Evaluating an Internet-Based Curriculum about Herbs

描述（由申请人提供）： 为了使临床医生能够负责任地为患者提供咨询，迫切需要有关草药和膳食补充剂（H/DS）的循证课程。该项目的长期目标是确定最有效和最高效的方法，为忙碌的卫生专业人员提供有关H/DS和其他主题的基于互联网的课程。我们以前的研究表明，基于互联网的课程提供超过10周是可行的，它提高了临床医生的知识，信心和沟通有关H/DS。该项目解决了在以前的研究中提出的问题，具体来说，它旨在评估基于互联网的课程的两个不同方面的影响H/DS：a）持续时间（一次全部，“大剂量”交付与10周内一次少量，“点滴”交付），和B）通过电子邮件“推”交付课程模块与“拉”交付访问互联网上的模块。该项目将通过北卡罗来纳州西北地区健康教育中心的80,000多名医学博士、护士（RN）、药剂师（PharmDs）、医师助理（Pas）和营养师（RD）的活跃邮件列表招募至少1,500名有执照的卫生专业人员（04年春季N=500人，04年秋季N=1000人）。继续教育（CE）学分将提供给有执照的美国临床医生谁完成前测试和后测试。由于专业特定的CE法规，RN将只在秋季学期招募;因为RN是最大的专业群体，这是秋季样本量大得多的原因。研究设计是一项随机对照试验，比较了四种电子课程交付方法的影响（a。“推注”+“推注”; B，+“推注”+“拉动”; c，“滴注”+“推注”;和d，“滴注”+“拉动”）。所有四个分支的参与者将接受相同的课程（40个自学模块，H/DS上深入的循证互联网网站链接，以及在主持的Listserv讨论组中注册）。三个主要的结果是前到后的课程变化，临床医生的知识，信心和沟通的做法，关于H/DS。预测变量包括人口统计学特征（年龄、性别、职业）和“技术”特征（对互联网技术的使用和态度）。次要成果包括过程评价，如对课程的满意度和个别课程组成部分的使用。这个项目的结果将指导未来基于互联网的继续教育计划，为忙碌的卫生专业人员。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): To enable clinicians to counsel patients responsibly, evidence-based curricula about herbs and dietary supplements (H/DS) are urgently needed. The long-term objective of this project is to determine the most effective and efficient ways to deliver Internet-based curricula on H/DS and other topics to busy health professionals. Our previous research showed that an Internet-based curriculum delivered over 10 weeks was feasible, and it improved clinicians' knowledge, confidence and communication about H/DS. This project addresses questions raised in the previous study; specifically, it aims to assess the impact of two different aspects of the Internet-based curricula about H/DS: a) duration (all at once, "bolus" delivery vs. small amounts at a time over 10 weeks, "drip" delivery), and b) "push" delivery of curricular modules via email vs. "pull" delivery of access to modules on the Internet. The project will recruit at least 1,500 licensed health professionals (N=500 for Spring '04 and N=1000 for Fall '04 semester) through the North Carolina Northwest Area Health Education Center's active mailing list of over 80,000 MDs, Nurses (RNs), Pharmacists (PharmDs), Physician Assistants (Pas) and Dietitians (RDs). Continuing education (CE) credits will be available to licensed American clinicians who complete both the pre-tests and post-tests. Due to profession-specific CE regulations, RNs will only be recruited for the fall semester; because RNs are the largest professional group, this accounts for the substantially larger sample size in fall. The study design is a randomized controlled trial, comparing the impact of four approaches to electronic curriculum delivery (a."bolus" + "push"; b, + "bolus" + "pull"; c, "drip" + "push"; and d, "drip" + "pull") in a two by two factorial design. Participants in all four arms will receive the same curriculum (40 self-instructional modules, links to in-depth, evidence-based Internet sites on H/DS, and enrollment in a moderated Listserv discussion group). The three primary outcomes are pre- to post- curriculum changes in clinicians' knowledge, confidence and communication practices regarding H/DS. Predictor variables include demographic characteristics (age, gender, profession) and "technographic" characteristics, (use of and attitudes toward Internet technology). Secondary outcomes include process evaluations such as satisfaction with the curriculum and use of individual curricular components. Results from this project will guide future internet-based Continuing Education programs for busy health professionals.