A major goal of continuing medical education (CME) is to enhance the performance of the learner. In order to accomplish this goal, careful consideration and expertise must be applied to the three primary ingredients of CME planning: assessing learner needs, programme design and outcome measurement. Traditional methods used to address these three components seldom result in CME initiatives that ...

OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify local barriers to nursing presence on patient- and family-centered rounds (PFCR); and (2) increase nursing attendance during PFCR. METHODS An electronic survey needs assessment was administered to nursing staff on a single acute medical care unit to identify local barriers to nursing presence on PFCR. Daily tracking of nursing pres...

BACKGROUND Communication is a necessary tool for ensuring the provision of quality patient-centered care for patients who have life-threatening illnesses, and discussing all relevant end-of-life issues should not be limited to cancer patients. OBJECTIVE To examine the incidence and timing of general practitioners (GPs) discussing end-of-life issues with patients whose deaths were expected, an...

Increased blood pressure is the leading risk for death globally. While this is also true in sub-Saharan Africa, there are many hypertension issues that are unique to the region. A prime and important example is that in most countries in the region, population blood pressure is increasing, while in most countries in the rest of the globe, population blood pressure is decreasing. Currently hypert...

The 2012 National Planning Policy Framework requires housing needs assessments to take into account market indicators such as affordability; however little guidance is provided on how this information should be incorporated in practice. This paper shows the effects on needs assessments of taking affordability seriously, using formal models that lead to a simple performance metric that can be re...

The photovoice process aims to use photographic images taken by persons with little money, power, or status to enhance community needs assessments, empower participants, and induce change by informing policy makers of community assets and deficits. This article describes a youth photovoice project implemented in an after-school program that attempted to adapt the photovoice method to youth part...

In 2014, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health received federal funding to improve the prevention and control of hypertension in the population through team-based health care delivery models, such as pharmacist-led medication therapy management. To inform this work, the department conducted a 3-part needs assessment consisting of 1) a targeted context scan of regional policies and ...

INTRODUCTION Community health needs assessments (CHNA) are completed to meet varied regulatory and statutory requirements for local public health departments, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) hospitals, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Although compliance is a motivating factor, these entities are committed to understanding the communities they serve and to developing strategies to address health ne...

Maintenance of professional competence is a critical component of professionalism. However, traditional methods, which rely on individual self assessment, are inadequate. Conversely, legislated recertification programmes are difficult to individualise and can be perceived as draconian. What is required are better methods of standardised individual needs assessment. We suggest some possible stra...