary training. Disciplines suggested as important to facilitate practice competency and training recommendations included public health, public health informatics, data, information and computer sciences, biostatistics, health communication, and business.
UNASSIGNED: Despite the growth of digital technologies in public health, recommendations about practice competencies and training approaches necessary to effectively support the digital transformation of public health remain limited in the literature. Where available, evidence suggests the workforce requires new competencies that cut across and extend existing public health competencies, including new competencies related to the use and protection of new digital data sources, alongside facilitating health communication and promotion functions using digital media. Recommendations also emphasize the need for training approaches that focus on interdisciplinarity through adapted degree-awarding public health training programs and ongoing professional development.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a competency-based global health education (GHE) program for medical students and analyze its effectiveness.
METHODS: The study had a pretest-posttest control group design. The program was developed based on the eight global health competency domains for medical students and implemented for 18 hours over 6 weeks beginning in September 2023. The intervention and control groups comprised 34 students and 41 students, respectively. The analytical methods used were t-test, chi-square test, and analysis of covariance.
RESULTS: Experience with global health activities and pretest scores were controlled as covariates to exclude the effects of participants\' general characteristics and pretest scores. The intervention group had outscored the control group on interest in a global health career and the necessity of GHE and also showed significantly higher posttest scores on global competence, global citizenship, and global health competence. Students were generally satisfied with the GHE program.
CONCLUSIONS: A global health competency-based GHE program effectively increases medical students\' interest in global health careers, their understanding of the need for GHE, and their global competence, global citizenship, and global health competence. This study is expected to promote GHE program development and research.

BACKGROUND: Clinicians from multiple professional backgrounds are increasingly using point-of-care ultrasound in clinical practice. Performing ultrasound is a complex skill, and training is required to ensure competency and patient safety. There is a lack of skilled trainers within health professions to meet this increasing educational demand. The role of sonographers in educating other health professionals in point-of-care ultrasound has not yet been well defined. Sonographers can provide ultrasound education interprofessionally, if equipped with appropriate clinical knowledge and educational skills.
METHODS: A Delphi consensus study was conducted to define the knowledge, skills and attributes required of sonographers teaching point-of-care ultrasound to other health professionals in Australia and New Zealand. Health professionals with subject matter expertise in the leadership, facilitation, and delivery of ultrasound education by sonographers were invited to participate.
RESULTS: There were 72 expert participants in survey round one, and 49 in round two. Participants included physicians, sonographers, and other health professionals. Consensus was reached on 31 competency items for sonographers teaching ultrasound interprofessionally, with agreement of greater than 94% reached by participants.
CONCLUSIONS: This consensus study has defined the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for sonographer competence in point-of-care ultrasound education. This is an important step to developing a training pathway for sonographers engaging in this emerging area.

BACKGROUND: The core competency of trauma advanced practice nurses (APNs) is directly related to the quality of trauma nursing work.
OBJECTIVE: To develop an instrument to measure trauma APNs\' core competency and examine its psychometric properties.
METHODS: A cross-sectional psychometric validation study.
METHODS: A total of 762 trauma nurses recruited from several tertiary hospitals in 14 different provinces of China between June 2023 and May 2024 provided valid data for analysis.
METHODS: The Simplified Chinese Trauma Advanced Practice Nurses\' Core Competency Scale (TAPNCCS-SC) was developed through five steps. Step 1) Creation of the operational definition: Based on the onion model, an operational definition of core competencies for trauma nurses is proposed. Step 2) Item generation: Based on the theoretical model, literature review, semi-structured interviews, and Delphi consultation, a preliminary scale was developed. Step 3) Item content validation: 6 experts reviewed items for content validity; Step 4) Pilot study: 21 nurses were selected to test the readability of the preliminary scale; and Step 5) Psychometric evaluation: Item analysis, content validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, convergent validity, internal consistency reliability, and half-reliability were conducted.
RESULTS: The TAPNCCS-SC consists of 34 items and three dimensions (knowledge and skills, professional competencies, and occupational qualities). The explained variance of the 3-factor was 81.86 %. The CFA showed an acceptable-fitting 3-factor model (χ2/df = 3.653, RMSEA = 0.088, SRMR = 0.402, CFI = 0.920, IFI = 0.920, and TLI = 0.914). For convergent validity, AVE was 0.784-0.804 and CR was 0.974-0.980. The internal consistency and split-half reliability for the total scale were 0.991 and 0.945, respectively. The I-CVI ranged from 0.83 to 1.
CONCLUSIONS: The proposed scale exhibits high reliability and validity and is suitable for assessing the core competency of trauma APNs, which can help nursing managers plan relevant training and enhance trauma care competency.

OBJECTIVE: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use is widespread in EDs and throughout those practising medicine. Between institutions and specialities, there is widespread variety and training. With this comes the risk of patient harm and backlash to a clinically useful modality. Our objective is to form a statement that encompasses current published and unpublished guidance for creating and maintaining robust POCUS programs in EDs.
METHODS: Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Group (EMUG) identified this gap and volunteers from the group undertook a literature search of current best practice and institution guidelines relating to POCUS programs. They contacted colleagues from other specialities to find and get access to other countries and colleges\' POCUS guidelines. EMUGs regularly run discussion forums (Collab-labs) and points from these were considered. Recommendations were then formed from these and recurrent unpublished obstacles the group had encountered. The result was reviewed by clinical leaders in ultrasound and POCUS users in Australasia.
RESULTS: The recommendations were organised under five pillars: Infrastructure, Governance, Administration, Education and Quality.
CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations complement existing guidelines and are not intended to replace them; however, we hope to promote discussion and provide reference support for those developing POCUS programs. Implementing a comprehensive and robust ED POCUS program will ensure safe, effective and standardised high-quality POCUS use, with the aim of improving patient care across Australia and New Zealand. Patient safety will be enhanced through effective risk management and quality assurance and there will be consistency in POCUS education, training and credentialing across institutions.

