Exploring Systemic Influences on Data-Informed Learning: Document Review of Policies, Procedures, and Legislation from Canada and the United States

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the support for and benefits of data-driven learning, physician engagement is variable. This study explores systemic influences of physician use of data for performance improvement in continuing professional development (CPD) by analyzing and interpreting data sources from organizational and institutional documents. Methods: The document analysis is the third phase of a mixed-methods explanatory sequential study examining cultural factors that influence data-informed learning. A gray literature search was conducted for organizations both in Canada and the United States. The analysis contains nonparticipant observations from professional learning bodies and medical specialty organizations with established roles within the CPD community known to lead and influence change in CPD. Results: Sixty-two documents were collected from 20 Canadian and American organizations. The content analysis identified the following: (1) a need to advocate for data-informed self-assessment and team-based learning strategies; (2) privacy and confidentiality concerns intersect at the point of patient data collection and physician-generated outcomes and need to be acknowledged; (3) a nuanced data strategy approach for each medical specialty is needed. Discussion: This analysis broadens our understanding of system-level factors that influence the extent to which health information custodians and physicians are motivated to engage with data for learning.

Using eHealth Data to Inform CPD for Medical Practitioners: A Scoping Review with a Consultation Exercise with International Experts

“…Five of the included articles describe the existence of systemic, organizational, and individual factors that influence the use of eHealth data for CPD purposes. Among others, professional regulations; 51 stakeholders' collaboration; 42,44 organizational culture, 51 structure, 51 and priorities; 52 intra-organisational silos; 44 and individual and team attitudes toward eHealth data and its use for CPD programming and planning 48,52 seem to be the most common factors present in the literature.…”

“…45,46 In more recent years, published studies explore instead medical practitioners' attitudes toward and engagement with eHealth data 47,52 or shed light on those systemic and cultural factors that influence the use of this type of data for CPD purposes. 48,51 Such topic evolution does not represent a novelty because it seems to be very much in line with the latest literature on predictive learning analytics, 53 doctor's attitudes toward CPD, 54,55 innovative life-long learning theoretical models, 56 and CPD strategic development approaches. 57 Nonetheless, its identification fills a research gap and can serve as a basis for further investigation in the field of PAH.…”

Performance Data Advocacy for Continuing Professional Development in Health Professions

“…However, several challenges may emerge when attempting to leverage performance data for CPD. Given the need to understand conceptual and theory-to-practice threats, our research team explored physicians’ use and relationship with performance data 5,12–14 …”

“…Several organizations have advocated for new approaches to CPD. [2][3][4][5] Common among them is the recommendation that physicians harness external sources of data to serve as a stimulus for self-reflection and to guide the development of learning plans. 6 For example, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada includes recommendations to leverage external primary and secondary performance indicators to "help identify learning and/ or continuous improvement opportunities."…”

“…In addition, we summarize and synthesize our recent and ongoing research program, exploring empirically the relationship physicians have with performance data. 5,[12][13][14] We have 3 broad aims. Our first aim is to contribute to the discourse on performance data advocacy for CPD by linking conceptual, methodological, and analytic processes we engaged in while studying this topic and reviewing related literature.…”