Pharmacist computer skills and needs assessment survey

Lebanese pharmacists’ confidence and self-perceptions of computer literacy: scale validation and correlates

Background

Most pharmacists agree that continuing education (CE) programs positively affect their practice and increase their knowledge, with computer-based courses being their preferred type of CE (60.6%). The route to using medical e-services and e-learning is not straightforward. High setup costs and time commitments to sustain quality are issues brought up in this respect. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to validate the general confidence with computer use (GCWCU) scale and assess computer literacy and its associated factors among Lebanese pharmacists.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted, using a random sample of Lebanese pharmacists from all districts of Lebanon. The general confidence with computer use (GCWCU) scale was used to assess computer literacy.

Results

This study enrolled 628 (83.73%) pharmacists. The GCWCU items converged over two factors (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.716). A higher GCWCU was associated with the ease of access to the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon e-library (beta = 2.58), owning a tablet (beta = 2.80), being connected for 4 h daily (beta = 2.71), the ease of access to the learning management system (beta = 2.39), holding a PhD (beta = 4.28) or a PharmD (beta = 1.16), and working in hospitals (beta = 2.60).

Conclusion

This study showed that the GCWCU is adequate to assess computer literacy in Lebanese pharmacists and identified factors affecting and/or associated with computer literacy. It presented insights into essential computer skills and abilities of Lebanese pharmacists and identified factors associated with their general confidence with computer use in their practice. These findings would help decision-makers and CE providers design learning materials for pharmacists to improve their computer literacy for better practice and patient care.

Healthcare staff digital literacy levels and their attitudes towards information systems

This study aimed to assess the digital literacy levels and attitudes towards information systems of staff in a health service that will be implementing an electronic health record so that barriers towards implementation could be addressed. A survey measuring staff confidence levels and their attitudes towards information systems was developed. Data were collected over a five-week period, with data analysed using frequency analysis and a chi-square analysis. There were 407 respondents to the survey. The majority (70-80%) of which reported high digital literacy levels, expressing confidence in using technology. Respondents also reported positive attitudes towards information systems. However, one-fifth reported anxiety using information systems. Given poor staff engagement with information systems adversely affects the safety and quality of patient care, health services should provide targeted education and training to address staff with low digital literacy levels and/or confidence with using information systems prior to implementation of an electronic health record system.

Knowledge, skills and attitudes of hospital pharmacists in the use of information technology and electronic tools to support clinical practice: A Brazilian survey

This study aimed to identify the knowledge, skills and attitudes of Brazilian hospital pharmacists in the use of information technology and electronic tools to support clinical practice.

METHODS

A questionnaire was sent by email to clinical pharmacists working public and private hospitals in Brazil. The instrument was validated using the method of Polit and Beck to determine the content validity index. Data (n = 348) were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's Chi-square test and Gamma correlation tests.

RESULTS

Pharmacists had 1-4 electronic devices for personal use, mainly smartphones (84.8%; n = 295) and laptops (81.6%; n = 284). At work, pharmacists had access to a computer (89.4%; n = 311), mostly connected to the internet (83.9%; n = 292). They felt competent (very capable/capable) searching for a web page/web site on a specific subject (100%; n = 348), downloading files (99.7%; n = 347), using spreadsheets (90.2%; n = 314), searching using MeSH terms in PubMed (97.4%; n = 339) and general searching for articles in bibliographic databases (such as Medline/PubMed: 93.4%; n = 325). Pharmacists did not feel competent in using statistical analysis software (somewhat capable/incapable: 78.4%; n = 273). Most pharmacists reported that they had not received formal education to perform most of these actions except searching using MeSH terms. Access to bibliographic databases was available in Brazilian hospitals, however, most pharmacists (78.7%; n = 274) reported daily use of a non-specific search engine such as Google. This result may reflect the lack of formal knowledge and training in the use of bibliographic databases and difficulty with the English language. The need to expand knowledge about information search tools was recognized by most pharmacists in clinical practice in Brazil, especially those with less time dedicated exclusively to clinical activity (Chi-square, p = 0.006).

CONCLUSION

These results will assist in defining minimal competencies for the training of pharmacists in the field of information technology to support clinical practice. Knowledge and skill gaps are evident in the use of bibliographic databases, spreadsheets and statistical tools.

Skills and knowledge of informatics, and training needs of hospital pharmacists in Thailand: A self-assessment survey

OBJECTIVE

Because hospital pharmacists have to deal with large amounts of health information and advanced information technology in practice, they must possess adequate skills and knowledge of informatics to operate efficiently. However, most current pharmacy curricula in Thailand barely address the principles and skills concerned with informatics, and Thai pharmacists usually acquire computer literacy and informatics skills through personal-interest training and self-study. In this study, we aimed to assess the skills and knowledge of informatics and the training needs of hospital pharmacists in Thailand, in order to improve curricular and professional development.

