Institute-Wide Physician Learning Using Interactive Online Modules
Véronique French Merkley & Doug Archibald

The provision of ongoing targeted and relevant CPD opportunities for physicians is one of  the cornerstones of high-quality care and patient safety.  In hospital settings, quality of care and patient safety issues are typically identified in Quality Committees, while learning initiatives have been overseen by Medical Education, leading to a siloed approach where learning opportunities do not always match local knowledge gaps.  Given the increasing workloads of physicians, cost-effective, just-in-time online learning modules are becoming valuable tools in facilitating knowledge transfer and dissemination. This pilot study established and evaluated the process required to design and implement a series of six online learning modules aimed at improving clinical care and patient safety across all departments at Bruyère Continuing Care.

The modules are based on 6 clinical priority areas with broad cross-departmental relevance  identified by the hospital’s Medical Quality Management subcommittee: Electronic Patient Record (EPR); Common Infections; Consultation Letter; Advance Directives; Cognition & Driving; and End‐of‐Life Palliative Care. Each web-based module was developed by a local content expert with input from an instructional designer using Articulate as a platform. The development of the first 2 modules, EPR and Common Infections, was used to establish a template and process to be applied to the 4 remaining topics. Both the EPR and Common Infections modules  were also evaluated using a combination of surveys and focus group interviews.  Interview responses were subjected to thematic analysis with results again informing the development of the subsequent modules. These first 2 modules have since been accredited such that physicians can earn Mainpro‐M1 or Maincert‐Section 1 credits for their continuing professional development requirements. Applications for accreditation of the later modules are underway.

Work on this project has been presented at regional meetings and conferences, with both smaller surroundings hospitals and the University of Ottawa’s Family Medicine residency program expressing interest in accessing these modules to address similar learning needs within their own environments. Next steps include the development of additional modules aligned with current Bruyère quality priorities: Falls,Polypharmacy, and Patient Satisfaction.