Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T00:29:21.361Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of continuing professional education on health care outcomes: lessons for dementia care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2009

Rasika Rampatige ,
David Dunt ,
Colleen Doyle ,
Susan Day  and
Pauline van Dort
Rasika Rampatige
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
David Dunt*
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Colleen Doyle
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Susan Day
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Pauline van Dort
Affiliation:
Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Professor David Dunt, Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Level 4, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Victoria 3010, Australia. Phone: +61 3 834 40663; Fax: +61 3 934 81174. Email: d.dunt@unimelb.edu.au.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: This review presents an overview of the published literature on the effectiveness of continuing professional education (CPE), which includes continuing medical education (CME) of different health care professionals in healthcare settings, for improving patient management and patient outcomes. This review summarizes key articles published on the subject, including those relating to dementia care.

Methods: A literature search was carried out using the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database, Cochrane database and Eric databases.

Results: Studies on CPE generally provide conflicting evidence on their effectiveness in bringing about a change in professional practices and healthcare outcomes. However interactive, multifaceted interventions, and interventions with repeated inputs appear more effective in bringing about positive changes than traditional non-interactive techniques. There are relatively few studies specifically concerning CPE and dementia care.

Conclusion: This review shows that CPE in dementia care needs to be targeted carefully. Much can be learnt from examining education approaches in the wider professional and medical education literature.

Keywords

dementiacontinuing professional development
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 21 , Supplement S1: International perspectives on dementia education, training and knowledge transfer , April 2009 , pp. S34 - S43
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bennett, N. L. et al. (2000). Continuing medical education: a new vision of the professional development of physicians. Academic Medicine, 75, 1167–1172.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bloom, B. S. (2005). Effects of continuing medical education on improving physician clinical care and patient health: a review of systematic reviews. International Journal of Technological Assessment in Health Care, 21, 380–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boise, L. (2006). Improving dementia through physician education: some challenges. Clinical Gerontologist, 29, 3–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byszewski, A. M. et al. (2003). A continuing medical education initiative for Canadian primary care physicians: the driving and dementia toolkit: a pre- and post-evaluation of knowledge, confidence gained, and satisfaction. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 51, 1484–1489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cauffman, J. G. et al. (2002). Randomized controlled trials of continuing medical education: what makes them most effective? Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 22, 214–221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chao, J. (1992). Continuing medical education software: a comparative review. Journal of Family Practitioners, 34, 598–604.Google ScholarPubMed
Cobbs, S. C. (2004). Internet continuing education for healthcare professionals. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 24, 171–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, S. B., Brauner, D., Baron, A. and Sachs, G. (2004). Improving medical care of persons with Alzheimer's disease through clinical teaching: the IMPACT Program. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, 24, 9–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Curran, V. R. and Fleet, L. (2005). A review of evaluation outcomes of web-based continuing medical education. Medical Education, 39, 561–567.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, D. (1998). Does CME work? An analysis of the effect of educational activities on physician performance or healthcare outcomes. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 28, 21–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, D. A., Thomson, M. A., Oxman, A. D. and Haynes, R. B. (1992. Evidence for the effectiveness of CME: a review of 50 randomized controlled trials. JAMA, 268, 1111–1117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, D. A., Thomson, M. A., Oxman, A. D. and Haynes, R. B. (1995). Changing physician performance: a systematic review of the effect of continuing medical education strategies. JAMA, 274, 700–705.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Doumit, G., Gattellari, M., Grimshaw, J. and O'Brien, M. A. (2007). Local opinion leaders: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000125. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000125.pub3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freemantle, N., Harvey, E., Wolf, F., Grimshaw, J., Grilli, R. and Bero, L. (1997). Printed educational materials: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 1997, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000172. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gagliardi, A. (2002). Use of referral reply letters for continuing medical education: a review. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 22, 222–229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gifford, D. R. and Holloway, R. G. (1999). Improving adherence to dementia guidelines through education and opinion leaders. Annals of Internal Medicine, 131, 237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hasselbalch, S. G. et al. (2007). Education and training of European neurologists in dementia. European Journal of Neurology, 14, 505–509.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jamtvedt, G. Y. J., Kristoffersen, D., O'Brien, M. and Oxman, A. (2006). Audit and feedback: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2. Art. No.: CD000259. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000259.pub2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mansouri, M. and Lockyer, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of continuing medical education effectiveness. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 27, 6–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCabe, M., Davison, T. E. and George, K. (2007). Effectiveness of staff training programs for behavioural problems among older people with dementia. Aging and Mental Health, 11, 505–519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mittman, B. S. (2005). Improving quality of dementia care: the role of education. Clinical Gerontology, 29, 61–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Brien, M. A. et al. (1997). Educational outreach visits: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 4. Art. No.: CD000409. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000409.pub2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Brien, M. A., Freemantle, N., Oxman, A. D., Wolf, F., Davis, D. A. and Herrin, J. (2001). Continuing education meetings and workshops: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1. Art. No.: CD003030. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003030.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oxman, A. D., Thomson, M. A., Davis, D. A. and Haynes, R. B. (1995). No magic bullets: a systematic review of 102 trials of interventions to improve professional practice. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 153, 1423–1431.Google ScholarPubMed
Pereles, L., Lockyer, J., Ryan, D., Davis, D., Spivak, B. and Robinson, B. (2003). The use of the opinion leader in continuing medical education. Medical Teaching, 25, 438–441.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Price, D. (2005). Continuing medical education, quality improvement, and organizational change: implications of recent theories for twenty-first-century CME. Medical Teaching, 27, 259–268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pulsford, D., Hope, K. and Thompson, R. (2007). Higher education provision for professionals working with people with dementia: a scoping exercise. Nurse Education Today, 27, 5–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smits, P. B., Verbeek, J. H. and de Buisonje, C. D. (2002). Problem-based learning in continuing medical education: a review of controlled evaluation studies. BMJ, 324, 153–156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sohn, W., Ismail, I. A. and Tellez, M. (2004). Efficacy of educational interventions targeting primary care providers' practice behaviors: an overview of published systematic reviews. Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 64, 164–172.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, D. C. et al. (2006). Continuing medical education, continuing professional development, and knowledge translation: improving care of older patients by practicing physicians. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 54, 1610–1618.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tian, J., Atkinson, N. L., Portnoy, B. and Gold, R. S. (2007). A systematic review of evaluation in formal continuing medical education. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 27, 16–27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tu, K. and Davis, D. (2002). Can we alter physician behavior by educational methods? Lessons learned from studies of the management and follow-up of hypertension. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 22, 11–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vysohlid, J. and Walton, H. J. (1990). Development of continuing medical education in Europe: a review. Medical Education, 24, 406–412.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waldorff, F. B., Almind, G., Marjukka, M., Møller, S. and Waldemar, G. (2003). Implementation of a clinical dementia guideline. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 21, 142–147.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wutoh, R., Boren, S. A. and Balas, E. A. (2004). eLearning: a review of internet-based continuing medical education. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 24, 20–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed