Knowledge Improvement and Research

Understanding medical words: a tutorial from the National Library of Medicine
This tutorial teaches you about medical words and how they are put together. It is a useful tool for those who do not come from a clinical background, but need to recognise the terminology.

Knowledge translation learning modules
Three knowledge translation learning modules are now freely available from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. They are:
1. A guide to researcher and knowledge-user collaboration in health research
2. Introduction to evidence-informed decision making
3. Critical appraisal of intervention studies

Events

Event: 6th International G-I-N Conference 2009: Evidence translation in different countries
1st – 4th November 2009 – Lisbon, Portugal
The programme will include sessions on:

• Knowledge transfer – practical tools and incentives for getting evidence into practice
• Quality aspects – importance and use of indicators
• Patient perspectives on guidelines – including involvement of patients and methods of conveying evidence to consumers
• Policy makers perspectives – using evidence to promote safety and quality, promote the use and importance of guidelines in the global context

Click here for more information. The deadline for abstracts is 30th May 2009.

Event: 10th European Conference on Knowledge Management
3rd-4th September 2009 – Universita degli Studi di Padova, Vicenza, Italy
Click here to read more about this conference.

Event: The Triple Aim: optimizing health care resources for the good of a population
14th-15th May, 2009 – London, England
Improve the health of the population…enhance the patient experience of care…control the per capita cost of care – these are the concurrent goals of healthcare systems that serve populations. This is a two-day seminar that will provide healthcare professionals with the opportunity to learn a specific framework for achieving the Triple Aim and to develop a plan for applying the framework to their own organizations. Click here to find out more about this event.

Event: Web&ACTION: Using the IHI Global Trigger Tool for Measuring Patient Safety
1st and 15th April, and 6th May 2009 – online webinars.
These programs combine three intensive expert-let web-based learning sessions followed by Action Periods during which participants apply their knowledge to real-time practice. This particular program will teach participants how to identify harm, and use these results to measure the effectiveness of safety improvements to reduce patient harm. Click here for more information.

Event: m-ICTE 2009
22nd-24th April 2009 – Lisbon, Portugal
The conference is an international forum for discussion among teachers, researchers and people who are interested in the ways emerging technologies are transforming education. The special sessions are:

• Web 2.0 for Education
• ePortfolios
• ICT in Science and Engineering
• Medical e-Learning

Click here for more.

Event: 8th EXPOELEARNING
19th-20th March 2009 – Barcelona, Spain
“The image of e-learning” is the theme of this year’s Expoelearning, international congress and professional showroom. The parallel activities include Virtualcampus for universities, Moodleparty for companies, and Educaparty for teachers to exchange experiences. Click here for more.

Event: Lean and Six Sigma: a practical guide for clinicians and managers at directorate and ward/clinical service delivery level
15th May 2009 – Manchester Conference Centre, Manchester
This conference provides a guide to implementing Lean and Six Sigma across your own organisation, and includes an overview of the Lean and Six Sigma tools. Topics include:

• Lean in Healthcare: the route to dramatic improvement
• Lean and Six Sigma: where to start
• Understanding and analysing patient and process flows at clinical service delivery level
• Engaging clinicians and frontline staff in Lean Six Sigma
• Lean management driving improvement in patient experience
• Lean thinking: demonstrating quality outcomes improvement
• Delivering rapid improvement at directorate level
• Lean thinking on the ward: releasing time and care
• Lean and patient safety

Click here to download a copy of the conference programme and to book online.

Event: Building better performing delivery systems
18th – 20th May 2009 – Minneapolis Convention Center, USA
This conference is being run by the Quality Institute for Healthcare, and will run in tandem with the 2009 World Conference on Quality and Improvement. This event features workshops on the many topics, including:

• Improved community health
• Improved value to patients and payers
• Lean
• Patient flow and queuing
• Six sigma

Click here for more information.

Education

Applying findings from a systematic review of workplace-based e-learning: implications for health information professionals
A Booth, C Carroll, D Papioannou, A Sutton, R Wong
Health Information and Libraries Journal, 2009, 26(1), pp4-21
View abstract

A case study for teaching information literacy skills
KV Kingsley, K Kingsley
BMC Medical Education, 2009, 9:7
View full text

Events

Event: iLearning Forum 2009
19th – 20th January 2009 – Paris, France
The theme of this year’s iLearning Forum is Integrated Learning: Embedding Learning Technologies for Individual and Organisational Development. Learning professional colleagues from around the world will be meeting to explore state of the art practice in the use of technology for education and the development and management of human resources. Click here for more.

Event: LOGOS Final Conference: New Technology Platforms for Learning
19th – 20th January 2009 – Budapest (Hungary)
This conference aims to explore the innovative solutions for individual learning processes embedded in sound learning theories, focusing on the learner–technology relationship. Participation is free of charge. Click here for more information.

