The discourse of health managers on aspects related to the delay in tuberculosis diagnosis

The aim of this study was to analyze the discourse of health managers on aspects related to delay in tuberculosis diagnosis. This was a qualitative research study, conducted with 16 Family Health Unit managers. The empirical data were obtained through semi-structured interviews. The analysis was based on the theoretical framework of the French school of discourse analysis. According to the managers’ statements, the delay in tuberculosis diagnosis is related to patient and health service aspects. As for patient aspects, managers report fear, prejudice and lack of information as factors that may promote a delayed diagnosis. Regarding health service aspects, structural problems and lack of professional skills were reported. The discourse of managers should be considered to qualify tuberculosis control actions and to prevent delays in diagnosis.

Conflictes ètics en la gestió de la informació: una mirada des de la deontologia professional

[eng] The text begins with a reflection on the scope and content of the concepts "ethics" and "deontology" and continues by addressing the steps and considerations that the professional community must take into account when analysing ethical and moral aspects of their work. Finally, some specific elements are set forth regarding ethics in information management, specifically ethical conflicts that need to be managed in the area of library and information sciences.

Sickness certification in primary care: a survey on views and practices among Swiss physicians.

QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY: Studies from several countries (Scandinavia, United Kingdom) report that general practitioners (GPs) experience problems in sickness certification. Our study explored views of Swiss GPs towards sickness certification, their practice and experience, professional skills and problematic interactions with patients. METHODS: We conducted an online survey among GPs throughout Switzerland, exploring behaviour of physicians, patients and employers with regard to sickness certification; GPs' views about sickness certification; required competences for certifying sickness absence, and approaches to advance their competence. We piloted the questionnaire and disseminated it through the networks of the five Swiss academic institutes for primary care. RESULTS: We received 507 valid responses (response rate 50%). Only 43/507 GPs experienced sickness certification as problematic per se, yet 155/507 experienced problems in sickness certification at least once a week. The 507 GPs identified estimating a long-term prognosis about work capacity (64%), handling conflicts with patients (54%), and determining the reduction of work capacity (42%) as problematic. Over 75% would welcome special training opportunities, e.g., on sickness certifications during residency (93%), in insurance medicine (81%), and conflict management (80%). CONCLUSION: Sickness certification as such does not present a major problem to Swiss GPs, which contrasts with the experience in Scandinavian countries and in the UK. Swiss GPs did identify specific tasks of sickness certification as problematic. Training opportunities on sick-leave certification and insurance medicine in general were welcomed.

Sotilaspolitiikka Kremlin Olympoksella. Venäjän sotilasreformin diskursiivinen rakentuminen venäläisessä sanomalehdistössä 2008–2012

