E–Mentoring female minority public health student researchers: Supporting a more diverse post–pandemic workforce

This field report illustrates the significance of maintaining and forming new mentoring relationships with female researchers during the pandemic. During COVID–19 lockdowns, mentoring transitioned to remote methods. Electronic mentoring or e–mentoring was implemented formally by some universities,8 and informally by independent researchers. In the following section, two mentors share the significance of mentoring and the ways in which they conducted e–mentoring with student researchers. Subsequent sections cover students’ backgrounds and the significance of e–mentoring for them during the pandemic.

Experiences and Needs of Multicultural Youth and Their Mentors, and Implications for Digital Mentoring Platforms: Qualitative Exploratory Study

Background Mentoring programs (ie, programs that connect youths with adult volunteers) have been shown to improve outcomes across the behavioral, social, and academic domains of youth development. As in other European countries, mentoring programs have few traditions in Norway, where interventions for multicultural youths are usually profession driven and publicly funded. Faced with the risk of disparities in education and health, there is a need to better understand this group’s experiences and requirements relative to mentoring. This would also serve as a basis for designing and implementing digital support. Objective The objective of this study was to gain insight into multicultural youth mentees’ and adult mentors’ experiences and needs in the context of an ongoing mentoring program, how digital support (electronic mentoring) might address these needs, and how such support could be designed and implemented. Methods The study used a qualitative approach, with data from 28 respondents (21 mentees and 7 mentors). In total, 4 workshops with mentees as well as semistructured interviews with mentees and mentors were conducted. The sessions were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Results In total, 3 main themes were identified from the experiences and needs reported by the mentees and mentors. These included a need for connection, help in achieving goals, and the need for security and control. Subthemes encompassed a desire to socialize with others, balancing the nature of the relationship, paying it forward, building trust, sharing insights and information with peers, goal-oriented mentees and mentors wanting to assist with goal achievement, and the fundamental need for privacy and anonymity in the digital platform. Conclusions The findings of this study are supported by the literature on traditional mentoring, while also offering suggestions for the design of digital solutions to supplement the in-person mentoring of multicultural youth. Suggestions include digital support for managing the mentee-mentor relationships, fostering social capital, and ways of ensuring security and control. Features of existing electronic health apps can be readily adapted to a mentoring program context, potentially boosting the reach and benefits of mentoring.

A Web-Based Intervention for Youth With Physical Disabilities: Comparing the Role of Mentors in 12- and 4-Week Formats

Background Youths with physical disabilities face many barriers in society, including social exclusion, stigma, and difficulties finding employment. Electronic mentoring (e-mentoring) offers a promising opportunity for youths with disabilities and has the potential to improve their inclusion while enhancing career outcomes. However, little is known about the role of mentors in a Web-based e-mentoring format to improve employment outcomes. Objective This study aimed to explore the role of mentors in engaging youths in an e-mentoring intervention and to compare and contrast mentors’ engagement strategies within a 12- and 4-week format. Methods This paper drew on a pilot feasibility study, which is a group, Web-based employment readiness intervention involving a discussion forum for youths with physical disabilities. Our intervention involved having trained youth mentors (ie, near-peers who also had a disability) lead Web-based discussion forums while offering peer support and resources, which involved 12 modules completed over both a 12- or 4-week format. We used a mixed method approach including qualitative data (mentor interviews and discussion forum data) and quantitative data (pre-post survey data) comparison. Results A total of 24 youths participated across 3 e-mentoring intervention groups: 9 in the 12-week format (mean age 17.7 years [SD 1.7]) and 15 in the 4-week format (mean age 19.5 years [SD 2.6]), led by 3 trained youth mentors with disabilities, 2 males and 1 female (mean age 22 years [SD 2.64]). Our findings revealed that mentors engaged youths in the e-mentoring program by providing informational, emotional, and tangible support. We noted more instances of mentors providing advice, empathy, and encouragement in the 12-week format compared with the 4-week format. We also found fewer examples of providing advice, developing a rapport, and social support from mentors in the 4-week format. Our findings revealed no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding time spent in the forum, number of logins, number of posts, and self-rated engagement. Conclusions Mentors in the 12-week and 4-week format engaged participants differently in providing informational and emotional support, although there were no differences in tangible support provided. Mentors reported that the 12-week format was too long and lacked interaction between participants, whereas the 4-week format felt rushed and had fewer detailed responses from mentees. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/resprot.8034

Electronic Mentoring as an Electronic Learning Technology in Public Service

Electronic mentoring as an innovative technology in training is becoming increasingly popular in the public service. To this end, the authors of this paper have developed a conceptual framework for an intra-organizational learning environment based on the use of game modeling that would promote professional development and personnel evaluation. The basis of the intra-organizational learning environment design is the methodology of visual graphical modeling and the method of production rules construction. The learning environment ensures the variability and continuity of educational programs organized by position and by personnel procedures. In the course of preliminary testing, an initial measurement of the employee’s professional competencies is performed, followed by comparison with the professional competencies expected for that particular position and the assessment of changes. The results of the assessment are transferred to a visual graphical model. Based on the results of the assessment, the system automatically puts the employee on reserve or assigns them a training program. The training process for a particular position is based on the principles of “learning through playing” and visual imitation. The passage of personnel procedures is based on a sequence of production rules; the application of gaming techniques means that the proposed scenarios are not the product of an abstract generalization, but a real personnel procedure. The article considers the problems and features of modeling the educational environment, as well as the experience of the research team of the Moscow Technological University in the development of production rules and the creation of simulators for civil servants to develop regulations and acquire new skills.

