Improving clinician confidence and skills: Piloting a web-based learning program for clinicians in supportive care screening of cancer patients

摘要

Lean thinking and quality improvement processes identified a need to develop and implement a short concise web-based program for clinicians to increase their confidence and skills in supportive care screening of cancer patients. An independent pretest-posttest design evaluated the program which consisted of three modules, a self-directed learning quiz, and multimedia. Questionnaires were completed anonymously via SurveyMonkey?. There was an increase in mean scores from pre- to post-program in perceived knowledge (pre M∈=∈1.97 SD∈=∈.847; post M∈=∈3.05 SD∈=∈.486; 3 months M∈=∈2.72 SD∈=∈.575), educational preparedness (pre M∈=∈2.33 SD∈=∈.957; post M∈=∈3.45 SD∈=∈.510; 3 months M∈=∈3.05 SD∈=∈.486), and confidence (pre M∈=∈2.39 SD∈=∈.998; post M∈=∈3.32 SD∈=∈.646; 3 months M∈=∈3.28 SD∈=∈.826), indicating improvement in readiness to implement supportive care screening. The number of participants using the tool increased from 57.57 % pre-program to 77.78 % 3 months post-program. Overall, participants agreed that screening elicited more patient information (post M∈=∈3.82 SD∈=∈1.006; 3 months M∈=∈3.83 SD∈=∈.786) and would assist in addressing patients' supportive care needs (post M∈=∈4.00 SD.926; 3 months M∈=∈3.94 SD∈=∈.998). It was unclear whether they had made more appropriate referrals as a result of their participation in the program (post M∈=∈3.29 SD∈=∈1.102; 3 months M∈=∈3.11 SD∈=∈.963). The majority of participants agreed that the web-based program provided the required information to implement supportive care screening (post M∈=∈3.83 SD∈=∈1.032; 3 months M∈=∈3.61 SD∈=∈.702), and that the quiz helped their learning (post M∈=∈3.68 SD∈=∈1.041; 3 months M∈=∈3.65 SD∈=∈.702). This pilot indicates that provision of a short concise web-based program may improve clinicians' confidence and skills to implement supportive care screening with cancer patients. A larger matched-group pretest-posttest study is recommended.