The authors rewiew the literature on the current state of training for health professionals to cope with death and dying. They also comment on recent changes in cultural attitudes toward death. Representatives of the helping professions (counselors, teachers, nurses, doctors, clergy, social workers) should be better prepared to help people deal…

As student population decreases so should required courses in health education; to attract and hold students, colleges will have to consider their needs and interests. (JD)

Demographic information relevant to planning for optometric education is examined from three perspectives: changes in the national population, changes within the health professions in general, and changes within optometry. (MSE)

High-impact trends in optometric practice are examined including looks at several different approaches to practice (narrow scope, broad scope, primary care, and specialty practice), alternatives and predictions, and specific curricular recommendations. (MSE)

This article reviews studies of the effectiveness of continuing education in the health professions, notes weaknesses in the continuing education system, and suggests strategies for improving it. (Author/CT)

California Legislature applies regulations and standards of continuing education for those persons licensed in the healing arts. (RB)

National priorities shifted in the 1960's from goods-producing to service -producing activities. Employment demands, which have adapted to this shift, are already influencing the occupational choices of students. A projection of employment demands in terms of national social goals forecasts a need for the adaptation of instructional methods and…

Findings regarding formats and scoring formulas for multiple-choice test items with more than one correct response are presented. Strong cluing effects in the Type K format, increasing the correct score percentage and reducing test reliability, recommend using the Type X format. Alternative scoring methods are discussed. (Author/CM)

Research on the cognitive processes used by physicians during patient care (template matching, deductive logic starting with multiple hypotheses, and algorithmic logic) is examined for its applicability to optometrists and the problem-solving strategies used by optometric students in the classroom or clinic. (Author/MSE)

A national survey of optometry schools (n=10) concerning the status of basic biological science instruction provides insight into manpower, curriculum, learning resources, and budgetary support currently available. Results indicate that major changes must occur and that a national effort will be needed to support them. (Author/MSE)

A review of 47 health care education research articles in 9 medical and health care disciplines looked for evidence that the studies attempted to predict success in the health care professions. Results indicated very few of the studies used any of the three major methods for testing predictive validity. (Author/MSE)

A review of studies in which it was possible to compare results of health profession trainees' self-evaluations with assessment of performance by experts or objective tests found that self-assessment has potential but is poorly used. Effective training to improve validity and accuracy is available. (Author/MSE)

As increasingly diverse dental hygienists treat an increasingly diverse population, education will have to be more flexible than current allied health education. Existing nursing education and practice models are examples of effective educational change. However, alterations should be part of a national plan for change in education and practice.…

The Perfect Eye model simplifies solutions to a wide variety of optometry instructional problems by facilitating student understanding of the interaction among lenses, objects, accommodation, and ametropia. The model is based on the premise that inside every eye is a perfect (emmetropic) eye, and that the physiological eye is a combination of the…