A 4-Week Electronic-Mentoring Employment Intervention for Youth With Physical Disabilities: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Youth with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty and be unemployed compared with youth without disabilities. Such trends are often a result of a lack of support, inaccessible jobs, environmental barriers, and discriminatory attitudes toward people with disabilities. Youth with disabilities also face barriers in accessing vocational preparation programs. One encouraging way that could help address challenges that youth encounter is by providing support through electronic mentoring (e-mentoring). OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 4-week Web-based peer e-mentoring employment intervention for youth with physical disabilities. METHODS We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate our intervention, Empowering youth towards employment. Participants included youth aged 15 to 25 years who were randomly assigned to an experimental (mentored) or control (nonmentored) group. Our intervention involved having trained youth mentors (ie, near peers who also had a disability) lead Web-based discussion forums while offering peer support and resources, which involved 12 modules (3 topics a week for 4 weeks). Primary outcomes focused on implementation (ie, feasibility and acceptability), whereas secondary outcomes focused on effectiveness (ie, measures of self-determination, career maturity, and social support). RESULTS A total of 28 youth (mean age 19.62, SD 3.53; 14/28, 50% female) completed the RCT in 3 intervention groups and 2 control groups (intervention n=18, control n=10). Participants reported satisfaction with the program and that it was feasible and acceptable. Youth’s mean engagement level with the program was 6.44 (SD 2.33) for the experimental group and 5.56 (SD 3.53) for controls. Participants in the intervention group did not demonstrate any significant improvements in social support, career maturity, or self-determination compared with those in the control group. No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS The Empowering youth towards employment e-mentoring intervention needs further testing with a larger sample and different length of formats to understand how it may have an impact on employment outcomes for youth with disabilities. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02522507; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02522507 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/77a3T4qrE)

Impact of Training on Rwandan Health Care Staffs’ Skills in Diagnostic Breast Ultrasound

Purpose Ultrasound (US) is a key tool in the evaluation of palpable breast masses and helps to refine the likelihood of malignancy and need for additional diagnostic studies. US is available in many low-resource settings, but there is little expertise. We launched a breast US training program for general practitioners (GPs) and nurses at a rural Rwandan district hospital that is a cancer referral facility. We assessed the skills of the GPs and nurses in diagnostic breast US after intensive training. Methods Four breast radiologists from Boston trained five nurses and four GPs in Rwanda over 9 weeks of in-person training and 21 months of weekly remote mentoring using electronic image review and feedback. During the in-person training, trainees and radiologists evaluated patients separately. Remote assessments were based on emailed image sharing. We compared lesions with radiologist and trainee assessments to calculate trainee sensitivity using the radiologist assessments as the gold standard. Results Of 323 breast and axillary lesions assessed by trainees and radiologists, 279 were breast lesions. Of these, 114 (41%) were evaluated by radiologists in person and 165 (59%) through e-mail. Two hundred thirty-seven lesions (85%) were determined to be breast masses by radiologists, 164 of these as solid masses, 25 complex solid/cystic, 15 definite or probable cysts, 31 normal lymph nodes, and two other masses. The sensitivity of trainees’ assessments in identifying solid masses was 90.2% (95% CI, 85.9% to 94.9%) overall. Among trainees who scanned ≥ 10 lesions, mean sensitivity was 90.6% in the first 14 months and 94.0% in the second 9 months, after in-person training ( P = .3, paired t tests). In cases in which radiologists and trainees perceived solid masses (n = 148), trainees’ sensitivity was 81.4% (95% CI, 72.3% to 90.5%) for detecting suspicious masses or probably benign but in need of additional evaluation ( v benign with no additional evaluation needed). Among trainees who scanned ≥ 10 lesions, sensitivity was 79.1% in the first 14 months and 96.2% in the second 9 months ( P = .03, paired t tests). Conclusion Nurses and GPs in a rural sub-Saharan African facility built strong skills in diagnostic US with in-person training and remote electronic mentoring. The sensitivity of assessments for identifying suspicious masses demonstrated significant improvement after sustained mentorship. Assessment of the impact of the training on patient care and outcomes is ongoing. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The following represents disclosure information provided by authors of this manuscript. All relationships are considered compensated. Relationships are self-held unless noted. I = Immediate Family Member, Inst = My Institution. Relationships may not relate to the subject matter of this manuscript. For more information about ASCO's conflict of interest policy, please refer to www.asco.org/rwc or ascopubs.org/jco/site/ifc . Sughra Raza Honoraria: Fujifilm Medical Services Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Fujifilm Medical Services