Use of an e-Learning Educational Module to Better Equip Doctors to Prescribe for Older Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial.
Background: The older patient population is significantly different from the younger adult population with regards to dose selection for a wide variety of drugs. Recent investigation of prescribing attitudes indicates that doctors feel there is insufficient distinction made between the two cohorts d...
| Published in: | Drugs & Aging Vol. 34; no. 5; pp. 367 - 375 |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
May2017
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=122727006&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 122727006 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 1170229X C5B jtl: Drugs & Aging issn: 1170229X maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: May2017 vid: 34 iid: 5 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature place: New York, New York artinfo: ui: 122727006 122727006 143986654 122727006 10.1007/s40266-017-0451-0 122727006 ppf: 367 ppct: 8 formats: tig: atl: Use of an e-Learning Educational Module to Better Equip Doctors to Prescribe for Older Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial. aug: au: Cullinan, Shane O'Mahony, Denis Byrne, Stephen affil: RCSI School of Pharmacy , Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , 1st Floor Ardilaun House Block B, 111 St Stephen's Green Dublin 2 Ireland sug: subj: Education, Non-Traditional Physicians Education Drug Therapy Education Education, Medical, Continuing Human Randomized Controlled Trials Prescribing Patterns Knowledge Confidence Prescriptive Authority Outcomes of Education T-Tests Control Group Confidence Intervals Aged Aged: 65+ years ab: Background: The older patient population is significantly different from the younger adult population with regards to dose selection for a wide variety of drugs. Recent investigation of prescribing attitudes indicates that doctors feel there is insufficient distinction made between the two cohorts during their undergraduate education, and that doctors do not receive enough training in geriatric pharmacotherapy. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if an online module, focused on geriatric pharmacotherapy, improves doctors' prescribing knowledge, as well as prescribing confidence, as applied to older patients. Methods: The impact of an online educational module (SCRIPT) on hospital doctors' prescribing knowledge and confidence with regards to older patients was assessed by randomised controlled trial. Control and intervention groups completed assessments at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks. Primary outcome was difference in mean test scores. Student's t tests were used to analyse the data. Qualitative data on participant's confidence levels were also collected. Results: Eighty participants completed the 12-week trial. The SCRIPT intervention resulted in a 22% difference in mean test scores between control and intervention groups at 4 weeks (23.12 marks versus 33.67 marks; p < 0.0001; 95% CI 8.13-12.97). This significance was maintained at 12 weeks. Thirty-four percent of participants in the intervention group rated themselves as 'confident' with regards to prescribing for older patients post-intervention compared with 12% in the control group. Conclusion: A short e-learning module focused on geriatric pharmacotherapy can significantly improve doctors' prescribing knowledge and confidence with regards to older patients. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02405975. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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