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Effective faculty development workshops are essential to develop and sustain the quality of faculty's teaching. In an integrated problem-based curriculum, tutors expressed the needs to further develop their skills in facilitating students' content learning and small-group functioning. Based on the authors' prior observations that tutors' performance depends on their teaching context, a workshop was designed not only tailored to the tutors' needs but also organized within their respective teaching unit. The purposes of this study are (1) to evaluate whether this workshop is effective and improves tutors' teaching skills, and (2) to assess whether workshop effectiveness depends on tutors' performance before the workshop and on their teaching unit environment. Workshop effectiveness was assessed using (a) tutors' perception of workshop usefulness and of their improvement in tutorial skills, and (b) students' ratings of tutor performance before and after the workshop. In addition, an analysis of variance model was designed to analyse how tutors' performance before the workshop and their teaching unit influence workshop effectiveness. Tutors judged the workshop as helpful in providing them with new teaching strategies and reported having improved their tutorial skills. Workshop attendance enhanced students' ratings of tutors' knowledge of problem content and ability to guide their learning. This improvement was also long-lasting. The workshop effect on tutor performance was relative: it varied across teaching units and was higher for tutors with low scores before the workshop. A workshop tailored to tutors' needs and adapted to their teaching unit improves their tutorial skills. Its effectiveness is, however, influenced by tutors' level of performance before the workshop and by the environment of their teaching unit. Thus, to be efficient, the design of a workshop should consider not only individual tutors' needs, but also the background of their teaching units, with special attention to their internal organization and tutor group functioning.
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of four training workshops at the inception of a programme to cascade critical appraisal skills training throughout Scotland. Data were collected from all participants and organizers at four commissioned critical appraisal skills training workshops in Scotland. The collection of data involved three components: a survey of workshop participants before and after each workshop to determine knowledge of the principles of clinical effectiveness; semi-structured interviews with organizers before, during and after the programme of commissioned workshops to assess views on the workshops; and a postal survey to determine involvement in critical appraisal activities following the initial workshops. The main outcome measures were 'change in knowledge' and subsequent involvement in teaching. An average of 41 people attended each workshop. Participants improved their scores on understanding of clinical effectiveness. Not all of the improvement can be ascribed to the workshops, however, because control item scores also improved, albeit to a lesser extent. The workshops were perceived as an acceptable way of acquiring critical appraisal skills, but doubts were expressed about whether participants would be able to roll out the programme on their own. Of the 32 (42%) attendees who were involved in CASP-style workshops after the initial workshops, 26 (34%) providing aspects of teaching, and a further six (8%) were participants. The evaluation of the CASP workshop technique suggests that it does improve knowledge of clinical effectiveness, but concerns remain about the viability and reliability of this approach as it rolls out training within Scotland.
BACKGROUND: Although patients with cancer are often accompanied by a relative during medical interviews, to the authors' knowledge little is known regarding the efficacy of communication skills training programs on physicians' communication skills in this context. The objective of the current study was to assess the efficacy of 6 consolidation workshops, 3 hours in length, that were conducted after a 2.5-day basic training program. METHODS: After attending the basic training program, physicians were assigned randomly to consolidation workshops or to a waiting list. Training efficacy was assessed through simulated and actual interviews that were recorded on an audio tape at baseline, after consolidation workshops for the consolidation-workshops group, and 5 months after the end of basic training for the waiting-list group. Communication skills were assessed according to the Cancer Research Campaign Workshop Evaluation Manual. Patients' and relatives' perceptions of and satisfaction with physicians' communication performance were assessed using a 15-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty-two physicians completed the training program. Compared with physicians who participated to the basic training program, when addressing the patient, physicians who were randomized to the consolidation workshops used more open, open directive, and screening questions (P = 0.011 in simulated patient interviews and P = 0.005 in actual patient interviews) and elicited and clarified psychologic concerns more often (P = 0.006 in simulated patient interviews and P < 0.001 in actual patient interviews). When they addressed the relative, physicians who were randomized to the consolidation workshops gave less premature information (P = 0.032 in simulated patient interviews and P < 0.001 in actual patient interviews). When they addressed the patient and the relative simultaneously, physicians who were randomized to the consolidation workshops used more empathy, educated guesses, alerting to reality, confronting, negotiating, and summarizing (P = 0.003 in simulated patient interviews and P = 0.024 in actual patient interviews). Patients, but not relatives, who interacted with physicians in the consolidation-workshops group were more satisfied globally with the interviews (P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Six 3-hour consolidation workshops resulted in improved communication skills addressed to patients and to relatives. The current results showed that the transfer of skills addressing relatives' concerns remained limited and that consolidation workshops should focus even more systematically on the practice of three-person interviews.
