Women in the UK academic medicine workforce

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare data on the employment profiles (such as grade, place of work, etc.) of male and female clinical academics. METHODS: We carried out a comparative review of workforce data within academic medicine for 2004 and 2005, pertaining to the workforce in all specialties in UK medical schools. RESULTS: We identified 3255 and 3365 lecturers, senior lecturers, readers and professors in 2004 and 2005, respectively, of whom 21% were women. In 2004 and 2005, 12% and 11%, respectively, of 1157 and 1364 UK medical professors were women. The number of women filling such positions in individual schools ranged from 0% to 33% across schools. The total numbers of women post-holders and their full-time equivalents were similar, indicating that the majority of posts were full-time. CONCLUSIONS: In England only 1 in 10 medical clinical professors are women. At the onset of the study period, 6 medical schools employed no female professors, with a consequent lack of female role models at these institutions. Large variations between schools suggest that some workforce practices may be detrimental to women's academic careers.     

Response-ordering effects: a methodological issue in conjoint analysis

Conjoint analysis is a technique relatively new to the evaluation of health care services in the UK. The technique uses data generated from questionnaires. This paper addresses the issue of response-ordering effects that may result from the ordering of dimensions of benefit within a question. Two questionnaires were given to 216 hospital consultants as part of a priority setting exercise. These were identical other than the ordering of the dimensions within each question. The regression analysis was segmented according to questionnaire type and the coefficients of the segmentation were tested for statistically significant differences. The results show no evidence of ordering effects.     

Entering and navigating academic medicine: academic clinician-educators' experiences

Medical Education 2011: 45 : 497–503 Objectives Despite a recognised need for richer narratives about academic medicine, much of the literature is limited to an analysis of the enablers and barriers associated with recruitment and retention, and focuses on analysing the development of research career pathways. We explored academic clinician‐educators’ experiences of entering into and navigating academic medicine, with a particular focus on those who privilege teaching above research. Methods Data were collected through interviews and focus groups conducted across a medical school at one Australian university. We used socio‐cognitive career theory to provide theoretical insight into the factors that influence academic clinician‐educators’ interests, choice and motivations regarding entering and pursuing a teaching pathway within academic medicine. Framework analysis was used to illustrate key themes in the data. Results We identified a number of themes related to academic clinician‐educators’ engagement and performance within an academic medicine career focused on teaching. These include contextual factors associated with how academic medicine is structured as a discipline, cultural perceptions regarding what constitutes legitimate practice in academia, experiential factors associated with the opportunity to develop a professional identity commensurate with being an educator, and socialisation practices. Conclusions The emphasis on research in academia can engender feelings of marginalisation and lack of credibility for those clinicians who favour teaching over research. The prevailing focus on supporting and socialising clinicians in research will need to change substantially to facilitate the rise of the academic clinician‐educator.     

Problem-management questionnaires as a student learning tool in environmental medicine

Environmental medicine can be defined as the science and art of medicine applied to the interaction between environment and health. In support of the WHO Health for All strategy, the educational programmes encourage closer links between epidemiology, clinical practice and environmental protection, and utilize problem-based learning. For tuition, problem-management questionnaires are a worthwhile tool to assist student learning. Examples are given and a model answer for one of these is appended. Their development, use and evaluation are described. They can be readily prepared from different clinical and environmental problems, and they help to meet identified needs in community-oriented medical education.     

Challenges of recruitment: focus groups with research study recruiters

To rectify the historic lack of research on women's health and the exclusion of women from many significant clinical trials, regulations have been promulgated requiring the inclusion of women and minorities in research studies. Acknowledging that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mandate has resulted in more inclusive research, the unintended consequences associated with implementation of these regulations must also be explored. While the requirements preclude the use of cost as a reason for excluding women and/or minorities, the additional funding necessary to recruit adequate numbers of study participants has not been provided. Consequently, study recruiters often face unacknowledged expectations and job pressures as they attempt to meet recruitment goals. While it is important to support the NIH mandate, the additional stress imposed upon research study recruiters must also be recognized. Focus groups with study recruiters from various backgrounds and types of research provide an understanding of the challenges recruiters face when attempting to recruit diverse populations of women into research, and provide an understanding of the impact of recruitment goals on study recruiters' job satisfaction.     

Individual interviews and focus groups in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of two qualitative methods

Purpose  

To compare two different approaches to performing focus groups and individual interviews, an open approach, and an approach based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).     

Determinants of influenza vaccine purchasing decision in the US: a conjoint analysis

We explore the determinants of influenza vaccine purchasing decision in the US via a nationwide survey of 251 medical office managers and physicians on preferences for seven vaccine presentation attributes: price, presence of thimerosal, contamination risk, storage space requirement, number of preparation steps, dosing errors and speed. The findings show that thimerosal, contamination risk, and dosing errors were the most important attributes. For pediatricians, thimerosal's absence was shown to be the most valuable attribute. Participants would be willing to spend the following additional amounts per dose of influenza vaccine to acquire products as follows: $5.06 for the absence of thimerosal, $5.23 for a lower contamination risk, $4.94 for lower chance of dosing errors. They would pay $1.08 more for influenza vaccines that were faster to administer, $1.27 more for vaccines that were easier to store, and $1.76 more for vaccines that had fewer steps to administer.     

Issues involved in Dutch general practitioners' failure to request autopsy: report from three focus groups

OBJECTIVE: To investigate which reservations to autopsy general practitioners (GPs) experience in themselves and in relatives of the deceased. DESIGN: Focus-group discussions. METHOD: Three focus-group discussions were organised (24 GPs in total), comprising the following three types of GP: those involved in the training of new GPs, those who were able to request autopsies without encountering practical obstacles, and those who did have to overcome these obstacles when requesting an autopsy. RESULTS: Neither training nor day-to-day functioning as a GP equips Dutch physicians in regarding autopsy as a research tool. The reservations experienced by the GPs were based on emotional issues, organisational obstacles, and financial considerations.     

漯河市重点人群尿碘含量检测结果与分析

目的通过检测漯河市重点人群尿碘含量,了解碘营养状况,评价碘缺乏病防治效果。方法抽样采集城镇和农村各类重点人群尿样共计602份按照国标方法进行检测和统计分析。结果 0～3岁婴幼儿、孕妇和哺乳期妇女尿碘结果中位数分别为260.2μg/L、298.7μg/L和275.9μg/L,﹤50μg/L的比例均小于10%。结论以尿碘中位数指标评价,漯河市达到消除碘缺乏病标准,尿碘整体处于超足量水平。     

南宁市2006～2010年重点人群华支睾吸虫感染调查结果分析

目的 调查南宁市2006～2010年重点人群华支睾吸虫感染情况.方法 根据历年门诊肠道寄生虫检验登计本:对来自门诊吃过鱼生、肝区不舒服重点人群进行粪检查找华支睾吸虫卵.结果 2006～2010年分别调查772、924、839、620、320人,粪检华支睾吸虫卵阳性者分别为390、426、388、306、177人,感染率分为43.9％、46.1％、46.2％、49.3％、55.3％.结论 从2006～2010年,南宁市重点人群华支睾吸虫感染率逐年攀升,应在重点地区对重点人群开展有针对性的防治工作.