Date of Award

Fall 2011

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MSc)

Department

Health Research Methodology

Supervisor

Lisa Dolovich

Co-Supervisor

Lehana Thabane

Language

English

Committee Member

Mitch Levine

Abstract

Background:

Academic detailing (AD) provides evidence-based education to healthcare professionals in their practice setting and has been found to improve knowledge and prescribing in many situations. Personalized academic detailing (PAD) is a new initiative by the Hamilton Family Health Team (FHT) in which pharmacists integrated within the FHT provide an AD service to prescribers in their office.

Objective:

To describe and determine the feasibility of a smoking cessation (SC) PAD program.

Methods:

Design: Descriptive retrospective cohort pilot project

Setting: Primary Care Setting

Participants: FHT pharmacists, physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs) and their patients

Intervention:

Pharmacists receive basic AD training and education (upskilling) on SC; and provide education to clinicians

Feasibility Criteria for success:

  1. PAD coordinator time to train pharmacists <40 >hours
  2. Average time for upskilling <20 >hours
  3. Average time for PAD session are <60 minutes and><30 minutes for initial and follow-up>visits, respectively
  4. Percentage of clinicians detailed within 3 and 6 months are >50% and >70%, respectively
  5. Number of new SC referrals to the pharmacist at 3 and 6 months are >5 patients/1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) pharmacist and >10 patients/1.0 FTE pharmacist, respectively.

Results:

Eight pharmacists (5.8 FTE) received basic AD training and upskilling on SC PAD. Consent was obtained from 48/54 (88.9%) physicians and 9/10 (90.0%) NPs.

The PAD coordinator training time was 29.1 hours. The median time for upskilling was 3.1 hours. The median time for PAD session was 15 and 5 minutes for an initial visit and follow-up visit, respectively. The number of clinicians detailed within 3 and 6 months were 50/64 (78.1%) and 57/64 (89.1%), respectively. The number of new SC referrals at 3 and 6 months was 66 and 200 patients, respectively.

Conclusion:

This pilot study showed that the main study is feasible with respect to the management, resources, process and scientific components.

Comments

Please insert 2 pages into the main thesis - page 39 and page 40

- 2 separate PDF attachments will be included plus the main thesis.

Additional Files
CHT-Smoking-Cessation Page 1 - January 2008.pdf (266 kB)
Appendix B, page 39
CHT-Smoking-Cessation January 2008 Page 2.pdf (211 kB)
Appendix B, page 40

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