As the healthcare system continues to change, healthcare professionals will need to assume an increasing number of administrative and management responsibilities. The goal of this article is to describe a two-day workshop on Executive Skills for Medical Faculty and the results of an evaluation conducted one year later. This workshop consisted of specific modules on analyzing time-management skills, determining goals and priorities, improving time-management strategies, assessing leadership styles and skills, and conducting effective meetings. The workshop evaluation consisted of an immediate post-workshop questionnaire administered to all of the participants, and semi-structured interviews, conducted on the telephone, with half of the attendees. Both evaluations were designed to assess perceptions of the workshop's usefulness and areas of individual change. Feedback from the participants immediately after the workshop indicated an overall satisfaction with the workshop content and methodology and a desire to try new time-management strategies. Evaluation of the workshop one year later indicated that the majority of the participants had determined their priorities more clearly, altered their time-management strategies, and planned more effective meetings. Less change was noted in the area of leadership styles and skills. Both the immediate and delayed workshop evaluations indicated that the most useful sessions were those devoted to determining goals and priorities, time management and effective meetings. These results suggest that a two-day workshop can improve health care professionals' administrative and management skills in certain areas. A longer workshop and built-in 'follow-up' activities would enhance the potential for change.
ECVAM initiated its workshop programme in 1994, to enable it to become well informed about the state of the art of non-animal test development and validation, and about the possible incorporation of alternatives into regulatory requirements for safety testing. Fifty-one such workshops have been held on specific topics, up to 2002. In these workshops, the current status of in vitro tests and their potential uses were reviewed and recommendations were made as to the best ways forward to progress and enhance the utilisation of in vitro methods. Reports for 46 of these workshops have been published in ATLA. Most of the workshops focused on in vitro replacement methods, although an increasing number have dealt with reduction and refinement. The recommendations in the ECVAM workshops have been progressed further by: a) the formation of ECVAM task forces; b) the organisation of further workshops; c) the activities of scientific committees; d) the provision of earmarked research funding; and e) the conduct of validation studies. Examples of each of these activities are discussed. Some individual workshops are covered in more detail and several recommendations that have so far not been acted on are also considered. The workshops and their reports have had a substantial effect on the development and implementation of alternative methods, and have been a major factor in contributing to the success of the first nine years of ECVAM's existence. It is strongly recommended that ECVAM continues to organise workshops and to publish their findings, and several suggestions are made for topics of future workshops.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether peer reviewers who attend a formal interactive training session produce better reviews. METHODS: Peer reviewers were invited to attend a formal, 4-hour, highly interactive workshop on peer review. Attendees received a sample manuscript to read and review in writing in advance. The workshop included presentations on analyzing a study and the journal's expectations for a quality review, discussion of the sample manuscript's flaws and how to address them in a review, discussion of the reviews written by the attendees, and discussion of real reviews of other manuscripts illustrating key points. The performance of attendees on the basis of standard editor quality ratings (1 to 5) was assessed for the 2 years after workshop attendance. Control reviewers matched for previous review quality and volume were selected from nonattendees of the workshop. In study 1, all average reviewers received a standard written invitation. In study 2, 75 randomly selected average reviewers were personally and actively recruited with intensive follow-up by means of e-mail and telephone calls in an effort to reduce self-selection bias. RESULTS: In study 1, 25 reviewers volunteered for the course, were eligible for study, attended, and were compared with 25 matched control reviewers. Of attendees filling out evaluations, 19% thought it somewhat and 81% thought it very helpful. All thought it would improve their subsequent reviews, and 85% thought it would improve their review ratings. The mean change in rating after the workshop was 0.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.25 to 0.48) for control reviewers and 0.10 (95% CI -0.20 to 0.39) for attendees. In study 2, of 75 reviewers intensively recruited, only 12 (41%) of those who said they would attend did. All of the participants thought the workshop would improve their performance and ratings. Test scores at the end of the workshop improved in 73% of participants compared with scores on pretests. The control reviewers' average rating changed by -0.10 (95% CI -0.49 to 0.29) versus 0.06 (95% CI -0.34 to 0.23) for attendees. CONCLUSION: Among invited peer reviewers, voluntary attendance at a highly structured and interactive workshop was low and did not improve the quality of subsequent reviews, contrary to the predictions of attendees. Efforts to aggressively recruit average reviewers to a second workshop were time consuming, had low success rates, and showed a similar lack of effect on ratings, despite improvement in scores on a test instrument. Workshop teaching formats, although traditional, are of unproven efficacy.