Tutkimus käsittelee venäläisessä sanomalehdistössä esiintyvää keskustelua Venäjän sotilasreformista. Tutkimuksessa haluttiin selvittää, millaisia diskursseja keskustelussa käytetään sotilasreformin oikeuttamiseksi ja miten ne toimivat vallankäytön välineenä. Tutkimus on monitieteinen. Se antaa vastauksia kielitieteellisessä kehyksessä kielen ja diskurssin roolista päätöksenteossa, yhteiskuntatieteellisessä kehyksessä venäläisestä mediasta ja päätöksentekojärjestelmästä sekä sotatieteellisessä kehyksessä asevoimien kehityksestä ja sotilaspolitiikasta. Tutkimuksen primääriaineisto muodostuu 220 artikkelista, jotka kerättiin yhdeksästä venäläisestä sanomalehdestä vuosien 2008–2012 ajalta. Venäjän johtohenkilöt ja heitä tukevat sanomalehdet oikeuttivat sotilasreformia julkisessa keskustelussa ensisijaisesti viiden syyn avulla: uhkien lisääntymisellä, sodan kuvan muutoksella, asevoimien kalustollisella ja toiminnallisella jälkeenjääneisyydellä, henkilöstön osaamisen alhaisella tasolla ja tarpeella toiminnan järkeistykseen. Sotilasreformin päätöksiä oikeutettiin vetoamalla niiden huolelliseen suunnitteluun, henkilöstön asialliseen kohteluun ja taloudellisten asioiden vakauteen. Sanomalehdistössä esiintyi paljon toisistaan poikkeavia näkemyksiä kehitykseen tarvittavasta suunnasta. Suurin osa kritisoivista diskursseista keskittyi kritisoimaan reformin toteutusta, ei sen olemassaoloa. Kritiikki keskittyi tiedotuksen ja demokraattisen päätöksenteon puutteeseen sekä epäilyksiin reformin valmisteluprosessista. Venäjän asevoimia ja sotilaspolitiikkaa koskevaa uutisointia on ongelmallista tarkastella ilman diskurssikäytäntöjen huomiointia. Venäjän johdon ja sen legitimiteettiä vahvistavien sanomalehtien diskursiivisen vallankäytön tavoitteena on saada Venäjä näyttämään todellisuutta vahvemmalta ja yhtenäisemmältä. Vaikka venäläinen media ja siinä etenkin televisio ei ole vapaata, sanomalehdistö on verrattain hyvä tiedonlähde. Sen varsin monipuolinen omistajuus tutkimusaineiston rajauksen aikana mahdollisti erilaisten näkökulmien esillepääsyn. Analyyttisimmin sotilasreformista uutisoivat ne sanomalehdet, jotka eivät nähneet länsimaita Venäjän uhkana ja representoivat diskursseissaan liberalistisia arvoja kuten avoimuutta ja demokratiaa. Sanomalehdistön vaatimaton rooli venäläisessä mediakentässä heikentää kuitenkin sen vaikuttavuutta yleiseen mielipiteeseen. Sanomalehtien diskurssikäytäntöjen analysointi ideologioiden ja vallankäytön kautta voi tarjota mahdollisuuksia parantaa venäläisen valtionjohdon päätösten ennustettavuutta.

Tietojohtamista tukevan toiminnanohjausjärjestelmän vaatimuksia erityistoimialalla: tapaustutkimus eläinterveydenhuollon toimialalla

Veterinary Health Services are following in many areas the practices and medical direction of human medicine and health services. They are reaching for improved efficiency, quality and precision. Competitive position may be improved and productivity increased by specializing and focusing efforts at the practice. This thesis focuses in small animal practices and their needs for ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems in Germany. As a result requirements for ERP solution supporting knowledge management in the small animal practice is presented. Veterinary Health Services is knowledge-intensive business, where written information and tacit knowledge is increasingly bound together with deepening expertise and specialization. Veterinarian is even legally obliged to develop and maintain her professional skills. The current ERP solutions concentrate in the treatment process of veterinary practice. Customer relationship management is left aside. As the competitive situation is getting tighter in veterinary services also the customer relationship management needs to get into the focus and interest to the wider network support in knowledge sharing should take steps forward. Taking into account the requirement of continuous development of professional skills ERP system at the veterinary practice should also be seen as knowledge management tool. It should provide the possibility to create, store, share and use knowledge. The study is conducted first by studying the AS-IS situation of ERP use and market in veterinary health services and then drawing the requirements of TO-BE situation by studying literature and the results of semi qualitative study conducted for German veterinary practices. A group of veterinarians were interviewed, market and network analysis was done and the understanding of market was deepened in two veterinary conferences in Germany. This theses work is requested by Finnish software company Finnish Net Solutions, which is the leading supplier of Veterinary Practice Management software in Finland. The company plans to expand to European market with Cloud based service. Target of the theses is to create understanding of the requirements of German veterinary market to develop ERP solution supporting Knowledge Management in Veterinary Practice.

