Purpose -The current study was conducted to increase our understanding of factors that influence the employability of university graduates. Through the use of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the paper explores the relative importance of 17 factors that influence new graduate employability. Design/methodology/approach -An extensive review of the existing literature was used to identify 17 factors that affect new graduate employability. A two-phase, mixed-methods study was conducted to examine: Phase One, whether these 17 factors could be combined into five categories; and Phase Two, the relative importance that employers place on these factors. Phase One involved interviewing 30 employers, and Phase Two consisted of an empirical examination with an additional 115 employers. Findings -Results from both the qualitative and quantitative phases of the current study demonstrated that 17 employability factors can be clustered into five higher-order composite categories. In addition, findings illustrate that, when hiring new graduates, employers place the highest importance on soft-skills and the lowest importance on academic reputation. Research limitations/implications -The sectors in which employers operated were not completely representative of their geographical region. Practical implications -The findings suggest that, in order to increase new graduates' employability, university programmes and courses should focus on learning outcomes linked to the development of soft-skills. In addition, when applying for jobs, university graduates should highlight their soft-skills and problem-solving skills. Originality/value -This study contributes to the body of knowledge on the employability of university graduates by empirically examining the relative importance of five categories of employability factors that recruiters evaluate when selecting new graduates. Soft-skillsRecently, educational researchers and employers have placed increasing attention on the importance of soft-skills (Chamorro-Premuzic et al., 2010). While discipline-specific 683 Factors affecting undergraduate employability ET 55,7 Factor Literature support Interview support Scope Written communication skills Gardner et al. (2005), Ariana (2010), Graham et al. (2010) 21/30 Being able to communicate effectively through writing is the main form of communication in our society and is a valued skill that increases employability opportunities (Graham et al., 2010; Gardner et al., 2005). In the current study, we used written communication as a factor employers consider when hiring new graduates because it is a tangible skill that can be effectively evaluated Verbal communication skills Gardner et al. (2005), Gray (2010) 25/30 To communicate effectively, graduates entering the workforce need to meet high standards of oral communication (Gray, 2010). New graduates that can communicate

Objective-The present research examined the relation of psychiatric disorders to tobacco dependence and cessation outcomes.Method-Data were collected from 1504 smokers (58.2% women, 83.9% white, 44.67 [SD = 11.08] years old) making an aided smoking cessation attempt as part of a clinical trial. Psychiatric diagnoses were determined using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) structured clinical interview. Tobacco dependence was assessed using the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM).Results-Diagnostic groups included those who were never diagnosed, ever diagnosed (at any time, including in the past year), and those with past-year diagnoses (with or without prior diagnosis). Some diagnostic groups had lower follow-up abstinence rates than did the never diagnosed group (p's < .05). At 8 weeks post-quit, strong associations were found between cessation outcome and both past-year mood disorder and ever-diagnosed anxiety disorder. At 6 months post-quit those ever diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (OR = .72, p = .02) and those ever diagnosed with more than one psychiatric diagnosis (OR = .74, p = .03) had lower abstinence rates. The diagnostic categories did not differ in smoking heaviness or the FTND, but they did differ in dependence motives assessed with the WISDM.Conclusion-Information on recent or lifetime psychiatric disorders may help clinicians gauge relapse risk and may suggest dependence motives that are particularly relevant to affected patients. These findings also illustrate the importance of using multidimensional tobacco dependence assessments.Corresponding Author: Megan E. Piper, Ph.D., Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, 1930 Monroe St., Suite 200, Madison, WI, 53711. Telephone: (608) Smokers are more likely to have a psychiatric disorder than are non-smokers and conversely, individuals with a psychiatric disorder are almost twice as likely to be smokers as individuals without a psychiatric disorder (Grant, Hasin, Chou, Stinson, & Dawson, 2004;Gwynn et al., 2008;Kalman, Morissette, & George, 2005;Lasser et al., 2000;Wiesbeck, Kuhl, Yaldizli, & Wurst, 2008). As a group, smokers with psychiatric disorders consume a disproportionate number of cigarettes (Grant et al., 2004) and some data show that smokers with psychiatric disorders are less likely to quit smoking than are other smokers (Covey, 2000;Glassman, 1993;Glassman et al., 1990;Haas, Munoz, Humfleet, Reus, & Hall, 2004). These observations raise questions about whether psychiatric disorders are associated with severity or type of tobacco dependence. However, little is known about whether smokers with psychiatric disorders differ from other smokers (those without psychiatric comorbidity) in terms of the nature of their tobacco dependence.Given that individuals with psychiatric disorders constitute such a large portion of the smoker population (in one study 62% of smokers seeking treatment had a history of psychiatric disorders; Keu...

Internet interventions for smoking cessation are ubiquitous. Yet, to date, there are few randomized clinical trials that gauge their efficacy. This study is a randomized clinical trial (N= 284, n= 140 in the treatment group, n= 144 in the control group) of an Internet smoking cessation intervention. Smokers were randomly assigned to receive either bupropion plus counseling alone, or bupropion and counseling in addition to 12 weeks of access to the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System for Smoking Cessation and Relapse Prevention (CHESS SCRP; a Web site which provided information on smoking cessation as well as support). We found that access to CHESS SCRP was not significantly related to abstinence at the end of the treatment period (OR= 1.13, 95% CI 0.66-2.62) or at 6 months postquit (OR= 1.48, 95% CI 0.66-2.62). However, the number of times participants used CHESS SCRP per week was related to abstinence at both end of treatment (OR= 1.79, 95% CI 1.25-2.56) and at the 6-month follow-up (OR= 1.59, 95% CI 1.06-2.38). Participants with access to CHESS SCRP logged in an average of 33.64 times (SD=30.76) over the 90-day period of access. Rates of CHESS SCRP use did not differ by ethnicity, level of education or gender (all p>.05). In sum, results suggest that participants used CHESS SCRP frequently, CHESS SCRP use was related to success, but the effects in general did not yield intergroup effects.

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BackgroundBuprenorphine is under-utilized in treating opioid addiction. Payers and providers both have substantial influence over the adoption and use of this medication to enhance recovery. Their views could provide insights into the barriers and facilitators in buprenorphine adoption.MethodsWe conducted individual interviews with 18 Ohio county Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Boards (payers) and 36 addiction treatment centers (providers) to examine barriers and facilitators to buprenorphine use. Transcripts were reviewed, coded, and qualitatively analyzed. First, we examined reasons that county boards supported buprenorphine use. A second analysis compared county boards and addiction treatment providers on perceived barriers and facilitators to buprenorphine use. The final analysis compared county boards with low and high use of buprenorphine to determine how facilitators and barriers differed between those settings.ResultsCounty boards (payers) promoted buprenorphine use to improve clinical care, reduce opioid overdose deaths, and prepare providers for participation in integrated models of health care delivery with primary care clinics and hospitals. Providers and payers shared many of the same perceptions of facilitators and barriers to buprenorphine use. Common facilitators identified were knowledge of buprenorphine benefits, funds allocated to purchase buprenorphine, and support from the criminal justice system. Common barriers were negative attitudes toward use of agonist pharmacotherapy, payment environment, and physician prescribing capacity. County boards with low buprenorphine use rates cited negative attitudes toward use of agonist medication as a primary barrier. County boards with high rates of buprenorphine use dedicated funds to purchase buprenorphine in spite of concerns about limited physician prescribing capacity.ConclusionsThis qualitative analysis found that attitudes toward use of medication and medication funding environment play important roles in an organization’s decision to begin buprenorphine use and that physician availability influences an organization’s ability to expand buprenorphine use over time.Additional education, reimbursement support, and policy changes are needed to support buprenorphine adoption and use, along with a greater understanding of the roles payers, providers, and regulators play in the adoption of targeted practices.

