Evaluating the effect of computer-based education on pharmacist behaviour regarding point-of-care testing

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Professions Education
• Pharmacoeconomics

Background:

• Ontario pharmacists can now perform point-of-care testing (POCT) for chronic disease management due to recent regulatory changes.
• Educational interventions are crucial for the acceptance and implementation of new pharmacy services.
• Computer-based education (CBE) is known to enhance knowledge but its impact on pharmacist behavior regarding POCT is not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of computer-based education (CBE) on pharmacists' knowledge, behavior intention, and adoption of point-of-care testing (POCT).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of CBE in promoting the implementation of new POCT services in community pharmacy settings.

Main Methods:

• A three-month, web-based, randomized controlled trial involving community pharmacists in Ontario, Canada.
• Intervention group received CBE modules on POCT; control group reviewed reference materials.
• Outcomes included POCT performance, knowledge gain, and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) constructs (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, behavior intention).

Main Results:

• Significant knowledge gain was observed in the CBE group compared to the control group at one week and three months (P < .001).
• No significant differences in behavioral constructs or the number of POCTs performed were found between groups at three months.
• Attitude significantly improved in both groups, but this did not translate to increased POCT adoption.

Conclusions:

• CBE effectively enhances pharmacists' knowledge regarding POCT but has a limited impact on their intention or actual behavior.
• Knowledge acquisition alone is insufficient to drive behavior change and service adoption.
• Factors beyond education, such as organizational support, reimbursement, and expanded scope of practice, are critical for successful POCT implementation.