Professional Associations and Academic Librarianship in Kerala

The library professional in an academic institution has to anticipate the changing expectations of the users, and be flexible in adopting new skills and levels of awareness. Technology has drastically changed the way librarians define themselves and the way they think about their profession and the institutions they serve. In addition to the technical and professional skills, commitment to user centred services and skills for effective oral and written communication; they must have other skills, including business and management, teaching, leadership, etc. Eventually, library and information professionals in academic libraries need to update their knowledge and skills in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as they play the role of key success factor in enabling the library to perform its role as an information support system for the society.

Práticas de Animação do Livro e da Biblioteca numa Perspetiva de Cooperação entre Bibliotecas Escolares e Municipais

Tem sido difícil alcançar posições consensuais na definição da importância do papel da animação sociocultural e do seu contributo para o desenvolvimento de toda uma comunidade, através das suas práticas e metodologias específicas. A cooperação, entre bibliotecas escolares e municipais, tem sido pouco explorada, estudada e até valorizada. Os problemas de desenvolvimento de práticas de animação dentro destas bibliotecas é uma questão que merece toda a atenção em proveito do aumento da coadjuvação ativa entre estas instituições documentais, onde urge cada vez mais não só o trabalho de tratamento documental, mas também o trabalho para os utilizadores numa ótica de desenvolvimento de atividades e projetos de diversos tipos de animação, em contextos específicos onde estes espaços se inserem. Este trabalho de investigação sobre práticas de animação do livro e da biblioteca numa perspetiva de cooperação entre bibliotecas escolares e municipais incide no estudo de caso de três bibliotecas escolares e uma biblioteca municipal, no Município de Câmara de Lobos, ilha da Madeira, local onde a mestranda desempenhou, no passado, funções de animadora sociocultural como licenciada na área, tendo desenvolvido, através de metodologias e práticas de animação, competências sociais, culturais e educativas, nos espaços bibliotecários e seus respetivos utilizadores. Assim, com esta investigação, pretende-se apurar se existem práticas de cooperação desenvolvidas nas bibliotecas em estudo e qualificá-las; recolher informação pertinente relativa à investigação levada a cabo e obter opiniões sobre o papel dos profissionais de animação de bibliotecas; conhecer o impacto do trabalho desenvolvido pela investigadora no passado, nestes espaços de biblioteca. A metodologia de investigação consistiu na realização de entrevistas orais semiestruturadas e na análise dos planos de atividades e relatórios anuais das bibliotecas de objeto de estudo. As principais conclusões/resultados verificam-se no sentido amplo da cooperação entre bibliotecas municipais e escolares, baseadas basicamente, na existência das práticas de animação, deixando estas muito ainda por desenvolver e explorar nos espaços em estudo.

O Professor do séc. XXI e o uso das aplicações informáticas

Com este projeto pretendemos dar relevância a algumas ideias que emergem da observação diária da prática profissional da investigadora no sentido em que os professores não usam as TIC nas suas práticas pedagógicas e quando o fazem, essas práticas não são pedagogicamente muito consistentes. Assim, foi apontada como questão de partida: Está o professor do século XXI disponível para utilizar e rentabilizar as aplicações informáticas disponíveis nas redes profissionais das escolas? Assim, procurámos um referencial teórico de estudo sobre as novas competências pessoais e profissionais que o professor do século XXI deve possuir para ser capaz de dar resposta às exigências das escolas de hoje; da disponibilidade do professor do séc. XXI para a utilização das aplicações informáticas e de como as aplicações informáticas contribuem para melhorar o trabalho do professor do século XXI. O plano de resolução foi direcionado em três áreas: o ser professor, as aplicações informáticas disponíveis na rede da escola e a avaliação dos alunos, visando a implementação de várias ações que propõem-se superar os problemas encontrados e promover a melhoria da profissionalidade dos docentes.

