Information resource preferences by general pediatricians in office settings: a qualitative study

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency: Knowledge and Information Needs Among Healthcare Providers

BACKGROUND

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a group of life-threatening genetic disorders responsible for severe dysfunctions of the immune system. Despite the expansion of newborn screening in the U.S., there are gaps in healthcare providers' knowledge of SCID.

METHODS

We recruited 277 U.S. healthcare providers for an online survey. The survey assessed providers' experience with SCID patients, knowledge about SCID, and needs and preferred formats for SCID-related informational resources. We examined differences between providers who have seen 2 or more patients with SCID (SCID provider group) and those who have seen 0-1 SCID patients (non-SCID provider group).

RESULTS

Overall, 210 (75.8%) providers were included in the non-SCID provider group, and 121 (57.6%) of these providers were pediatricians. Compared to the SCID provider group, non-SCID provider group reported lower mean rating of SCID knowledge (x̄ = 4.8 vs. x̄ = 8.6, p < 0.0001) and higher informational needs. The largest informational needs identified by the non-SCID provider group were "understanding specific type of SCID" and "understanding what to expect across the lifespan." In the SCID provider group, the highest rated informational need was "family support referrals." Participants in the non-SCID provider group identified scientific publications and websites as preferred formats, with some variation between medical specialties.

CONCLUSION

Based on their experience with treating SCID patients, providers have varying levels of SCID knowledge and different informational needs. For providers who have encountered few SCID patients, informational needs start early, usually immediately after receiving a positive newborn screening result. These findings provide useful direction for the development and preferred outlets for receiving SCID-related information, with some variations between different types of providers. Results from this study will serve as a guide for creating relevant and accessible SCID resources for providers who can utilize them to improve care for SCID patients.

Using scenario-based training to promote information literacy among on-call consultant pediatricians

Background

Traditionally, teaching hospital staff to search for medical information relies heavily on educator-defined search methods. In contrast, the authors describe our experiences using real-time scenarios to teach on-call consultant pediatricians information literacy skills as part of a two-year continuing professional development program.

Case Presentation

Two information-searching workshops were held at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. During the workshops, pediatricians were presented with medical scenarios that were closely related to their clinical practice. Participants were initially encouraged to solve the problems using their own preferred search methods, followed by group discussions led by clinical educators and a medical librarian in which search problems were identified and overcome. The workshops were evaluated using questionnaires to assess participant satisfaction and the extent to which participants intended to implement changes in their clinical practice and reported actual change.

Conclusions

A scenario-based approach to teaching clinicians how to search for medical information is an attractive alternative to traditional lectures. The relevance of such an approach was supported by a high level of participant engagement during the workshops and high scores for participant satisfaction, intended changes to clinical practice, and reported benefits in actual clinical practice.

Advancing the application of systems thinking in health: advice seeking behavior among primary health care physicians in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Using measles and tuberculosis as case examples, with a systems thinking approach, this study examines the human advice-seeking behavior of primary health care (PHC) physicians in a rural district of Pakistan. This study analyzes the degree to which the existing PHC system supports their access to human advice, and explores in what ways this system might be strengthened to better meet provider needs.

METHODS

The study was conducted in a rural district of Pakistan and, with a cross-sectional study design, it employed a range of research methods, namely extensive document review for mapping existing information systems, social network analysis of physicians' advice-seeking practice, and key stakeholder interviews for an in-depth understanding of the experience of physicians. Illustrations were prepared for information flow mechanism, sociographs were generated for analyzing social networks, and content analysis of qualitative findings was carried out for in-depth interpretation of underlying meanings.

RESULTS

The findings of this study reveal that non-availability of competent supervisory staff, a focus on improving performance indicators rather than clinical guidance, and a lack of a functional referral system have collectively created an environment in which PHC physicians have developed their own strategies to overcome these constraints. They are well aware of the human expertise available within and outside the district. However, their advice-seeking behavior was dependent upon existence of informal social interaction with the senior specialists. Despite the limitations of the system, the physicians proactively used their professional linkages to seek advice and also to refer patients to the referral center based on their experience and the facilities that they trusted.

