Artemis Diamantouros1, Romina Marchesano2, William H Geerts3, Peter Pennefather4, Merrick Zwarenstein5, Zubin Austin6. 1. Department of Pharmacy, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M4N 3M5; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3M2. Electronic address: artemis.diamantouros@sunnybrook.ca. 2. Department of Pharmacy, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M4N 3M5. Electronic address: romina.marchesano@sunnybrook.ca. 3. Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M4N 3M5. Electronic address: William.geerts@sunnybrook.ca. 4. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3M2. Electronic address: p.pennefather@utoronto.ca. 5. Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, The Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine, 2nd Floor, London, ON, Canada, N6A 3K7. Electronic address: Merrick.Zwarenstein@schulich.uwo.ca. 6. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3M2. Electronic address: zubin.austin@utoronto.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A continuing education (CE) course in thrombosis management for pharmacists was developed through the Office of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at the University of Toronto to address pharmacists' needs for the knowledge and skills to provide care to patients receiving anticoagulants. This article describes the development of the course as well as the evaluation designed to assess its impact on pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and changes in practice. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: A three-day course was developed. Outcomes were evaluated using a feedback questionnaire, pre- and post-session quizzes and semi-structured interviews conducted six months after course completion. Participant satisfaction, knowledge acquisition and perceived change in knowledge, skills and practice were evaluated. FINDINGS: Thirty-seven pharmacists enrolled in the program, 21 of whom participated in a semi-structured interview. More than 90% reported that the program exceeded their expectations. Pharmacists' knowledge in thrombosis care improved significantly after each day of the course. Participants felt the greatest benefits of the program were increases in knowledge and confidence and the opportunity to network. The case-based discussions and practical tips gained from experts and peers were highly ranked. Participants strongly agreed that they were applying what they learned in the course to clinical practice, and they provided numerous examples of how their practice changed because of the program. DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY: The development of this CE course demonstrates application of best practices in continuing education. The evaluation of the program suggests that a CE course in thrombosis improves pharmacist knowledge, confidence and ability to incorporate what was learned into practice. This course design and evaluation can serve as a model for other CE courses for pharmacists as this field continues to grow and encourages thoughtful use of theoretical principles and well-designed evaluation for continual improvement of CE.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A continuing education (CE) course in thrombosis management for pharmacists was developed through the Office of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at the University of Toronto to address pharmacists' needs for the knowledge and skills to provide care to patients receiving anticoagulants. This article describes the development of the course as well as the evaluation designed to assess its impact on pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and changes in practice. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: A three-day course was developed. Outcomes were evaluated using a feedback questionnaire, pre- and post-session quizzes and semi-structured interviews conducted six months after course completion. Participant satisfaction, knowledge acquisition and perceived change in knowledge, skills and practice were evaluated. FINDINGS: Thirty-seven pharmacists enrolled in the program, 21 of whom participated in a semi-structured interview. More than 90% reported that the program exceeded their expectations. Pharmacists' knowledge in thrombosis care improved significantly after each day of the course. Participants felt the greatest benefits of the program were increases in knowledge and confidence and the opportunity to network. The case-based discussions and practical tips gained from experts and peers were highly ranked. Participants strongly agreed that they were applying what they learned in the course to clinical practice, and they provided numerous examples of how their practice changed because of the program. DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY: The development of this CE course demonstrates application of best practices in continuing education. The evaluation of the program suggests that a CE course in thrombosis improves pharmacist knowledge, confidence and ability to incorporate what was learned into practice. This course design and evaluation can serve as a model for other CE courses for pharmacists as this field continues to grow and encourages thoughtful use of theoretical principles and well-designed evaluation for continual improvement of CE.