Innovative implementation of iLearn e-Portfolio for Personal Development Planning

iLearn is a Web 2.0 tool developed in Blackboard to help students with Personal Development Planning (PDP). This paper describes a case study on how the innovative use of mobile digital technology in iLearn e-Portfolio for developing reflective portfolios for PDP benefits the students. The e-Portfolio tool benefits students as it enables them to create and share portfolios, record achievements and reflections that support future job applications and promotion. Students find it beneficial because they can make use of iLearn e-Portfolio to keep academic records and achievements, activities and interests, work experience, reflective practice, employer information and some other useful resources, and also to tailor their CV and covering letters including evidence to support their CV, transferable skills and selling points. Useful information for preparing for an interview, reflecting after an event and any thoughts and evaluation can be kept in iLearn e-Portfolio. Keeping assessment and feedback records in iLearn e-Portfolio enables students to know their progress, to identify any gaps they need to fill to develop their study practices and areas for development. The key points from the feedback on the assignments and assessments are beneficial for future improvement. The reflections on the assignments and how students make use of the advice are particularly useful to improve their overall performance. In terms of pedagogical benefits, the “Individual Learner Profile” records and reviews evidence in verbal communication, basic and higher academic skills, time management, numeracy skill and IT skills, students become increasingly aware of their own strengths and any weaker areas that may require development. The e-Portfolio also provides opportunity for students to reflect on the experience and skills they have gained whilst participating in activities outside their studies. As the iLearn e-Portfolio is a reflective practice tool, it is consistent with the principle of Schon's reflective practitioner to reframe problems and to explore the consequences of actions. From the students’ feedback, for those who engage regularly in iLearn, they are better able to set agendas for their Personal Tutorial meetings and provide their Personal Tutor with a unique record of their achievements, skills and attributes which help them writing effective references for them. They make the most of their student experience in general. They also enhance their transferable skills and employability overall. The iLearn e-Portfolio prepares for the workplace and life beyond University including continuing professional development. Students are aware of their transferable skills, evidence of the skills and skill level, including award or accreditation, and their personal reflection on their transferable skills. It is beneficial for students to be aware of their transferable skills, to produce evidence of the skills and skills level such as award and accreditation, and to record their personal reflection on their transferable skills. Finally, the innovative use of mobile digital technology in iLearn e-Portfolio for developing reflective portfolios for PDP will improve their employability.

Innovative use of e-portfolio for personal development

iLearn is a quasi-Web 2.0 tool developed in Blackboard to help users with Personal Development Planning (PDP). This paper describes a case study on how the innovative use of mobile digital technology in iLearn e-Portfolio for developing reflective portfolios for PDP benefits the users, who are training to be professionals in construction management and surveying, The e-Portfolio tool benefits users as it enables them to create and share portfolios, record achievements and reflections that support future job applications and promotion. Users find it beneficial because they can make use of iLearn e-Portfolio to keep academic records and achievements, activities and interests, work experience, reflective practice, employer information and some other useful resources, and also to tailor their CV and covering letters including evidence to support their CV, transferable skills and selling points. Useful information for preparing for an interview, reflecting after an event and any thoughts and evaluation can be kept in iLearn e-Portfolio. Keeping assessment and feedback records in iLearn e-Portfolio enables learners to know their progress, to identify any gaps they need to fill to develop their study practices and areas for development. The key points from the feedback on the assignments and assessments are beneficial for future improvement. The reflections on the tasks and how they make use of the advice are particularly useful to improve their overall performance. In terms of pedagogical benefits, the “Individual Learner Profile” records and reviews evidence in verbal communication, basic and higher academic skills, time management, numeracy skill and IT skills, learners become increasingly aware of their own strengths and any weaker areas that may require development. The e-Portfolio also provides opportunity for them to reflect on the experience and skills they have gained whilst participating in activities outside their studies. As the iLearn e-Portfolio is a reflective practice tool, it is consistent with the principle of Schon's reflective practitioner to reframe problems and to explore the consequences of actions. From the users’ feedback, for those who engage regularly in iLearn, they are better able to set agendas for their supervision meetings and provide their supervisor with a unique record of their achievements, skills and attributes which help them writing effective references for them. They make the most of their learning experience in general. They also enhance their transferable skills and employability overall. The iLearn e-Portfolio prepares them for the workplace including continuing professional development. Users are aware of their transferable skills, evidence of the skills and skill level, including award or accreditation, and their personal reflection on their transferable skills. It is beneficial for them to be aware of their transferable skills, to produce evidence of the skills and skills level such as award and accreditation, and to record their personal reflection on their transferable skills. Finally, the innovative use of mobile digital technology in iLearn e-Portfolio for developing reflective portfolios for PDP will improve their employability.

