Impact of Governmental interventions on epidemic progression and workplace activity during the COVID-19 outbreak

In the first quarter of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a state of paralysis. During this period, humanity saw by far the largest organized travel restrictions and unprecedented efforts and global coordination to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Using large scale human mobility and fine grained epidemic incidence data, we develop a framework to understand and quantify the effectiveness of the interventions implemented by various countries to control epidemic growth. Our analysis reveals the importance of timing and implementation of strategic policy in controlling the epidemic. We also unearth significant spatial diffusion of the epidemic before and during the lockdown measures in several countries, casting doubt on the effectiveness or on the implementation quality of the proposed Governmental policies.

Evaluation of the partners in research course: a patient and researcher co-created course to build capacity in patient-oriented research

Background In the past decade, patient-oriented research (POR) has been at the forefront of healthcare research in Canada because it has the potential to make research more meaningful and relevant to patient needs. Despite this growing emphasis on and expectation to conduct POR, there is limited guidance about how to apply POR in practice. To address this capacity building need, the Knowledge Translation (KT) Program and patient partners co-designed, delivered, and evaluated Partners in Research (PiR), a 2-month online course for patients and researchers to collectively learn how to conduct and engage in POR. Methods PiR was delivered to 4 cohorts of patients and researchers between 2017 and 2018. For each cohort, we evaluated the impact of the course on participants’ knowledge, self-efficacy, intentions, and use of POR using surveys at 3 time points: baseline, post-course and 6-months post-course. We also monitored the process of course design and delivery by assessing implementation quality of the PiR course. Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with course format, course materials, quality of delivery and their level of engagement via a 7-point Likert scale in the post-course survey. Results A total of 151 participants enrolled in the PiR course throughout the 4 cohorts. Of these, 49 patients and 33 researchers (n = 82 participants) consented to participate in the course evaluation. Process and outcome evaluations collected over a 9-month period indicated that participation in the PiR course increased knowledge of POR concepts for patients (p < .001) and for researchers (p < .001) from pre-course to post-course timepoints. Likewise, self-efficacy to engage in POR increased from baseline to post-course for both patients (p < .001) and researchers (p < .001). Moreover, participants reported high levels of satisfaction with content, delivery and interactive components of the course. Conclusions The PiR course increased capacity in POR for both researchers and patients. This work enhances our understanding of how to design useful and engaging education opportunities to increase patient and researcher capacity in POR.

Effective Project Management and the Role of Quality Assurance throughout the Project Life Cycle

Quality is a fundamental requirement in effective project management. Effective project management entails a steady focus on quality management as well as achievement of all user requirements as defined during the requirements engineering phase of project implementation. Quality assurance must be executed throughout the project development cycle as a new normal in reducing errors and challenges during project development. Conducting quality assurance throughout the project development cycle has many benefits to both the project as well as the project development team. Understanding the research approach to use is critical in achieving high-quality findings in projects. There is a need to understand how to utilize deductive, inductive, and abductive research reasoning when conducting project implementation.

Variation in brief treatment for substance use disorder: a qualitative investigation of four federally qualified health centers with SBIRT services

Background Brief treatment (BT) can be an effective, short-term, and low-cost treatment option for many people who misuse alcohol and drugs. However, inconsistent implementation is suggested to result in BT that often looks and potentially costs similar to regular outpatient care. Prior research is also rife with inconsistent operationalizations regarding the measurement of BT received by patients. As such, there is a need to more explicitly identify and document variations in BT practice. Methods A qualitative investigation of BT in four Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) was undertaken as a sub study of a larger clinical trial. Researchers interviewed 12 staff (administrators and clinicians) involved in BT oversight, referral, or delivery within the four FQHCs. Data were analyzed following an inductive approach guided by the primary research questions. Results Findings demonstrate considerable differences in how BT was conceptualized and implemented within the FQHCs. This included a variety of ways in which BT was presented and described to patients that likely impacts how they perceive the BT they receive, including potentially not understanding they received substance use disorder treatment at all. Conclusions The findings raise questions regarding the validity of prior research, demonstrating more objective definitions of BT and fidelity checklists are needed to ensure integrity of results. Future work in this area should seek to understand BT as practiced among a larger sample of providers and the direct experiences and perspectives of patients. There is also a need for more consistent implementation, quality assurance guidelines, and standardized stage of change assessments to aid practitioners.

Beyond effectiveness of the Strengthening Families Program (10-14): a scoping RE-AIM-based review

A scoping review, based on the RE-AIM framework, was conducted to analyze evidence of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the Strengthening Families Program (10-14), a preventive family-based substance abuse program for adolescents. Sixty-five articles were included. The results disclosed that effectiveness, implementation, and maintenance at the individual-level were the most evaluated aspects, while reach, maintenance at the setting-level, and adoption were the least investigated aspects. Positive effects on drug abuse prevention and protective parenting factors were found in the U.S. studies. Likewise, Latin American studies have shown the improvement of parenting practices. However, European studies have produced mixed results, with predominantly null effects on substance abuse. The implementation quality was high. There is no available evidence of adoption and maintenance at the setting-level by the organizations that implemented it. New studies must examine the reach, adoption, and sustainability of the program to lay foundations for its future use as an instrument of public policies.

