Getting it right: the impact of a continuing medical education program on hepatitis B knowledge of Australian primary care providers

BACKGROUND: The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funded the Ontario Lung Association to develop and implement a continuing medical education program to promote implementation of the Canadian asthma guidelines in primary care.OBJECTIVES: To determine baseline knowledge, preferred learning format, satisfaction with the program and reported impact on practice patterns.METHODS: A 3 h workshop was developed that combined didactic presentations and small group case discussions. Outcome measures included a workshop evaluation, baseline assessment of asthma management knowledge and three-month postreflective evaluations.RESULTS: One hundred thirty-seven workshops were delivered to 2783 primary care providers (1313 physicians, 1470 allied health) between September 2002 and March 2005. Of the 2133 participants, 1007 physicians and 1126 allied health professionals submitted workshop evaluations. Most (98%) of the attendees indicated they would recommend the workshop to a colleague. The majority preferred the combination of didactic lecture plus interactive case discussions. A subset of physicians provided consent to use these data for research (n=298 pediatric and 288 adult needs assessments; n=349 postreflective evaluations). Important needs identified included appropriate medication for chronic asthma and development of written action plans. On the postreflective evaluations, 88.7% remained very satisfied, 95.5% reported increased confidence, 91.9% reported an influence on practice and 67.2% reported using a written action plan.CONCLUSIONS: This continuing medical education program addresses identified needs of primary care providers. Participants reported improvements in asthma care, including prescribing practices, use of spirometry and written action plans. Similar programs should be considered as part of multifaceted asthma guidelines dissemination and implementation initiatives in other provinces and nationally.

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Measuring the Impact of a Continuing Medical Education Program on Patient Blood Pressure

Journal of Clinical Hypertension ◽

10.1111/j.1751-7176.2011.00469.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 517-522 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Benjamin T. Allaire ◽

Justin G. Trogdon ◽

Brent M. Egan ◽

Daniel T. Lackland ◽

Dory Masters

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Medical Education ◽

Education Program ◽

Continuing Medical Education ◽

Medical Education Program ◽

The Impact

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Content, Utilization and Impact of a Hematology e-Consultation Service

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v126.23.42.42 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 126 (23) ◽

pp. 42-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karima Khamisa ◽

Adam Fogel ◽

Clare Liddy ◽

Erin Keely ◽

Amir Afkham

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Medical Education ◽

Response Time ◽

Continuing Medical Education ◽

Primary Care Providers ◽

Care Providers ◽

Specialist Care ◽

Face To Face ◽

Course Of Action ◽

Clinical Content

Abstract Background Limited access to specialist care remains a major barrier to health care in Canada. The Champlain BASE (Building Access to Specialists through eConsultation) eConsult service is a secure web-based tool that gives primary care providers (PCPs) expedited access to specialist advice for their patients in Ontario, Canada. Hematology is the third most commonly consulted specialty in the eConsult service, accounting for 8% of all cases. The purpose of this study is to perform an in-depth analysis to describe the types of questions, content, utilization, and impact of hematology eConsults submitted by PCPs. Additionally, the results will inform future continuing medical education activities for PCPs. Methods All Hematology eConsults completed between April 1, 2011 and January 31, 2015 were included. We analyzed and categorized each consultation by: (1) clinical content (up to two per case) using a modification of the International Classification for Primary Care (ICPC-2); and (2) type of questions asked by the PCP based on a validated taxonomy. Other data including PCP designation, time for specialist to complete the eConsult, specialist response time, perceived value of the eConsult by the PCP, and the need for a face-to-face referral following the eConsult was collected in real time via the eConsult service and a survey completed by the initiating PCP at the closure of each eConsult. Results There were a total of 436 Hematology eConsults submitted, 87% from physicians and 13% from Nurse Practitioners. Most cases were answered within 3 days. The most common types of questions being asked pertained to management of hematologic disorders (25%), interpretation of a laboratory test (22%) and appropriate further investigative tests (18%). Common clinical content categories were anemia (22%), neutropenia (13%), high ferritin (11%), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or an abnormal protein electrophoresis (10%) and thrombocytopenia (10%). Two clinical content categories were included in 19% of cases. Self-reported response time by hematologists was under 10 minutes in >75% of cases. Over 66% of cases did not require a face-to-face visit with the specialist following an eConsult; in fact, in 46% of cases an unnecessary referral was avoided. In 4% of cases, a face-to-face consultation was initiated where one was not originally contemplated. PCPs gained new or additional advice for a course of action in 58% of eConsults, and were able to confirm their original course of action in 39% of cases. PCPs rated the value of the eConsult service as ≥4/5 for both themselves and patients in >90% of cases. Impact The hematology eConsult service has significantly increased access to specialist care in a timely manner compared to traditional face-to-face consultations. The service allowed a significant proportion of patients to avoid traditional consultations leading to the potential of cost savings and increased patient safety. Identifying the most common questions and content being asked via the eConsult service will allow for more informed continuing medical education programs for PCPs so that patients can be better served in the primary care setting. Disclosures Khamisa: Amgen: Speakers Bureau.