An Analysis Of The Recommended Knowledge For The Software Project Management Discipline

According to the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), project management is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements” [1]. Project Management has proven to be one of the most important disciplines at the moment of determining the success of any project [2][3][4]. Given that many of the activities covered by this discipline can be said that are “horizontal” for any kind of domain, the importance of acknowledge the concepts and practices becomes even more obvious. The specific case of the projects that fall in the domain of Software Engineering are not the exception about the great influence of Project Management for their success. The critical role that this discipline plays in the industry has come to numbers. A report by McKinsey & Co [4] shows that the establishment of programs for the teaching of critical skills of project management can improve the performance of the project in time and costs. As an example of the above, the reports exposes: “One defense organization used these programs to train several waves of project managers and leaders who together administered a portfolio of more than 1,000 capital projects ranging in Project management size from $100,000 to $500 million. Managers who successfully completed the training were able to cut costs on most projects by between 20 and 35 percent. Over time, the organization expects savings of about 15 percent of its entire baseline spending”. In a white paper by the PMI (Project Management Institute) about the value of project management [5], it is stated that: “Leading organizations across sectors and geographic borders have been steadily embracing project management as a way to control spending and improve project results”. According to the research made by the PMI for the paper, after the economical crisis “Executives discovered that adhering to project management methods and strategies reduced risks, cut costs and improved success rates—all vital to surviving the economic crisis”. In every elite company, a proper execution of the project management discipline has become a must. Several members of the software industry have putted effort into achieving ways of assuring high quality results from projects; many standards, best practices, methodologies and other resources have been produced by experts from different fields of expertise. In the industry and the academic community, there is a continuous research on how to teach better software engineering together with project management [4][6]. For the general practices of Project Management the PMI produced a guide of the required knowledge that any project manager should have in their toolbox to lead any kind of project, this guide is called the PMBOK. On the side of best practices 10 and required knowledge for the Software Engineering discipline, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) developed the SWEBOK (Software Engineering Body of Knowledge) in collaboration with software industry experts and academic researchers, introducing into the guide many of the needed knowledge for a 5-year expertise software engineer [7]. The SWEBOK also covers management from the perspective of a software project. This thesis is developed to provide guidance to practitioners and members of the academic community about project management applied to software engineering. The way used in this thesis to get useful information for practitioners is to take an industry-approved guide for software engineering professionals such as the SWEBOK, and compare the content to what is found in the PMBOK. After comparing the contents of the SWEBOK and the PMBOK, what is found missing in the SWEBOK is used to give recommendations on how to enrich project management skills for a software engineering professional. Recommendations for members of the academic community on the other hand, are given taking into account the GSwE2009 (Graduated Software Engineering 2009) standard [8]. GSwE2009 is often used as a main reference for software engineering master programs [9]. The standard is mostly based on the content of the SWEBOK, plus some contents that are considered to reinforce the education of software engineering. Given the similarities between the SWEBOK and the GSwE2009, the results of comparing SWEBOK and PMBOK are also considered valid to enrich what the GSwE2009 proposes. So in the end the recommendations for practitioners end up being also useful for the academic community and their strategies to teach project management in the context of software engineering.