CONCLUSIONS

The absence of functional referral systems, limited effective linkages between PHC and higher levels of care, and a focus on programmatic targets rather than clinical care have each contributed to the isolation of physicians and reactive information seeking behavior. The study findings underscore the need for a functional information system comprising context sensitive knowledge management and translation opportunities for physicians working in PHC centers. Such an information system needs to link people and resources in ways that transcend geography and discipline, and that builds on existing expertise, interpersonal relationships, and trust.

Knowledge flow and exchange in interdisciplinary primary health care teams (PHCTs): an exploratory study

OBJECTIVE

Improving the process of evidence-based practice in primary health care requires an understanding of information exchange among colleagues. This study explored how clinically oriented research knowledge flows through multidisciplinary primary health care teams (PHCTs) and influences clinical decisions.

METHODS

This was an exploratory mixed-methods study with members of six PHCTs in Ontario, Canada. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed with social network analysis (SNA) using UCINet. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed with content analysis procedures using NVivo8.

RESULTS

It was found that obtaining research knowledge was perceived to be a shared responsibility among team members, whereas its application in patient care was seen as the responsibility of the team leader, usually the senior physician. PHCT members acknowledged the need for resources for information access, synthesis, interpretation, or management.

CONCLUSION

Information sharing in interdisciplinary teams is a complex and multifaceted process. Specific interventions need to be improved such as formalizing modes of communication, better organizing knowledge-sharing activities, and improving the active use of allied health professionals. Despite movement toward team-based models, senior physicians are often gatekeepers of uptake of new evidence and changes in practice.

The information needs and media preferences of Canadian cancer specialists regarding breast cancer treatment related arm morbidity

The information needs and media preferences of Canadian cancer specialists regarding breast cancer treatment related arm morbidity. Breast cancer treatment related arm morbidity is a common but pernicious condition that is under-recognised, under-diagnosed, and can result in long-term impairment and disability. Despite the prevalence of this condition, little is known about breast cancer specialists' information needs and media preferences around this issue. In-depth telephone interviews with 14 Canadian cancer specialists were conducted, and were coded and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Findings revealed that cancer specialists were open to receiving all types of information about treatment related arm morbidity, and have preferences for particular types of media formats. However, barriers that could problematise the uptake of research findings into clinical practice were also noted and included gaps in specialists' knowledge of the complex nature of treatment related lymphoedema. Hence providing specialists with summary information about arm morbidity will not suffice, and an educational campaign around this condition, including the importance of physician vigilance in regularly monitoring patients for early and latent indications of this morbidity may be necessary.

Assessing the reliability of an automated dose-rounding algorithm

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric dose rounding is a unique and complex process whose complexity is rarely supported by e-prescribing systems, though amenable to automation and deployment from a central service provider. The goal of this project was to validate an automated dose-rounding algorithm for pediatric dose rounding.

METHODS

We developed a dose-rounding algorithm, STEPSTools, based on expert consensus about the rounding process and knowledge about the therapeutic/toxic window for each medication. We then used a 60% subsample of electronically-generated prescriptions from one academic medical center to further refine the web services. Once all issues were resolved, we used the remaining 40% of the prescriptions as a test sample and assessed the degree of concordance between automatically calculated optimal doses and the doses in the test sample. Cases with discrepant doses were compiled in a survey and assessed by pediatricians from two academic centers. The response rate for the survey was 25%.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine test cases were tested for concordance. For 20 cases, STEPSTools was unable to provide a recommended dose. The dose recommendation provided by STEPSTools was identical to that of the test prescription for 31 cases. For 14 out of the 24 discrepant cases included in the survey, respondents significantly preferred STEPSTools recommendations (p<0.05, binomial test). Overall, when combined with the data from all test cases, STEPSTools either matched or exceeded the performance of the test cases in 45/59 (76%) of the cases. The majority of other cases were challenged by the need to provide an extremely small dose. We estimated that with the addition of two dose-selection rules, STEPSTools would achieve an overall performance of 82% or higher.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this pilot study suggest that automated dose rounding is a feasible mechanism for providing guidance to e-prescribing systems. These results also demonstrate the need for validating decision-support systems to support targeted and iterative improvement in performance.