Objective The study sought to determine whether interoperable, electronic health record–based referral (eReferral) produces higher rates of referral and connection to a state tobacco quitline than does fax-based referral, thus addressing low rates of smoking treatment delivery in health care. Materials and Methods Twenty-three primary care clinics from 2 healthcare systems (A and B) in Wisconsin were randomized, unblinded, over 2016-2017, to 2 smoking treatment referral methods: paper-based fax-to-quit (system A =6, system B = 6) or electronic (eReferral; system A = 5, system B = 6). Both methods referred adult patients who smoked to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quitline. A total of 14 636 smokers were seen in the 2 systems (system A: 54.5% women, mean age 48.2 years; system B: 53.8% women, mean age 50.2 years). Results Clinics with eReferral, vs fax-to-quit, referred a higher percentage of adult smokers to the quitline: system A clinic referral rate = 17.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.2%-18.5%) vs 3.8% (95% CI, 3.5%-4.2%) (P < .001); system B clinic referral rate = 18.9% (95% CI, 18.3%-19.6%) vs 5.2% (95% CI, 4.9%-5.6%) (P < .001). Average rates of quitline connection were higher in eReferral than F2Q clinics: system A = 5.4% (95% CI, 5.0%-5.8%) vs 1.3% (95% CI, 1.1%-1.5%) (P < .001); system B = 5.3% (95% CI, 5.0%-5.7%) vs 2.0% (95% CI, 1.8%-2.2%) (P < .001). Discussion Electronic health record–based eReferral provided an effective, closed-loop, interoperable means of referring patients who smoke to telephone quitline services, producing referral rates 3-4 times higher than the current standard of care (fax referral), including especially high rates of referral of underserved individuals. Conclusions eReferral may help address the challenge of providing smokers with treatment for tobacco use during busy primary care visits. ClinicalTrials.gov; No. NCT02735382.

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BackgroundImproving the extent to which evidence-based practices (EBPs)—treatments that have been empirically shown to be efficacious or effective—are integrated within routine practice is a well-documented challenge across numerous areas of health. In 2014, the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded a type 2 effectiveness–implementation hybrid trial titled the substance abuse treatment to HIV Care (SAT2HIV) Project. Aim 1 of the SAT2HIV Project tests the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing-based brief intervention (MIBI) for substance use as an adjunct to usual care within AIDS service organizations (ASOs) as part of its MIBI Experiment. Aim 2 of the SAT2HIV Project tests the effectiveness of implementation and sustainment facilitation (ISF) as an adjunct to the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) model for training staff in motivational interviewing as part of its ISF Experiment. The current paper describes the study protocol for the ISF Experiment. Methods Using a cluster randomized design, case management and leadership staff from 39 ASOs across the United States were randomized to receive either the ATTC strategy (control condition) or the ATTC + ISF strategy (experimental condition). The ATTC strategy is staff-focused and includes 10 discrete strategies (e.g., provide centralized technical assistance, conduct educational meetings, provide ongoing consultation). The ISF strategy is organization-focused and includes seven discrete strategies (e.g., use an implementation advisor, organize implementation team meetings, conduct cyclical small tests of change). Building upon the exploration–preparation–implementation–sustainment (EPIS) framework, the effectiveness of the ISF strategy is examined via three staff-level measures: (1) time-to-proficiency (i.e., preparation phase outcome), (2) implementation effectiveness (i.e., implementation phase outcome), and (3) level of sustainment (i.e., sustainment phase outcome). DiscussionAlthough not without limitations, the ISF experiment has several strengths: a highly rigorous design (randomized, hypothesis-driven), high-need setting (ASOs), large sample size (39 ASOs), large geographic representation (23 states and the District of Columbia), and testing along multiple phases of the EPIS continuum (preparation, implementation, and sustainment). Thus, study findings will significantly improve generalizable knowledge regarding the best preparation, implementation, and sustainment strategies for advancing EBPs along the EPIS continuum. Moreover, increasing ASO’s capacity to address substance use may improve the HIV Care Continuum. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03120598.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13722-017-0096-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.