Background: Older adults manage increasing numbers of everyday technologies to participate in home and community activities. Purpose: We investigated how assessing use of everyday technologies enhanced predictions of overall needed assistance among urban older adults. Method: We used a cross-sectional design to analyze responses from 114 participants completing the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. We estimated overall needed assistance based on definitions in the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. We created logistic regression models and receiver operator characteristic curves to analyze variables predicting overall needed assistance. Findings: With high specificity and sensitivity, the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment were the strongest predictors of overall needed assistance. Implications: Assessing everyday technology use enhanced predictions of overall needed assistance among urban older adults.
Large-scale genetics education appropriate for general practice providers is a growing priority. We describe the content and impact of a mandatory system-wide program implemented at Sanford Health. Methods: The Imagenetics Initiative at Sanford Health developed a 2-year genetics education program with quarterly web-based modules that were mandatory for all physicians and advanced practice providers. Scores of 0 to 5 were calculated for each module on the basis of the number of objectives that the participants reported as fulfilled. In addition, the participants completed surveys before starting and after finishing the education program, which included a 7-item measure scored 7 to 28 on the perceived preparedness to practice genetics. Results: Between 2252 and 2822 Sanford Health employees completed each of the 8 quarterly education modules. The ratings were highest for the module about using genomics to improve patient management (mean score = 4.3) and lowest for the module about different types of genetic tests and specialists. The mean perceived preparedness scores increased from 15.7 at preeducation to 19.1 at post-education (P < .001). Conclusion: Web-based genetics education was highly effective in increasing health care providers' confidence about using genetics. Both comfort with personal knowledge and confidence regarding access to the system's genomic medicine experts increased significantly. The results demonstrate how scalable approaches can improve provider preparedness.
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