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Poor uptake of an online intervention in a cluster randomised controlled trial of online diabetes education for rural general practitioners

Overview of attention for article published in Trials, March 2017
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Title
Poor uptake of an online intervention in a cluster randomised controlled trial of online diabetes education for rural general practitioners
Published in
Trials, March 2017
DOI 10.1186/s13063-017-1869-8
Pubmed ID
Authors

Christine L. Paul, Leon Piterman, Jonathan E. Shaw, Catherine Kirby, Kristy L. Forshaw, Jennifer Robinson, Isaraporn Thepwongsa, Robert W. Sanson-Fisher

Abstract

In Australia, rural and remote communities have high rates of diabetes-related death and hospitalisation. General practitioners (GPs) play a major role in diabetes detection and management. Education of GPs could optimise diabetes management and improve patient outcomes at a population level. The study aimed to describe the uptake of a continuing medical education intervention for rural GPs and its impact on the viability of a cluster randomised controlled trial of the effects of continuing medical education on whole-town diabetes monitoring and control. Trial design: the cluster randomised controlled trial involved towns as the unit of allocation and analysis with outcomes assessed by de-identified pathology data (not reported here). The intervention programme consisted of an online active learning module, direct electronic access to specialist advice and performance feedback. Multiple rounds of invitation were used to engage GPs with the online intervention content. Evidence-based strategies (e.g. pre-notification, rewards, incentives) were incorporated into the invitations to enrol in the programme. Recruitment to the programme was electronically monitored through the hosting software package during the study intervention period. Eleven matched pairs of towns were included in the study. There were 146 GPs in the 11 intervention towns, of whom 34 (23.3%) enrolled in the programme, and 8 (5.5%) completed the online learning module. No town had more than 10% of the resident GPs complete the learning module. There were no contacts made by GPs regarding requests for specialist advice. Consequently, the trial was discontinued. There is an ongoing need to engage primary care physicians in improving diabetes monitoring and management in rural areas. Online training options, while notionally attractive and accessible, are not likely to have high levels of uptake, even when evidence-based recruitment strategies are implemented. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, identifier: ACTRN12611000553976 . Retrospectively registered on 31 May 2011.

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Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 153 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 153 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 22 14%
Student > Ph. D. Student 19 12%
Researcher 17 11%
Student > Bachelor 11 7%
Student > Doctoral Student 9 6%
Other 27 18%
Unknown 48 31%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 43 28%
Nursing and Health Professions 19 12%
Psychology 9 6%
Social Sciences 6 4%
Business, Management and Accounting 3 2%
Other 13 8%
Unknown 60 39%