Assessment methods in respiratory medicine training in Europe: current status and future needs

There is a perceived need for harmonisation of training standards in medicine across Europe. Assessment methodology is a fundamental part of this harmonisation. Assessment may be: summative, measuring competency at the end of training, usually in a pass/fail mode; or formative, assessing strengths and weaknesses during training with a view to optimising performance. A survey of experienced respiratory medicine trainers in Europe was undertaken to discover the formative and summative assessment methods being used, and to explore the use of workplace-based assessments (WBAs). Structured interviews were sought with experienced trainers in adult and paediatric respiratory medicine. 35 trainers from 22 (71%) out of 31 countries were interviewed.The number of types of summative assessments required at the end of training varied from 0 to 4 including clinical (25%), written (44%) and oral (47%) examinations. Four respondents required a research thesis as a proof of clinical competence.WBA was not commonly used. Only 14% of respondents reported using a formal case-based discussion, 20% used a form of multisource feedback and 25% described some form of formal assessment of procedural skills. However, 77% of all respondents expressed a wish to have access to case-based discussion and 72% wanted to have a facility for multisource feedback. The majority also wanted training in the use of these tools. Almost half of the respondents had received no formal training in educational supervision and 80% of all respondents expressed a wish to receive such training.The findings suggest that there is no adequate process of ensuring uniform standards for specialist accreditation in Europe, and demonstrate a need and desire among trainers for more WBA tools and training in their use to be made available.

Child Protective Service Referrals Involving Exposure to Domestic Violence: Prevalence, Associated Maltreatment Types, and Likelihood of Formal Case Openings

Childhood exposure to domestic violence (CEDV) is widely understood as potentially harmful to children. Accordingly, many child welfare systems in the United States construe CEDV as maltreatment when the exposure results in harm or threatened harm to the child. The purpose of the current study was to investigate substantiated child welfare referrals directly related to CEDV to better understand the prevalence and patterns of CEDV-related maltreatment and how child welfare workers respond under the “harm or threatened harm” standard. Data were drawn from 23,704 substantiated referrals between 2009 and 2013 in a large Midwestern child welfare system. Approximately 20% of substantiated referrals were CEDV related. A plurality of CEDV-related referrals included both a male caregiver and female caregiver who were co-substantiated for maltreatment. The most common maltreatment types substantiated for these referrals were neglect based rather than abuse based, and just under a quarter (23%) of CEDV-related referrals were formally opened for services. Referrals involving co-occurring substance abuse were most likely to be opened for services based on predicted probabilities derived from multilevel modeling. Implications for policy and practice are considered.

Case Formulation in DBT

In Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), case conceptualization uses the principles and the protocols of the treatment to assess client goals and behaviours, create a treatment plan, and provide accurate interventions that ultimately bring the client to his/her life worth living goals. It begins with the initial assessment and continues through pre-treatment. Throughout treatment specific behavioural targets are conceptualized using a behavioural formulation, including functions, controlling variables, and the behavioural interventions that treat the behaviours. The case conceptualization is organic and changes as needed. Formal case conceptualizations can be written or therapists can articulate their conceptualization of a case as they conduct the therapy. This chapter describes the purpose of case conceptualization in DBT, describes the various sections of the conceptualization that are used most frequently by DBT therapists, and concludes with a DBT case conceptualization example for a current Stage 1 DBT client.

Passivization possibilities in double-accusative constructions

Based on a diachronic corpus search, this paper proposes that dative rather than accusative-marking on the first object of German double-accusative verbs like lehren 'teach' (as also discussed in Lang 2007) and the corresponding passivization possibilities stem from the first object being interpreted as Recipient (sympathy-invoking co-participant, see Lehmann et al. 2004) rather than animate Patient and the second object being interpreted as inanimate Patient rather than adverbial accusative. In addition, a formal case-based account of German active and passive (di)transitive constructions is offered, making a three-way distinction between (i) structural, (ii) predictable inherent, and (iii) idiosyncratic lexical case (in line with Woolford 2006).

School Home Interactive Curriculum Development

The chapter describes School Home Interactive Curriculum Development, a process of structured collaboration between educators and families used to cyclically co-construct thematic, interdisciplinary curriculum units in first grade classrooms of a Spanish/English Dual Language Immersion bilingual program. While not a formal case study, the chapter describes the case of the authentic situation where classroom teachers partnered with families of historically disenfranchised communities (linguistic, immigrant, economic) to develop culturally responsive pedagogy and practice in public school classrooms. The process was sustained and refined over a six-year period. A primary aim of this process was to legitimize the knowledge and perspectives of the families and communities within the public school institution and to support students to develop a sense of agency as owners and creators of valuable knowledge.

School Home Interactive Curriculum Development

The chapter describes School Home Interactive Curriculum Development, a process of structured collaboration between educators and families used to cyclically co-construct thematic, interdisciplinary curriculum units in first grade classrooms of a Spanish/English Dual Language Immersion bilingual program. While not a formal case study, the chapter describes the case of the authentic situation where classroom teachers partnered with families of historically disenfranchised communities (linguistic, immigrant, economic) to develop culturally responsive pedagogy and practice in public school classrooms. The process was sustained and refined over a six-year period. A primary aim of this process was to legitimize the knowledge and perspectives of the families and communities within the public school institution and to support students to develop a sense of agency as owners and creators of valuable knowledge.