OBJECTIVE: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use is widespread in EDs and throughout those practising medicine. Between institutions and specialities, there is widespread variety and training. With this comes risk of patient harm and backlash to a clinically useful modality. Our objective is to form a statement that encompasses current published and unpublished guidance for creating and maintaining robust POCUS programs in EDs.
METHODS: Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Group (EMUG) identified this gap and volunteers from the group undertook a literature search of current best practice and institution guidelines relating to POCUS programs. They contacted colleagues from other specialities to find and get access to other countries and colleges\' POCUS guidelines. EMUGs regularly run discussion forums (Collab-labs) and points from these were considered. Recommendations were then formed from these and recurrent unpublished obstacles the group had encountered. The result was reviewed by Clinical Leads in Ultrasound and POCUS users in Australasia.
RESULTS: The recommendations were organised under five pillars: Infrastructure, Governance, Administration, Education and Quality.
CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations complement existing guidelines and are not intended to replace them; however, we hope to promote discussion and provide reference support for those developing POCUS programs. Implementing a comprehensive and robust ED POCUS program will ensure safe, effective, and standardised high-quality POCUS use, with the aim of improving patient care across Australia and New Zealand. Patient safety will be enhanced through effective risk management and quality assurance and there will be consistency in POCUS education, training and credentialing across institutions.

Introduction Infection preventionists (IPs) are healthcare workers (HCWs) who received specialized training in infection prevention and control (IPC) to be able to deliver specific tasks to prevent and control infection transmission to patients, HCWs, and visitors in all healthcare settings. Most IPs started their professional life as nurses, physicians, microbiology, public health, or allied health specialties before moving to the IPC field, not necessarily with specialized training or diploma, which may need more focus on unified competency tool to evaluate their skills and strengths and improve IPC program outcome. Aim This study aimed to examine IPs\' self-rated competency level using the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) core competencies and to determine what factors influence the level of competency among IPs in Government Hospitals (GHs) in Manama, Bahrain. Subject and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among non-certified IPs in Bahrain\'s GHs. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the targeted IPs using the Microsoft 365 form (Microsoft® Corp., Redmond, WA). The questionnaire includes socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, years of experience, etc.), the APIC competency tool to assess IP competency, and the perceived effectiveness of the IPC program. Results Of the 17 IPs, 88.2% were females, and 47.1% were between 31 and 35 years old. Among the eight APIC core competencies, management and communication had the highest mean percentage score (84.2%), followed by preventing/controlling the transmission of infectious diseases (84.1%) and the identification of infectious disease processes (81.5%). The total mean competency score was 142.8 (SD: 20.3), with 70.6% classified as having a good level of competency. Increasing years of IP experience was the only factor associated with increased competency scores. Conclusion The level of IPC competency among \"novice\" or \"becoming\" proficient IPs was sufficient. Using the APIC competency tool, IPs showed competence in managing and communicating, preventing or controlling transmission of infectious agents, identifying infectious disease processes, and surveillance and epidemiologic investigations. Further research is needed to give more insights into the level of IPC competency of IPs in our region.

Background: Clinical nutritionists are responsible for nutritional therapy in clinical practice, which significantly enhances patients\' nutritional status. This study aims to develop and validate a competency evaluation scale to effectively assess the abilities of clinical nutritionists. Methods: The competency evaluation scale for clinical nutritionists was developed based on the iceberg model, utilizing literature review, semi-structured interviews, and the Delphi method. The weights of each indicator were calculated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the validity and reliability of the scale were confirmed through questionnaire surveys. Results: The competency evaluation scale of clinical nutritionists comprised five primary indicators, twelve secondary indicators, and sixty-six tertiary indicators. The primary indicators, including professional theoretical knowledge, professional practical skills, humanistic practice ability, interpersonal communication ability, and professional development capability, have respective weights of 0.2168, 0.2120, 0.2042, 0.2022, and 0.1649. The Cronbach\'s α coefficients of the five dimensions of the scale were 0.970, 0.978, 0.969, 0.962, and 0.947, respectively. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis showed that the prerequisites for factor analysis were satisfied. Additionally, Bartlett\'s test of sphericity yielded a significance level of p < 0.001, confirming the scale\'s reliability and validity. Conclusions: The competency evaluation scale for clinical nutritionists developed in this study is of high scientific reliability and validity, which provides assessment criteria for the training and assessment of clinical nutritionists.

Background. The prevalence of low vision and blindness in persons across the lifespan means that occupational therapists will encounter these conditions across all areas of practice. Practitioners must be equipped with competencies necessary to recognize and respond to vision loss-related concerns. Purpose. This study sought to identify essential occupational therapy competencies when providing services to people with low vision and blindness. Method. The study employed a three-phase modified Delphi methodology administered through online surveys and focus group. Respondents included people with low vision or blindness, professionals with special expertise in low vision/blindness, and occupational therapists in other practice areas. Data were analyzed using an iterative, consensus-generating strategy involving quantitative analysis of competencies, qualitative input, and expert panel review. Findings. The process yielded a 51-item competency framework organized into six domains. Implications. The framework provides the foundation for a common curriculum for Canadian occupational therapy programs and for the creation of educational resources.