Online technologies have facilitated the development of Virtual Communities of Practice (virtual CoPs) to support health professionals collaborate online to share knowledge, improve performance and support the spread ...Online technologies have facilitated the development of Virtual Communities of Practice (virtual CoPs) to support health professionals collaborate online to share knowledge, improve performance and support the spread of innovation and best practices. Research, however,shows that many virtual CoPs do not achieve their expected potential because online interaction among healthcare professionals is generally low. Focusing on health visitors, who are UK qualified midwives or nurses who have undertaken additional qualifications as specialist public health workers in the community, the paper examines the factors that influence online interaction among health visitors collaborating to share knowledge and experience in a virtual CoP. The paper makes suggestions for how to improve online interaction among health professionals in virtual CoPs by increasing the size of membership in order to take advantage of both posting and viewing contributions, facilitating moderation to improve networking among geographically dispersed members groups and im-proving the topic relevance in order to stimulate contributions.展开更多
Background: To develop an effective health education program to prevent cardiovascular disease in middle-aged residents after retirement in underpopulated areas, we explored the effects of a stress management program ...Background: To develop an effective health education program to prevent cardiovascular disease in middle-aged residents after retirement in underpopulated areas, we explored the effects of a stress management program based on the type A behavior pattern. Methods: This study was carried out in a rural city in Japan recognized as underpopulated and participants were civil servants aged 45 - 64 who joined a stress management program offered as part of staff training. Learning materials for the program were developed based on the type A behavior pattern. Measures for the impact evaluation were Bloom’s learning domains and stage of change for stress management practice. Measures for the outcome evaluation were KG’s Daily Life Questionnaire (KG Questionnaire), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Framingham 10-year cardiovascular risk score (CVD risk score). We statistically analyzed changes in each item between time points. Results: Eighteen participants completed questionnaire surveys at pre-, post-, and 4 weeks post-program and eleven had complete blood pressure and weight measurements at pre- and post-program. In the impact evaluation, the Friedman test found significant differences between the three time points in all of Bloom’s learning domain scores and stage of change for stress management. In the post hoc analysis, a significant increase was seen between pre- and post-program and between pre- and 4 weeks post-program in cognitive domain score, psychomotor domain score and stage of change for stress management. In the outcome evaluation, a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure was seen between pre- and post-program. Conclusion: The present study suggested that a stress management program using learning materials based on type A behavior could promote stress management practices and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This stress management program is expected to be useful as a health promotion activity for middle-aged residents after retirement in underpopulated areas.展开更多
文摘Online technologies have facilitated the development of Virtual Communities of Practice (virtual CoPs) to support health professionals collaborate online to share knowledge, improve performance and support the spread of innovation and best practices. Research, however,shows that many virtual CoPs do not achieve their expected potential because online interaction among healthcare professionals is generally low. Focusing on health visitors, who are UK qualified midwives or nurses who have undertaken additional qualifications as specialist public health workers in the community, the paper examines the factors that influence online interaction among health visitors collaborating to share knowledge and experience in a virtual CoP. The paper makes suggestions for how to improve online interaction among health professionals in virtual CoPs by increasing the size of membership in order to take advantage of both posting and viewing contributions, facilitating moderation to improve networking among geographically dispersed members groups and im-proving the topic relevance in order to stimulate contributions.
文摘Background: To develop an effective health education program to prevent cardiovascular disease in middle-aged residents after retirement in underpopulated areas, we explored the effects of a stress management program based on the type A behavior pattern. Methods: This study was carried out in a rural city in Japan recognized as underpopulated and participants were civil servants aged 45 - 64 who joined a stress management program offered as part of staff training. Learning materials for the program were developed based on the type A behavior pattern. Measures for the impact evaluation were Bloom’s learning domains and stage of change for stress management practice. Measures for the outcome evaluation were KG’s Daily Life Questionnaire (KG Questionnaire), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Framingham 10-year cardiovascular risk score (CVD risk score). We statistically analyzed changes in each item between time points. Results: Eighteen participants completed questionnaire surveys at pre-, post-, and 4 weeks post-program and eleven had complete blood pressure and weight measurements at pre- and post-program. In the impact evaluation, the Friedman test found significant differences between the three time points in all of Bloom’s learning domain scores and stage of change for stress management. In the post hoc analysis, a significant increase was seen between pre- and post-program and between pre- and 4 weeks post-program in cognitive domain score, psychomotor domain score and stage of change for stress management. In the outcome evaluation, a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure was seen between pre- and post-program. Conclusion: The present study suggested that a stress management program using learning materials based on type A behavior could promote stress management practices and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This stress management program is expected to be useful as a health promotion activity for middle-aged residents after retirement in underpopulated areas.