Do you know what MOOCS are? Discover a new way to improve your knowledge and skills

The potential of online learning has long afforded the hope of providing quality education to anyone, anywhere in the world. The recent development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) heralded an exciting new breakthrough by providing free academic instruction and professional skills development from the world’s leading universities to anyone with the sufficient resources to access the internet. The research in Advancing MOOCs for Development Initiative study was designed to analyze the MOOC landscape in developing countries and to better understand the motivations of MOOC users and afford insights on the advantages and limitations of MOOCs for workforce development outcomes. The key findings of this study challenge commonly held beliefs about MOOC usage in developing countries, defying typical characterizations of how people in resource constrained settings use technology for learning and employment. In fact, some of the findings are so contrary to what has been reported in the U.S. and other developed environments that they raise new questions for further investigation.

A supervisão e orientação pedagógica de educadores e professores em São Tomé e Princípe : proposta de um programa de desenvolvimento profissional

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Educação de Santarém para obtenção do grau de mestre em Ciências de Educação na especialização de Supervisão e Orientação Pedagógica

Educación superior y competencias para el empleo. El punto de vista de los empresarios

La relevancia del conocimiento como input del proceso productivo ha aumentado la complejidad de la contratación en el mercado de trabajo cualificado. Como consecuencia de ello, se ha generado un proceso de reflexión sobre la adecuación de la acreditación universitaria a las necesidades del mercado de trabajo. Académicos, gerentes y expertos en el mercado de trabajadores altamente cualificados han tenido parte en esta reflexión durante mucho tiempo. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo la identificación de las competencias profesionales con mayor relevancia en la empleabilidad de los graduados en Economía y Empresa. El análisis se basa en una investigación cualitativa que toma como fuentes de información las opiniones de los empleadores. La información para el estudio ha sido obtenida mediante entrevistas en profundidad y la realización de un grupo de discusión. En este proceso han participado empresarios, responsables del servicio de prácticas de la Universidad de Barcelona, expertos y responsables de empresa de colocación, representantes de organizaciones empresariales y profesores universitarios. La atención se centra en la percepción que los entrevistados tienen del requerimiento de conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes, en el grado en que los desarrollan y en los cambios que se necesitarían para lograr una mejor correspondencia entre las competencias adquiridas por los graduados y las requeridas por el mercado de trabajo. A partir de la clasificación de las competencias profesionales (proyecto Tuning), el estudio pone de relieve la importancia otorgada por los empleadores a de las competencias genéricas. No obstante, se observan diferencias valorativas según la tipología de empresas. Asimismo, se evidencian déficits en algunos aspectos relevantes, como la formación práctica y la capacidad de iniciativa, de análisis o de organización. Por último, de las opiniones recogidas también se constata la necesidad de aproximar la universidad al sistema productivo, al menos en el campo económico-empresarial.

Relatório de estágio de qualificação profissional

Relatório EPE - Relatório de estágio em Educação Pré-Escolar: O presente relatório de estágio foi elaborado no âmbito da unidade curricular de Prática Pedagógica Supervisionada, integrada no Mestrado em Educação Pré – Escolar e Ensino do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico da Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico do Porto. O estágio realizou-se no Jardim de Infância Gaia 13 que abarca crianças desde os 3 aos 6 anos de idade. A interação com a instituição e com o grupo de crianças e equipa educativa foi feita de modo progressivo, de modo a que as atividades planificadas e o projeto curricular de grupo construído, fossem ao encontro das características do contexto e do grupo de crianças. Desde o início da prática pedagógica que se construíram planificações semanais, que tinham como pressuposto a identificação das necessidades de desenvolvimento das crianças, bem como os seus interesses, os objetivos, os resultados de aprendizagem e os recursos pedagógicos, integrados no plano de ação. O trabalho desenvolvido teve por base a metodologia de investigação–ação, através de uma articulação entre a teoria e a prática, com a intenção de proporcionar competências profissionais na mestranda tais como: ser capaz de mobilizar vários saberes científicos e pedagógicos correspondentes à educação pré – escolar; ser capaz de desenvolver estratégias pedagógicas diferenciadas; construir uma atitude reflexiva de caráter indagador. Todo este processo contribuiu para a idealização de uma identidade profissional, em construção permanente, numa expectativa de aprendizagem ao longo da vida.