Didactic Lecture Versus Interactive Workshop for Continuing Pharmacy Education on Reproductive Health

Abstract

Pharmacists are routinely providing reproductive health counseling in community pharmacies, but studies have revealed significant deficits in their competencies. Therefore, continuing pharmacy education (CPE) could be utilized as a valuable modality to upgrade pharmacists' capabilities. A randomized controlled trial was designed to compare the efficacy of CPE meetings (lecture based vs. workshop based) on contraception and male sexual dysfunctions. Sixty pharmacists were recruited for each CPE meeting. Small group training using simulated patients was employed in the workshop-based CPE. Study outcomes were declarative/procedural knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction of the participants. Data were collected pre-CPE, post-CPE, and 2 months afterward and were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance and Mann-Whitney U test. Results showed that lecture-based CPE was more successful in improving pharmacists' knowledge post-CPE (p < .001). In contrast, a significant decrease was observed in the lecture-based group at follow-up (p = .002), whereas the workshop-based group maintained their knowledge over time (p = 1.00). Knowledge scores of both groups were significantly higher at follow-up in comparison with pre-CPE (p < .01). No significant differences were observed regarding satisfaction and attitudes scores between groups. In conclusion, an interactive workshop might not be superior to lecture-based training for improving pharmacists' knowledge and attitudes in a 1-day CPE meeting.

A 3-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial of Nurses’ Continuing Education Meetings on Adverse Drug Reactions

“…The brainstorming method might not be powerful enough to improve knowledge. Nevertheless, in our previous trial with short‐term exposure, we used a “simulated patient” technique, and the findings were similar to the present results . Mixed‐method training can be the most effective approach for 1‐day continuing education meetings .…”

“…In our previous trials on continuing pharmacy education, we observed higher satisfaction with the interactive or mixed‐method instructional designs using the same satisfaction assessment tool . This finding was confirmed in the present study; nevertheless, we expected to see similar satisfaction with 3 items including “complying with previous knowledge,” “presenting up‐to‐date knowledge,” and “satisfying professional requirements” because the content of education was similar for both lecture and workshop groups.…”

“…Regarding the learning outcome in the present study (declarative/procedural knowledge), the findings are comparable to our previous trials. Didactic lecture can improve short‐term learning (immediately after the meeting), but the retention of knowledge could not be assured . Interactive education could provide a more sustainable learning; however, frequent or long‐term exposure with interactive education techniques might be required to achieve the optimal level of knowledge .…”

“…All of the nurses working at the hospital were eligible for participation in the study ( N = 635). The sample size was estimated based on a moderate effect size for the learning outcome, alpha error of .05, and power of 80%, which suggested a minimum of 53 participants in each group. Two authors, not involved in the training, allocated nurses to 9 subgroups using a stratified random algorithm generated by computer software (68–74 nurses in each subgroup).…”

Factors affecting a face-to-face learning event

“…The speaker's ability to identify key issues, engage the audience and share their expertise will increase knowledge. [27,28] Our findings suggested lectures were more attended for up-to-date knowledge and CPD, although no statistical significant difference was found. Previous studies support this finding showing that workshops may not always be more effective than lectures.…”