Improving clinician confidence and skills: piloting a web-based learning program for clinicians in supportive care screening of cancer patients

Lean thinking and quality improvement processes identified a need to develop and implement a short concise web-based program for clinicians to increase their confidence and skills in supportive care screening of cancer patients. An independent pretest-posttest design evaluated the program which consisted of three modules, a self-directed learning quiz, and multimedia. Questionnaires were completed anonymously via SurveyMonkey?. There was an increase in mean scores from pre- to post-program in perceived knowledge (pre M?=?1.97 SD?=?.847; post M?=?3.05 SD?=?.486; 3 months M?=?2.72 SD?=?.575), educational preparedness (pre M?=?2.33 SD?=?.957; post M?=?3.45 SD?=?.510; 3 months M?=?3.05 SD?=?.486), and confidence (pre M?=?2.39 SD?=?.998; post M?=?3.32 SD?=?.646; 3 months M?=?3.28 SD?=?.826), indicating improvement in readiness to implement supportive care screening. The number of participants using the tool increased from 57.57 pre-program to 77.78 3 months post-program. Overall, participants agreed that screening elicited more patient information (post M?=?3.82 SD?=?1.006; 3 months M?=?3.83 SD?=?.786) and would assist in addressing patients supportive care needs (post M?=?4.00 SD.926; 3 months M?=?3.94 SD?=?.998). It was unclear whether they had made more appropriate referrals as a result of their participation in the program (post M?=?3.29 SD?=?1.102; 3 months M?=?3.11 SD?=?.963). The majority of participants agreed that the web-based program provided the required information to implement supportive care screening (post M?=?3.83 SD?=?1.032; 3 months M?=?3.61 SD?=?.702), and that the quiz helped their learning (post M?=?3.68 SD?=?1.041; 3 months M?=?3.65 SD?=?.702). This pilot indicates that provision of a short concise web-based program may improve clinicians confidence and skills to implement supportive care screening with cancer patients. A larger matched-group pretest-posttest study is recommended.