Use of the internet by Italian pediatricians: habits, impact on clinical practice and expectations

BACKGROUND

Medical professionals go online for literature searches and communication with families.We administered a questionnaire to members of the Italian Society of Pediatrics to assess determinants of their use of the Internet, of social platforms and of personal health records during clinical practice.

METHODS

All the 9180 members of the Italian Society of Pediatrics were invited to fill in a questionnaire concerning use of the Internet and usefulness of Internet-based tools during clinical practice. The questionnaire was administered through the SurveyMonkey® web platform. Logistic regression analysis was used to study factors affecting use and influence of the Internet in clinical practice.

RESULTS

A total of 1335 (14.5%) members returned the questionnaire. Mean age was 49.2 years, 58.6% were female. 32.3% had access to the Internet through a Smartphone. 71.9% of respondents used the Internet during clinical practice, mainly searching for guidelines and drug references. Use of the Internet during clinical practice was more frequent among younger pediatricians (OR 0.964; 95% CI 0.591-0.978), males (OR 1.602; 95% CI 1.209-2.123) and those living in Northern and Central Italy (OR 1.441; 95% CI 1.111-1.869), while it was lower among family pediatricians. 94.6% of respondents were influenced in their clinical practice by information found on the Internet, in particular younger pediatricians (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.932-0.989), hospital pediatricians (OR 2.929, 95% CI 1.708-5.024), and other pediatric profiles (OR 6.143, 95%CI 1.848-20.423). 15.9% of respondents stated that social networks may be useful in pediatric practice. Slightly more than half (50.5%) of respondents stated that personal health records may be clinically relevant. Registrars and hospital pediatricians were more likely to perceive personal health records as useful tools for clinical practice. Additional resources pediatricians would like to access were free bibliographic databases and tools for interacting with families.

CONCLUSIONS

Italian pediatricians frequently use the Internet during their practice. One-third of them access the Internet through a Smartphone. Interaction with families and their empowerment can be improved by the use of Internet tools, including personal health records, toward which respondents show a significant interest. Though, they show a general resistance to the introduction of social networks in clinical practice.

Automated dose-rounding recommendations for pediatric medications

BACKGROUND

Although pediatric electronic prescribing systems are increasingly being used in pediatric care, many of these systems lack the clinical decision-support infrastructure needed to calculate a safe and effective rounded medication dose. This infrastructure is required to facilitate tailoring of established dosing guidance while maintaining the medication's therapeutic intent.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this project was to establish best practices for generating an appropriate medication dose and to create an interoperable rounding knowledge base combining best practices and dose-rounding information.

METHODS

We interviewed 19 pediatric health care and pediatric pharmacy experts and conducted a literature review. After using these data to construct initial rounding tolerances, we used a Delphi process to achieve consensus about the rounding tolerance for each commonly prescribed medication.

RESULTS

Three categories for medication-rounding philosophy emerged from our literature review: (1) medications for which rounding is used judiciously to retain the intended effect; (2) medications that are rounded with attention to potential unintended effects; and (3) medications that are rarely rounded because of the potential for toxicity. We assigned a small subset of medications to a fourth category-inadequate data-for which there was insufficient information to provide rounding recommendations. For all 102 medications, we were able to arrive at a consensus recommendation for rounding a given calculated dose.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this study provide the pediatric information technology community with a primary set of recommended rounding tolerances for commonly prescribed drugs. The interoperable knowledge base developed here can be integrated with existing and developing electronic prescribing systems, potentially improving prescribing safety and reducing cognitive workload.

Information-seeking behavior of basic science researchers: implications for library services

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the information-seeking behaviors of basic science researchers to inform the development of customized library services.

METHODS

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on a sample of basic science researchers employed at a university medical school.

