BMJ open
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Migrant physicians (MPs) who wish to practise their profession in a new country often must undergo a recertification process, including a licensing exam. In many cases, this is the same licensing exam used for peers educated within the country; however, the pass rate of MPs is usually lower. This study aimed to explore MPs exam results, focusing on MPs that had participated in a complementary programme (CPP) for physicians with a medical degree from outside the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), and aspects that may influence these. ⋯ Age seems to be an important predictor for failing the first attempt. MPs have had less time to familiarise themselves with the exam type and the language used on the exam. To improve exam results, MPs used different strategies and tools, that is, studying with nationally trained physicians, and using old exams and a web-based study tool consisting of common exam subjects. At the same time, these strategies and tools have also become mediators in the socialisation of MPs into the exam context.
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Non-conveyed patients represent a significant proportion of all patients cared for by ambulance services in the western world. However, scientific knowledge on non-conveyance is sparse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of non-conveyance, investigate associations and compare patients' characteristics, drug administration, initial problems and vital signs between non-conveyed and conveyed patients. ⋯ This study shows that non-conveyed patients represent a non-negligible proportion of all patients in contact with ambulance services. In general, most cases of non-conveyance occur at the highest dispatch level, to a large extent involve younger patients, and features problems assessed by ambulance clinicians as non-specific or related to psychiatric symptoms.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Study protocol of the Health4Life initiative: a cluster randomised controlled trial of an eHealth school-based program targeting multiple lifestyle risk behaviours among young Australians.
Lifestyle risk behaviours, including alcohol use, smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, poor sleep (duration and/or quality) and sedentary recreational screen time ('the Big 6'), are strong determinants of chronic disease. These behaviours often emerge during adolescence and co-occur. School-based interventions have the potential to address risk factors prior to the onset of disease, yet few eHealth school-based interventions target multiple behaviours concurrently. This paper describes the protocol of the Health4Life Initiative, an eHealth school-based intervention that concurrently addresses the Big 6 risk behaviours among secondary school students. ⋯ This study has been approved by the University of Sydney (2018/882), NSW Department of Education (SERAP no. 2019006), University of Queensland (2019000037), Curtin University (HRE2019-0083) and relevant Catholic school committees. Results will be presented to schools and findings disseminated via peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. This will be the first evaluation of an eHealth intervention, spanning both universal and selective prevention, to simultaneously target six key lifestyle risk factors among adolescents.
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The recent viral pneumonia caused by the COVID-19 has gained the attention of the people all over the world. We aim to investigate the effects of respiratory rehabilitation therapy on patients infected with the novel coronavirus by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. ⋯ CRD42020180214.
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Tracheal intubation remains an everyday challenge for anaesthesiologists, even in patients without suspected difficult airways. The ideal positioning of the patient's head (flat, raised a few centimetres on a cushion in the sniffing position (SP), or raised to achieve horizontal alignment between the external acoustic meatus and the sternal angle) and the use of videolaryngoscopy remain controversial. This trial aims to compare the efficacy for orotracheal intubation of the SP or the head-elevated laryngoscopy position (HELP), which has been shown to improve laryngeal visualization and the intubation condition particularly in obese patients, in combination with a McGrath Mac videolaryngoscope whose video screen is either on or off (Video or NoVideo). ⋯ Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee Ile de France V (Paris, France). Participant recruitment began on 3 July 2019. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberNCT03987009; Pre-results.