JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The treatment landscape for type 2 diabetes (T2D) is continually evolving and ongoing educational activities are essential to ensure that healthcare professionals (HCPs) are able to incorporate recent data and guidelines into their clinical practice. There is growing interest in measuring the impact of educational activities, such as through use of Moore’s framework; however, data on the benefits of continuing medical education (CME) in the management of T2D remain limited.

Objective:

To measure improvements in HCP knowledge, competence, and performance following participation in short, case-based, multidisciplinary online CME activities, and identify remaining educational gaps for HCPs.

Methods:

Two faculty-led, CME-accredited, online educational activities on T2D and obesity, touchIN CONVERSATION and touchMDT (MultiDisciplinary Team), were developed and made available on a free-to-access online medical education website. Each activity comprised three videos lasting approximately 10–15 minutes, which addressed learning objectives that were developed based on a review of published literature and feedback from faculty. Participant satisfaction (Moore’s Level 2) was evaluated using a post-activity questionnaire. For both activities, changes in knowledge (Moore’s Level 3) and competence (Moore’s Level 4) were assessed using questionnaires completed by representative HCPs before or after participation in the activities. A second set of HCPs completed a questionnaire before and after engaging in the activities that assessed changes in self-reported performance (Moore’s Level 5).

Results:

Each activity was viewed by ~6,000 participants within 6 months of launch. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction (>80%) with both activities. Statistically significant improvements from baseline in knowledge and competence were reported following participation in the touchIN CONVERSATION (mean score pre- vs post-activity: 4.36 vs 5.42; P<.001), with the proportion of learners answering at least six out of seven questions correctly increasing from 22% to 60% (n=50). A nonsignificant improvement in knowledge and competence was observed following participation in the touchMDT (mean score: 4.36 vs 4.58; P=.35); however, baseline knowledge and competence was relatively high, with 80% of respondents (n=50) answering at least four out of six questions correctly before the activity. A significant improvement in HCP self-reported performance was observed in a combined analysis of both activities (mean score: 2.65 vs 3.15; P=.03), with the proportion of learners selecting the answer representing the best clinical option for all four questions increasing from 32% to 59% (n=34) after the activity. Several educational unmet needs were self-reported or identified from analysis of incorrectly answered questions.

Conclusions:

Short, case-based, patient-focused, online CME activities designed for HCPs to fit into their clinical schedules, can lead to improvements in knowledge, competence, and self-reported performance in T2D management. The identified ongoing educational needs can be used to inform the content of future education.