August 2006 VIEW on Medical Education Outcomes measurement Integrating Outcomes Studies Into Medical Education CME LLC, Irvine, Calif., is dedicated to providing high-quality, life-long learning opportunities for clinicians through a variety of convenient learning formats. For more information, visit cmellc.com. Marsha Meyer, R.Ph. Senior VP of Clinical Information Perhaps the hottest trend in continuing medical education today is outcomes measurement, which is transforming the way the healthcare industry understands the value of CME and its impact on patient care. For pharmaceutical manufacturers, the biggest supporters of CME, outcomes measurement offers assurance that the education they support improves patient care and has a positive impact on clinicians’ practices. For CME providers, outcomes measurement takes the needs-assessment process one step further to document the effectiveness of education and identify any residual needs. Outcomes Measurement Tools Surveys are the most common data-collection tool used in outcomes measurement. Whether administered online, on paper, or through key pads at meetings, CME providers use surveys to follow up with clinician learners and obtain additional data, usually 30 days to 60 days after the educational program. A critically important tool in evaluating the effectiveness of education is outcomes studies, which should be used selectively and appropriately by CME providers. Pharmaceutical committees overseeing commercial support for education should also be aware of appropriate and inappropriate situations for outcomes measurement. When CME programs address a wide prevalence of misdiagnosis on a particular disease state, outcomes measurement studies with three or four levels are valuable tools for CME providers to understand the impact of their educational programs. Commonly misdiagnosed illnesses can be difficult to identify and clinicians might not be using appropriate screening tools. When CME programs seek to increase use of screening tools or improve clinicians’ ability to diagnose an illness, outcomes measurement studies produce the most complete assessment of the education’s impact on patient care, as well as any ongoing educational needs. In these instances, outcomes measurement has had a tremendous impact on CME and patient care. Another effective use of outcomes measurement studies is when the content of a CME program focuses on side effects for a drug or class of drugs. Used in this way, CME programs can, for example, encourage clinicians to begin monitoring for these side effects. Outcomes measurement can shed light on whether this change took place and help identify residual educational needs in a way that simple pre- or post-tests cannot. The nature of the audience is often an important consideration here. Evaluating the Level of Measurement There are many instances when conducting outcomes measurement studies are not necessary. Many CME programs don’t require a detailed study to evaluate that learning took place. In these cases, a few post-test questions will suffice. Careful evaluation of a program’s goals and audience will clarify when an outcomes study needs to be conducted. If everyone involved with CME takes into consideration the busy schedules of clinicians and only incorporates outcomes measurements when appropriate, the successes achieved to date will be more likely to continue. For CME providers, outcomes measurement takes the needs-assessment process one step further to document the effectiveness of education and identify any residual needs.