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The Influence of a Continuing Medical Education Campaign on New Strategies to Improve Appropriate Use of Antibiotics

Journal of Biomedical Education ◽

10.1155/2015/579726 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Brenda A. Bucklin ◽

Ronald S. Gibbs ◽

Carolyn Wieber ◽

Leslie Myers

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Medical Education ◽

Continuing Medical Education ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Primary Care Providers ◽

Dose Effect ◽

Drug Resistant ◽

Care Providers ◽

Appropriate Use ◽

Antibiotic Overuse

Introduction. Widespread use of antibiotics has led to drug-resistant bacteria and reports of drug-resistant infections. A continuing medical education (CME) campaign was used to improve antibiotic use among primary care providers. Methods. The Office of CME and Professional Development at the University of Colorado School of Medicine produces a semiannual, week-long course for primary care providers. A 2-year multifaceted CME campaign consisted of course content on antibiotic use, a practice audit, and two surveys to measure perceptions of the problem of antibiotic overuse, potential barriers to achieving appropriate use, and strategies to overcome barriers. Results. The overall response rate in the 2nd part of the campaign was 68.4%. Sixty-six percent of respondents had implemented at least one strategy to reduce antibiotic overuse. The rate was significantly higher among those who had attended previous reviews (81.0%) compared with those who had attended neither (54%, p=0.0002). However, there was no “dose effect” on the rate of implementing a new strategy. Conclusions. Overuse of antibiotic therapy has important public health implications. Results suggest that mixed interactive and didactic CME program was effective in increasing awareness of antibiotic overuse and strategies for reducing antibiotic administration.

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1114. Identifying and Addressing Knowledge Gaps in Influenza Management with Targeted Continuing Medical Education

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.1300 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S587-S588

Author(s):

Katie Robinson ◽

Jennifer Frederick ◽

Kevin Lester ◽

Robert A Esgro

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

At Risk ◽

Medical Education ◽

Influenza Infection ◽

Primary Care Providers ◽

Care Providers ◽

Knowledge Gaps ◽

Post Test ◽

Baseline Knowledge ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Influenza represents a year-round disease burden. Despite CDC recommendations, providers do not always effectively test for and treat influenza. To address identified knowledge gaps regarding the care of patients with or at-risk for influenza infection, a series of continuing education (CE) initiatives were implemented for distinct specialty audiences, and the impact of the education on provider knowledge was measured. Methods Between July 2018 and June 2020, Vindico Medical Education provided 35 CME programs (19 web, 14 live, and 2 print) targeted primarily to any of 4 specialty audiences – ID specialists, pulmonologists, emergency medicine providers, or primary care providers (PCPs). Baseline knowledge and educational impact were assessed via pre-and post-test, respectively, across 3 primary topics – testing, mechanisms of therapeutic agents, and treatment. Results As of June 1, 2020, 39,677 healthcare providers participated in the education and 19,209 had obtained CE credit. Baseline knowledge was lowest regarding testing (44%) and antiviral mechanisms (43%), particularly among all but the pulmonology specialists. Average post-test scores were highest among pulmonology (85%) and primary care (85%) providers. The average relative increase in knowledge across all topics and specialties was 69%. A total of 17,480 providers who see on average 8.5 patients per month presenting with flu-like symptoms committed to practice improvements, resulting in approximately 150,000 patients per month who are more likely to receive the latest evidence-based care. Moreover, three months following the education, 68% of providers reported implementing practice improvements, including applying the latest clinical guidelines and recommendations. Conclusion As data regarding new options for the treatment of influenza continues to emerge, CE education on these topics will be needed. This study highlights the efficacy of multimodal CE to address knowledge gaps among providers who see patients with or at-risk for influenza infection. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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