Lessons Learned from a Shared Curriculum on Tobacco Cessation Using a Mixed-Methods Approach.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Curriculum Development
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Sharing health professional curricula can reduce faculty burden but lacks guiding literature.
• Existing research offers limited support for developing shared educational content.
• The Rx for Change program provides a case study for evaluating shared curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize data from two prior studies to create recommendations for developing shared health professional curricula.
• To identify factors influencing the long-term success of shared educational programs.
• To apply Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations Theory to guide curriculum development.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase mixed-methods study was utilized, evaluating the Rx for Change program.
• Phase 1 involved qualitative interviews with faculty participants (2003-2005).
• Phase 2 used a national electronic survey for long-term follow-up (13-15 years later).

Main Results:

• Seven key recommendations emerged for developing shared curricula.
• Recommendations include: appealing content, clinical relevance, live training, quality materials, expert delivery, support, accreditation compliance, and demonstrated effectiveness.
• These factors are crucial for enhancing dissemination, adoption, and sustainability.

Conclusions:

• The study provides evidence-based recommendations for creating effective and sustainable shared health professional curricula.
• Adherence to these recommendations can improve the impact and longevity of collaborative educational initiatives.
• Future curriculum developers should integrate these findings to optimize program design and implementation.