This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of stress management training workshops within Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. The study was of cross-sectional design, comparing groups of workshop attendees and non-attendees. In addition, self-rated well-being scores of attendees were compared with results obtained pre-workshop and 2-3 months after the workshop. Employees participating in the study were drawn from the Manufacturing, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing sites of Zeneca Pharmaceuticals located in Cheshire, United Kingdom. Three hundred and ninety persons who had participated in stress management workshops since 1988 were matched for age, gender and department with an equal number of employees who had not attended stress management workshops. Outcome measures included self-rated well-being (as measured by the 30-question General Health Questionnaire), knowledge of company guidance on the management of stress in staff, and an assessment of coping strategies. Subjects who had not attended a stress management workshop were much more likely to have a poor understanding of the principles of management of stress in staff [odds ratio (OR) = 8.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.3-21.3] and more likely to have poor coping skills (OR = 2.8; CI = 1.3-6.1). However, mean scores for the two measures were similar in attendees and non-attendees. Self-rating of current well-being was strongly associated with the life-events score, but not related to workshop attendance. The study indicates that stress management training workshops reduce the prevalence of employees with a poor understanding of the principles of the management of stress in staff and with poor coping strategies. An improvement in the self-rated well-being observed shortly after the workshop was not sustained.
PURPOSE: To determine whether a two-day teaching enhancement workshop at the University of Alberta improved participants' teaching performance as rated by students. METHOD: Workshop participants (academic staff or residents) were asked to assess the value of the workshop. In addition, students were asked to rate instructors' teaching abilities before and after the instructors participated in the workshops, by completing a five-statement questionnaire routinely used to assess instruction at the University of Alberta. For control purposes, ratings were also obtained for a group of instructors who had not taken the workshop, over a similar time period. The authors used data from 1993-2002. RESULTS: The participants uniformly regarded the workshops as helpful. Both faculty and residents regarded the short teaching exercise as the most important component of the program. Of the instructional sections, the presentations on objectives and on structure (set, body, closure) were rated most highly by both groups. The students' mean ratings for the instructors after the workshop were significantly increased, while ratings for those who had not taken the workshop were unchanged CONCLUSION: Short teaching-enhancement workshops are regarded by the participants as helpful in improving their instructional skills. This view is supported by a significant increase in students' ratings of the instructors after they had taken the workshop.
BACKGROUND: A workshop on community-oriented primary care (COPC) has been integrated into Hebrew University's family practice residency program for several years. The participants of the first three workshops did an evaluation to assess subsequent application of the COPC approach. METHODS: The main objectives of the 45-hour workshop are: a) to learn the principles and practice of COPC as illustrated by the Hadassah Community Health Center programs, and b) to learn skills required in the COPC programs' various stages of development. In the workshop, physicians are required to work in groups of 5-6 to carry out the planning of COPC programs, which will be implemented in their practices. A structured questionnaire was sent 2-4 years after workshop completion to each of the 45 physicians who participated in these workshops. RESULTS: Thirty-six of the 45 physicians responded to the questionnaire. Of the 36 respondents, 75% reported that the content of the workshop was relevant to their daily work. Eighty percent of the physicians who were involved in intervention programs reported that participation in the workshop improved their ability to plan community programs. Fifty-five percent of the respondents reported the application of elements learned in the workshop to their current work, mainly in the performance of three COPC functions: definition of the community, identification of health problems, and planning community health interventions. Few (28%) were involved in evaluation measurements. CONCLUSIONS: A COPC workshop characterized by work groups of family physicians, epidemiological analysis of their practices' data, and the planning of a community program in their communities was positively evaluated according to the reported application of COPC functions by family physicians and residents in their daily work.