THE PROBLEM OF NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION QUALITY SERVICE PROVISION IN LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES OF LITHUANIA

This article analyzes one of the most important and, simultaneously, the most problematic factors in the development of adult education as the implementation quality of Non-formal Adult Education (hereinafter NAE) at the local government level. The aim of this article is to reveal the understanding of Lithuanian municipal non-formal adult education coordinators about improving the quality of non-formal adult education services. The study has centered on a focus group (12 people) in which Lithuanian non-formal adult education coordinators from different municipalities discussed and shared their diverse opinions. According to the focus group participants, the quality assessment of educational services in local communities is required by the institutions or foundations financing the services, which at the same time indicate the criteria for assessing the quality of services and their fulfillment when reporting on the implementation of educational services. According to the participants of the study, Lithuanian municipalities should have more power in decision making on planning educational programs and services to meet the needs of the local population; they should expect stable funding guarantees from state institutions, which must first and foremost be interested in improving non-formal education services quality assessment.

The implementation of quality management system using ISO 9001:2008 based Total Quality Management Concept (Case Study at the First State Public Vocational Secondary School at Singosari, Malang Regency, East Java, Indonesia)

Vocational education as one part of the system Education of National is very strategic rolefor the form of national labour generation which was skillful. As strive to improvemanagement and quality and also competitiveness hence applied by management systemquality of ISO 9001:2008 in Public Vocational High School of 1 at Singosari. Researchfocussed 1) How System Implementation Management Quality of ISO 9001:2008 inPublic Vocational High School of 1 at Singosari, 2) Effort what is done by for the agendaof overcoming various resistance faced in management system implementation quality ofISO 9001:2008 in Public Vocational High School of 1 at Singosari. Method Researchweared in this research is device qualitative with method intake of data through interview,documentation and observation to informant namely components in Public VocationalHigh School of 1 at Singosari. While data analysis through analysis of interactive (Milesand Huberman, 1994).Research finding of research focus I: 1) conducting two qualifyingwhich have been commended by ISO 9001:2008, namely System Design Of ManagementQuality of through step of plan-do-check-action ( P-D-C-A) and Documentation SystemManagement Quality of. Management Top (principal) organizational have to compareexpectation of the customer with Organizational performance able to determine directionpolicy of Organization. 2). Have Commitment of customer satisfaction either from internaland external school started by given the expectation and requirement of customer. 3).Process looked into a study which continue to have continuation and over there willhappened repairs to performance 4). Management system implementation quality of ISO9001:2008 in Public Vocational High School of 1 at Singosari qualify total involvementfrom entire school component. Focus II: 1) Steps the done by principal in developing thiscommitment for example always communicate vision, target and mission go to school andalso remind obligation and duty will each and also always inform position growth ofschool to all student and teachers 2) Process study to employees and teachers throughgiving of instruction work in writing and followed with explanation is verbally looked intoby an effective enough in improving their motivation with cultural of quality. 3). Leadergo to school and entire school component have high commitment to do repair on anongoing with step of Plan, Do, Check and of Action by have cycle to supported by sourcewhich with quality

Operationalizing and Evaluating Synchronous Virtual Group Health Interventions: Wide-Scale Implementation at a Tertiary-Care Academic Hospital (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Group-based health interventions are an important component of health promotion and management. In order to provide continuity of care through the COVID-19 pandemic, our institution undertook a rapid pivot to deliver group-based health interventions via a videoconferencing service which was securely embedded into both the electronic medical record and the patient portal in order to sustainably address immediate health service delivery needs during the pandemic and beyond. In this paper, we: 1) describe the institutionally-driven operationalization of a system to provide integrated synchronous video group visits across our hospital, and 2) present a proposed strategy to comprehensively evaluate outcomes regarding their implementation, quality, and impact. Lessons for other institutions and the potential future role of synchronous video group visits to enhance the ways in which care can be scaled for delivery are discussed.

A mixed methods evaluation of the large-scale implementation of a school- and community-based parenting program to reduce violence against children in Tanzania: A study protocol

BackgroundDespite the rapid dissemination of parenting programs aiming to reduce and prevent violence against children (VAC) worldwide, there is limited knowledge about and evidence of the implementation of these programs at scale. This study addresses this gap by assessing the quality of delivery and impact of an evidence-based parenting program for parents/caregivers and their adolescent girls aged 9 to 14 – Parenting for Lifelong Health Teens (PLH-Teens), known locally as Furaha Teens – on reducing VAC at scale in Tanzania. The study will explore participating family and staff perspectives on program implementation and examine factors associated with implementation and how implementation quality are associated with intervention outcomes when the program is delivered to approximately 50,000 parent-child dyads (N=100,000) in schools and community centers across eight districts of Tanzania.MethodsThis mixed-methods study will answer the following research questions: (1) what is the implementation quality and fidelity of PLH-Teens at scale in Tanzania; (2) what factors are associated with the quality of delivery and implementation fidelity of PLH-Teens; (3) how are implementation quality and fidelity associated with intervention outcomes; (4) what are participant and implementing staff perspectives on the acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, benefits, and challenges of delivering PLH-Teens in their schools and communities; (5) what is the impact of PLH-Teens on VAC and participant well-being; and (6) how much does it cost to deliver PLH-Teens at scale? Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected directly from implementers, parents/caregivers, and adolescents using pre-post questionnaires, observational assessments, cost surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically with the aid of NVIVO software. Quantitative data will be cleaned and analyzed using methods such as correlation, regression, and structural equation models using Stata and R. COREQ and TREND guidelines will be used, where appropriate.DiscussionFindings will provide vital insights into some of the factors related to quality implementation at scale. Lessons learned regarding the implementation of PLH-Teens at scale will be applied in Tanzania, and also in the delivery of PLH parenting programs globally.