Biomedical subjects

Blanche C Collins

Publications and source records attributed to Blanche C Collins.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Improving physician performance through Internet-based interventions: who will participate?

BACKGROUND: The availability of Internet-based continuing medical education is rapidly increasing, but little is known about recruitment of physicians to these interventions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of physician participation in an Internet intervention designed to increase screening of young women at risk for chlamydiosis. METHODS: Eligibility was based on administrative claims data, and eligible physicians received recruitment letters via fax and/or courier. Recruited offices had at least one physician who agreed to participate in the study by providing an email address. After one physician from an office was recruited, intensive recruitment of that office ceased. Email messages reminded individual physicians to participate by logging on to the Internet site. RESULTS: Of the eligible offices, 325 (33.2%) were recruited, from which 207 physicians (52.8%) participated. Recruited versus nonrecruited offices had more eligible patients (mean number of eligible patients per office: 44.1 vs 33.6; P < .001), more eligible physicians (mean number of eligible physicians per office: 6.2 vs 4.1; P < .001), and fewer doctors of osteopathy (mean percent of eligible physicians per office who were doctors of osteopathy: 20.5% vs 26.4%; P = .02). Multivariable analysis revealed that the odds of recruiting at least one physician from an office were greater if the office had more eligible patients and more eligible physicians. More participating versus nonparticipating physicians were female (mean percent of female recruited physicians: 39.1% vs 27.0%; P = .01); fewer participating physicians were doctors of osteopathy (mean percent of recruited physicians who were doctors of osteopathy: 15.5% vs 23.9%; P = .04) or international medical graduates (mean percent of recruited physicians who were international graduates: 12.3% vs 23.8%; P = .003). Multivariable analysis revealed that the odds of a physician participating were greater if the physician was older than 55 years (OR = 2.31; 95% CI = 1.09-4.93) and was from an office with a higher Chlamydia screening rate in the upper tertile (OR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.23-4.16). CONCLUSIONS: Physician participation in an Internet continuing medical education intervention varied significantly by physician and office characteristics.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Family physicians' information seeking behaviors: a survey comparison with other specialties.

BACKGROUND: Using technology to access clinical information has become a critical skill for family physicians. The aims of this study were to assess the way family physicians use the Internet to look for clinical information and how their patterns vary from those of specialists. Further, we sought a better understanding of how family physicians used just-in-time information in clinical practice. METHODS: A fax survey was provided with 17 items. The survey instrument, adapted from two previous studies, was sent to community-based physicians. The questions measured frequency of use and importance of the Internet, palm computers, Internet CME, and email for information seeking and CME. Barriers to use were explored. Demographic data was gathered concerning gender, years since medical school graduation, practice location, practice type, and practice specialty. RESULTS: Family physicians found the Internet to be useful and important as an information source. They were more likely to search for patient oriented material than were specialists who more often searched literature, journals and corresponded with colleagues. Hand held computers were used by almost half of family physicians. CONCLUSION: Family physicians consider the Internet important to the practice of medicine, and the majority use it regularly. Their searches differ from colleagues in other specialties with a focus on direct patient care questions. Almost half of family physicians use hand held computers, most often for drug reference.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2004

Using email reminders to engage physicians in an Internet-based CME intervention.

BACKGROUND: Engaging practicing physicians in educational strategies that reinforce guideline adoption and improve the quality of healthcare may be difficult. Push technologies such as email offer new opportunities to engage physicians in online educational reinforcing strategies. The objectives are to investigate 1) the effectiveness of email announcements in engaging recruited community-based primary care physicians in an online guideline reinforcement strategy designed to promote Chlamydia screening, 2) the characteristics of physicians who respond to email announcements, as well as 3) how quickly and when they respond to email announcements. METHODS: Over a 45-week period, 445 recruited physicians received up to 33 email contacts announcing and reminding them of an online women's health guideline reinforcing CME activity. Participation was defined as physician log-on at least once to the website. Data were analyzed to determine participation, to compare characteristics of participants with recruited physicians who did not participate, and to determine at what point and when participants logged on. RESULTS: Of 445 recruited physicians with accurate email addresses, 47.2% logged on and completed at least one module. There were no significant differences by age, race, or specialty between participants and non-participants. Female physicians, US medical graduates and MDs had higher participation rates than male physicians, international medical graduates and DOs. Physicians with higher baseline screening rates were significantly more likely to log on to the course. The first 10 emails were the most effective in engaging community-based physicians to complete the intervention. Physicians were more likely to log on in the afternoon and evening and on Monday or Thursday. CONCLUSIONS: Email course reminders may enhance recruitment of physicians to interventions designed to reinforce guideline adoption; physicians' response to email reminders may vary by gender, degree, and country of medical training. Repetition of email communications contributes to physician online participation.

Adult↗