Event: Health Care 2009 – Methods, Measurement and Engagement
2nd February 2009 – Hilton Hotel, Toronto, Canada
The 2009 symposium will feature presentations, panels and small-group discussions on several topics, including:

• Sharing information through distributed data networking
• Reflections on eHealth
• Health services research methodologies

Calls for Interest

Calls for Interest: EDEN 2009 Annual Conference
10th – 13th June 2009 – Gdansk (Poland)
The European Distance and E-Learning Network invites European academic experts and professional practitioners to contribute and share innovative experience on the theme of the significance and impact of learning innovation in Europe. Deadline for contributions (including workshop ideas, posters and short demonstrations) is 16th January 2009. Click here for more information.

Calls for Interest

Call for papers: Special issue on “Applied Knowledge Management and e-Learning: An International Journal
Paper submission date – 15th December 2008, due for publication April 2009.
Papers on the following themes are required for KM&EL Special Issue on Applied Knowledge Management in an Institutional Context:

• KM in support of disaster management and/or crisis response;
• KM in support of organizational learning;
• Case studies on issues and challenges in implementing KM systems in an institutional context;
• KM and eGovernment applications;
• Semantic webs and KM;
• KM in support of eGovernment initiatives;
• Other related topics.

Author guidelines are available here. For more information about KM&EL, click here.

Calls for Interest

Call for papers: The 2nd International M-Libraries Conference
23rd-24th June 2009 – Vancouver, Canada
The aim of the conference is to explore and share work carried out in libraries around the world to deliver services and resources to users ‘on the move’ via mobile or handheld devices, including mobile and smartphones, PDAs, portable gaming devices, MP3 players and ebook readers. Please submit your abstracts by 15th December 2008. Click here for more information.

Learning

Pressure ulcers: e-learning to improve classification by nurses and nursing students
D Beeckman, L Schoonhoven, H Boucque, G Van Maele, T Defloor
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2008, 17(13), pp1697-1707
View abstract

Learning

International e-learning strategies: key findings relevant to the Canadian context
M Charpentier, C Lafrance, G Paquette
May 2008
The Canadian Council of Learning has produced this report to help identify elements of a possible e-learning strategy. The study examines approaches to the development and implementation of e-learning in selected countries and organisations, highlighting existing policies and initiatives, and providing useful insights. Click here to read the full report. The authors also refer to other key documents which may be of interest:

• State of the field review in e-learning
• A review of e-learning in Canada: a rough sketch of the evidence gaps and promising directions

Call for Interest

Call for applications: Learning and teaching innovation grants from JISC
The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) invites institutions to submit funding proposals for projects to undertake work under its Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants Programme. The first deadline for receipt of initial proposals is no later than 12.00 noon on 5 May 2008. Click here for further information.

Call for Interest

Call for expressions of interest: e-Learning Research
The Higher Education Academy has announced that the 2008 e-learning research call is now available and funding to a maximum of £30,000 per project is available for up to 6 successful projects. The themes this year are:

• Using technology to support the learning contract between employers, students, and higher education institutions
• Using technology to support student transition into higher education
• Using technology to support assessment and the delivery of student feedback

For more information and an expression of interest form, please go to the e-learning research observatory page.

Call for papers: The Knowledge Tree e-journal
The Knowledge Tree and the Australian Flexible Learning Framework is calling for contributions relating to current research in learning innovation, with particular focus on successful use of e-learning for learners and within business settings. Closing date for submissions is 9th June 2008 for the July edition and 8th September for the October edition. Click here for more details.

Education

Free white papers on e-learning
Epic is a consultancy providing support for e-learning. They produce a wide range of white papers on all aspects of e-learning, which are constantly added and updated. You need to register to receive copies, but otherwise they are freely available. The full range is available here, and includes:
· Return on investment in e-learning
· Organisational benefits of e-learning
· Leadership and e-learning
· Research and e-learning
· Healthcare and e-learning
· Blogs and e-learning
· M-learning
· iPod-learning
· Personalisation and e-learning

Instruments for evaluating education in evidence based practice
T Shaneyfelt, KD Baum, D Bell, D Feldstein, TK Houston, S Kaatz, C Whelan, M Green
Journal of the American Medical Association, 2006, 296(9), pp1116-1127
View full text

Leadership for learning: a literature study of leadership for learning in clinical practice
HT Allan, PA Smith, M Lorentzon
Journal of Nursing Management, 2008, early online publication
View abstract

Education

Non-formal learning and interprofessional collaboration in health and social care: the influence of the quality of staff interaction on student learning about collaborative behaviour in practice placements
KC Pollard
Learning in Health and Social Care, 2008, 7(1), pp12-26
View abstract

Design considerations for online learning in health and social work education
PM Reeves, TC Reeves
Learning in Health and Social Care, 2008, 7(1), pp46-58
View abstract