Early lessons learned in implementing a women's health educational and virtual consultation program in VA

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Services Research
• Women's Health

Background:

• Many Veterans Health Administration primary care providers (PCPs) face challenges maintaining women's health (WH) expertise due to small female patient caseloads.
• A longitudinal WH-focused educational and virtual consultation program was implemented to address this knowledge gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a formative evaluation of the development and implementation of a novel WH educational and virtual consultation program for PCPs.
• Assessing the program's impact on PCP knowledge, patient care, and identifying barriers and facilitators to participation.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach utilizing participant surveys, semi-structured interviews, stakeholder meeting notes, and participation logs.
• Qualitative content analysis of interviews and field notes; quantitative tabulation of survey and log data.
• Evaluation focused on Veterans Health Administration PCPs delivering women's health services.

Main Results:

• 89% of surveyed PCPs agreed the program information would influence patient care.
• All interviewed PCPs found the program beneficial for building and maintaining WH knowledge.
• Consistent participation was limited by session timing (lunch hour) and improved when dedicated time was allocated; broad topic coverage hindered case submission.

Conclusions:

• The WH education and virtual consultation program shows promise for enhancing PCP knowledge and influencing patient care.
• Dedicated, allocated time for PCPs is crucial for ensuring robust and consistent program participation.
• Focusing the program on specific areas, such as gynecology, could improve case-based engagement and knowledge retention.