TY - JOUR
T1 - New Approaches to Continuing Medical Education: a QStream (spaced education) Program for Research Translation in Ovarian Cancer
AU - Robinson, Tracy
AU - Janssen, Anna
AU - Kirk, Judy
AU - DeFazio, Ann
AU - Goodwin, Annabel
AU - Tucker, Kathy
AU - Shaw, Timothy
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - Continuing medical education (CME) is challenging
and often has limited impact on clinician behavior or patient
outcomes. This study examined the impact of an online
Qstream education program on senior clinicians to determine
its utility for increasing clinician knowledge about the latest
guidelines regarding genetic assessment and consideration of
genetic testing for women with particular types of ovarian,
fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer. Participants were
recruited into a pilot study that involved responding to casebased
scenarios at spaced and repeated intervals. At the completion
of the program, semi-structured interviews were conducted
to ascertain the impact on their knowledge and referral
behavior. Findings from interviews were subject to thematic
analysis that involved the identification of categories and
themes. Twenty-one participants commenced the program,
seventeen completed and twelve participated in semistructured
interviews. Thematic analysis yielded several
themes including knowledge change, curriculum and format
and changes in referral patterns. A majority of participants
(n=10) agreed the program had helped update their knowledge
about referring women, and eight agreed they would
now change their referral patterns. The use of QStream as an
approach to CME has significant advantages when working
with busy clinicians. QStream has a well accepted format and
most participants indicated it is very appropriate for disseminating
updates to clinical guidelines and protocols. It is important
to supplement CME programs with other implementation
techniques, such as audit and feedback as multifaceted approaches
are more likely to result in behavior change.
AB - Continuing medical education (CME) is challenging
and often has limited impact on clinician behavior or patient
outcomes. This study examined the impact of an online
Qstream education program on senior clinicians to determine
its utility for increasing clinician knowledge about the latest
guidelines regarding genetic assessment and consideration of
genetic testing for women with particular types of ovarian,
fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer. Participants were
recruited into a pilot study that involved responding to casebased
scenarios at spaced and repeated intervals. At the completion
of the program, semi-structured interviews were conducted
to ascertain the impact on their knowledge and referral
behavior. Findings from interviews were subject to thematic
analysis that involved the identification of categories and
themes. Twenty-one participants commenced the program,
seventeen completed and twelve participated in semistructured
interviews. Thematic analysis yielded several
themes including knowledge change, curriculum and format
and changes in referral patterns. A majority of participants
(n=10) agreed the program had helped update their knowledge
about referring women, and eight agreed they would
now change their referral patterns. The use of QStream as an
approach to CME has significant advantages when working
with busy clinicians. QStream has a well accepted format and
most participants indicated it is very appropriate for disseminating
updates to clinical guidelines and protocols. It is important
to supplement CME programs with other implementation
techniques, such as audit and feedback as multifaceted approaches
are more likely to result in behavior change.
KW - Implementation science . Spaced education .
KW - Practice change
KW - Spaced education
KW - Implementation science
KW - Humans
KW - Translational Medical Research
KW - Male
KW - Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics
KW - Problem-Based Learning
KW - Pilot Projects
KW - Feedback
KW - Curriculum
KW - Female
KW - Interviews as Topic
KW - Genetic Counseling/statistics & numerical data
KW - Education, Medical, Continuing/methods
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84947093640&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/new-approaches-continuing-medical-education-qstream-spaced-education-program-research-translation-ov
U2 - 10.1007/s13187-015-0944-7
DO - 10.1007/s13187-015-0944-7
M3 - Article
SN - 0885-8195
VL - 32
SP - 476
EP - 482
JO - Journal of Cancer Education
JF - Journal of Cancer Education
IS - 3
ER -