ObjectiveTo investigate demographic and clinical factors associated with employment in MS.MethodsThe study included 213 (89.9%) of all MS patients in Sogn and Fjordane County, Western Norway at December 31st 2010. The patients underwent clinical evaluation, structured interviews and completed self-reported questionnaires. Demographic and clinical factors were compared between patients being employed versus patients being unemployed and according to disease course of MS. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors independently associated with current employment.ResultsAfter a mean disease duration of almost 19 years, 45% of the population was currently full-time or part- time employed. Patients with relapsing –remitting MS (RRMS) had higher employment rate than patients with secondary (SPMS) and primary progressive (PPMS). Higher educated MS patients with lower age at onset, shorter disease duration, less severe disability and less fatigue were most likely to be employed.ConclusionsNearly half of all MS patients were still employed after almost two decades of having MS. Lower age at onset, shorter disease duration, higher education, less fatigue and less disability were independently associated with current employment. These key clinical and demographic factors are important to understand the reasons to work ability in MS. The findings highlight the need for environmental adjustments at the workplace to accommodate individual ’s needs in order to improve working ability among MS patients.

Aim This study's aim was to improve our understanding of the impact of pre‐round meetings before ward rounds on hospital wards. Design Qualitative study. Method Focus group interviews were conducted with nurses and doctors. Results Participants reported that pre‐round meetings provide opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation and have a positive impact on the quality of treatment and care. These meetings offer a forum for health professionals to develop a shared understanding and to convey congruent information to the patient. However, there may be reasons for omitting the pre‐round meetings before ward rounds on wards with acute admissions and high patient turnover. Continuity of those attending the meetings and attendance by consultants are needed for timely decision‐making and hence, successful pre‐round meetings. If health trusts establish systems promoting successful pre‐round meetings, the quality of treatment received by patients has potential for improvement.

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In today’s world, education in higher education institutions needs to use digital technologies to reach students without them being in the same room as the teacher. The “classical lecture”, with a teacher talking and writing on a blackboard interacting with students, has been in many ways exchanged with different digital or hybrid solutions. On one hand, it allows teachers to challenge their practices and try new ways of engaging students to learn, but on the other hand, it can be challenging to master different digital solutions in a way that ensures a clear message for the students. When the whole world went into lockdown, the education at all levels needed to emergency transform learning in classrooms to learning through digital platforms. New structures had to be made, new routines, and new approaches. For some subjects it was not enough to move from sitting in a lecture room to sitting in front of a computer, it was necessary to develop solutions for presenting different programs or motivating students to be active, even if they were without a camera or microphone. Some teachers needed a blackboard to write and draw on while they talk, others needed to change between different programs to show different representations or purposes. In some cases, the digital lectures were synchronous, with teachers and students meeting at the same time to discuss a topic both in small and big groups, other times the digital lectures were asynchronous to give the students more time to prepare themselves and to activate their learning by giving them a responsibility to study individually (self-study). After few months of trying different solutions, the teachers from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) and Volda University College (HVO) have investigated the student’s views on the different solutions they have experienced. The students were asked to answer an anonymous questionnaire of their opinion, views, and experiences with different digital solutions. The results were categorized and analyzed to select some tools or approaches that most of the students found either better or worse for their learning.