RESULTS

The basic science researchers used a variety of information resources ranging from popular Internet search engines to highly technical databases. They generally relied on basic keyword searching, using the simplest interface of a database or search engine. They were highly collegial, interacting primarily with coworkers in their laboratories and colleagues employed at other institutions. They made little use of traditional library services and instead performed many traditional library functions internally.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the basic science researchers expressed a positive attitude toward the library, they did not view its resources or services as integral to their work. To maximize their use by researchers, library resources must be accessible via departmental websites. Use of library services may be increased by cultivating relationships with key departmental administrative personnel. Despite their self-sufficiency, subjects expressed a desire for centralized information about ongoing research on campus and shared resources, suggesting a role for the library in creating and managing an institutional repository.

A world wide web guide to pediatric infectious diseases

Pediatric infectious disease is a subspecialty constantly evolving in terms of scientific information. A novel means of attaining medical information that has emerged in recent years is the World Wide Web (WWW). The authors sought to assess availability and content of sites offering information on pediatric infectious diseases in the WWW. Websites chosen by two authors were evaluated by a specialist in pediatrics and a specialist in infectious diseases, and a representative list was constructed. A sub-search was performed for immunization-related websites. Websites from national and international institutions focusing on pediatrics in general or pediatric infectious diseases in particular offer ample information for health professionals and parents/public. There is an over-representation of vaccination-related material in the WWW, whereas no sites related to bioterrorism and children were considered as significant for inclusion during the process. Free access to related research remains a controversial issue.

Education format and resource preferences among registrants of a pediatric-focused CME website

BACKGROUND

Despite dramatic increase in Internet-based CME activities, little is known about physician Internet CME preferences.

AIMS

To identify the education format and resource preferences among registrants of a pediatric-focused CME website.

METHODS

Preferences of physician registrants at PedsEducation.org between July 2000-November 2007 (n = 1388) were assessed via survey. A secondary analysis of respondent demographics vs. reported preferences was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 345 physicians participated (25% response rate). The majority (73%, n = 252) identified free CME as a highly important feature of an Internet CME resource; monthly case series was identified as the least important. Seventy-five percent of respondents (n = 260) identified practice guideline updates as a highly useful practice resource; practice feedback was identified as the least useful. Respondents with < or =10 years practice experience were more likely to identify case-based CME as highly useful to their daily practice (p < 0.001); respondents who spend > or = 90% working time on patient care were more likely to identify Internet CME as a highly useful CME format (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Internet CME preferences of PedsEducation.org registrants differ from those typically associated with knowledge gains and behavior changes. Demographic characteristics may influence these preferences.

Communicating genetic information: a difficult challenge for future pediatricians

BACKGROUND

The role of the pediatrician as genetic counselor is ideal because pediatricians have medical knowledge and experience with genetic disorders (e.g. Down syndrome). Moreover, pediatricians can provide comprehensive care in a medical home to patients with genetic disorders. However, changes in the curriculum of the pediatric resident are necessary to address the future challenges of effectively communicating genetic information to patients. The objective of this study was to explore these challenges and make recommendations for training to adequately prepare pediatricians for their future role as genetic counselors.

METHODS

Three reviewers independently searched PubMed, OVID, and Medline databases to identify articles describing the challenges of communicating genetic information to patients, published from 1960 to December 2005. After the publications were identified and reviewed, four major areas of interest were identified in order to categorize the findings.

RESULTS

Twenty-five publications were identified during the literature search. From the review, the following categories were selected to organize the findings: (1) Inherent difficulties of communicating and comprehending genetic information; (2) Comprehension of genetic information by pediatricians; (3) Genetics training in residency programs; and (4) The effect of genetic information on the future role of pediatricians and potential legal implications.

CONCLUSION

Pediatricians and residents lack essential knowledge of genetics and communication skills for effective counseling of patients. The review indicated that successful communication of genetic information involves a number of important skills and considerations. It is likely that these skills and considerations are universally required for the communication of most complex specialized medical information. In the past, communication skills have not been considered a priority. Today, these skills have become a demanding professional and even legal obligation. However, the challenges involved in communicating complex medical information cannot be successfully addressed with universal, one-size-fits-all recommendations. Residency training programs require changes to adequately prepare future pediatricians for the growing challenge of communicating genetic information. Four important skills should be considered in the training of residents to improve the communication of complex information to patients. These skills are (1) discriminating, (2) understanding, (3) simplifying, and (4) explaining information.