JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Online learning activities are key components of continuing medical education (CME) for healthcare professionals (HCPs). However, published outcomes of online educational interventions in early breast cancer (EBC) are limited.

Objective:

The objectives of this study were to objectively assess knowledge, competence and performance among HCPs following participation in two EBC-focused CME activities, and to identify remaining educational gaps.

Methods:

We developed two CME-accredited, online educational activities addressing high-risk EBC: (1) integration of shared decision making (SDM) to optimize patient care (touchMDT); (2) stratification for early identification of high-risk patients and novel treatment strategies (touchPANEL DISCUSSION). Knowledge, competence and performance were assessed pre- and postactivity against Moore’s expanded outcomes framework (Levels 1–5), using self-reported questionnaires and an analysis of anonymized data extracted from patient records.

Results:

Six months after the launch of the activity, 7,047 and 8,989 HCP participants had engaged with the touchMDT and touchPANEL DISCUSSION, respectively. Overall satisfaction was 82% (20.6/25) for the touchMDT and 88% (21.9/25) for the touchPANEL DISCUSSION. For the evaluation of knowledge and competence (N=50 respondents preactivity; N=50 learners postactivity), there was a significant increase in the mean number of correctly answered questions from pre- to postactivity: median (IQR): 4.0 (3.0–5.0) to 5.5 (4.0–7.0), mean (standard deviation, SD): 4.00 (1.39) to 5.30 (1.56) for the touchMDT; median (IQR): 4.0 (4.0–5.0) to 6.0 (5.0–7.0); mean (SD): 4.32 (1.30) to 5.88 (1.49) for the touchPANEL DISCUSSION (both P<.001). Significant improvement in self-reported performance (N=50 respondents preactivity; N=50 learners postactivity) was observed in a combined analysis of both activities (median [IQR]: 3.0 [2.0–3.0] to 4.0 [3.0–5.0]; mean [SD]: 2.82 [1.08] to 4.16 [1.45];(P<.001). Patient record analysis (N=50 respondents preactivity; N=50 learners postactivity) showed that HCPs use a range of measures to determine EBC recurrence risk and revealed no significant differences in adjuvant therapies used pre- versus postactivity. Remaining educational gaps include strategies for implementing SDM in clinical practice and use of genetic and biomarker testing to guide treatment selection.

Conclusions:

Brief, online CME activities on EBC were associated with an improvement in HCP knowledge, competence and self-reported performance, and can help identify unmet needs to inform the design of future CME activities.