METHOD

A self-assessment postal survey of 73 questions was developed and distributed to the pharmacy departments of 601 hospitals throughout the country. Practicing hospital pharmacists were requested to complete and return the survey voluntarily.

RESULTS

Within the 3 months of the survey period, a total of 805 out of 2002 surveys were returned. On average, respondents rated themselves as competent or better in the skills of basic computer operation, the Internet, information management, and communication. Understandably, they rated themselves at novice level for information technology and database design knowledge/skills, and at advanced beginner level for project, risk, and change management skills. Respondents believed that skills and knowledge of informatics were highly necessary for their work, and definitely needed training.

CONCLUSION

Thai hospital pharmacists were confident in using computers and the Internet. They realized and appreciated their lack of informatics knowledge and skills, and needed more training. Pharmacy curricula and training should be developed accordingly.

An integrative review of the impact of mobile technologies used by healthcare professionals to support education and practice

AIM

The aim of this study was to provide evidence of the impact of mobile technologies among healthcare professionals in education and practice settings.

DESIGN

Integrative literature review.

METHODS

Electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, ERIC and Web of Science were searched for papers published between 2002-2012. Quantitative studies were critically evaluated based on Thomas et al.'s framework, while the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research was used to appraise the rigour of the qualitative studies.

RESULTS

Seventeen quantitative and three qualitative studies were included. The findings suggest a largely positive influence of mobile technologies on various clinical practice and educational outcomes. However, robust evidence was limited. Use of mobile technologies in health care are associated with improvements in access to information, accuracy and efficiency, evidence-based decision making at the point of care and enhancement in performance, confidence and engagement in different contexts.

Computer literacy improvement needs: physicians' self assessment in the makkah region

OBJECTIVE

A confidential inquiry by the Directorate General of health affairs, Makkah region, Saudi Arabia, found physicians were resistant to enter patient-related information in the electronic medical records system at different hospitals. This study aims to highlight their computer literacy needs.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey was conducted on physicians using a structured questionnaire bearing nine questions/stems with dichotomous answers, (i.e., yes/no) that was distributed among physicians at six different Ministry of Health hospitals in the Makkah Region, Saudi Arabia, between May and August 2009. The results for future needs in computer skills were categorized as "none" if the rate of answer "yes" to any stem was 0-25%, "little" if 26-50%, "some" if 51-75% and "substantial" if >75% rated "yes".

RESULTS

The response rate of 82% of determined sample size (n = 451) was attained. Computer literacy improvement elements (CLIE), i.e., "word processing software skills (MS Word)", "presentation software skills (Power Point)", "internet search skills", "medical database search skills", "spreadsheet software skills (Excel)" and "advanced e-mail management skills" were in "substantial" need of improvement among the majority of settings and categories. All other computer literacy improvement elements were in "some" need of improvement.

CONCLUSION

The overall outcome of this study indicates that physicians need further computer literacy improvements.

Online versus Live Delivery of Education to Pharmacists in a Large Multicentre Health Region: A Non-inferiority Assessment of Learning Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of online modules for continuing education in the health professions has been increasing in recent years. However, the effectiveness of online modules for pharmacist learning has not been thoroughly studied.

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this study was to determine if providing education to pharmacists through a self-paced enhanced online module was non-inferior to a face-to-face learning module with respect to knowledge application on the topic of postoperative insulin dosing. Secondary aims were to determine pharmacists' knowledge gain and retention, as well as their satisfaction with the modules.

METHODS

The participants in this prospective, randomized, parallel-group non-inferiority trial were pharmacists in a large multicentre health region. Outcomes were measured by comparing scores obtained on pre- and post-module knowledge-assessment questionnaires. A between-group difference in change on knowledge application scores of less than 25 percentage points was the predetermined non-inferiority margin.

RESULTS

A total of 74 pharmacists consented to participate, 38 randomly assigned to use the enhanced online module and 36 to attend the face-to-face learning session. For questions examining knowledge application, the mean improvement achieved by the online learning group was 26 percentage points greater than that achieved by the face-to-face learning group (95% confidence interval [CI] 25 to 27; p < 0.001). For questions testing knowledge gain, the improvement achieved by the online learning group was 7 percentage points less than that achieved by the face-to-face learning group (95% CI 2 to 12; p = 0.008). Therefore, the enhanced online module was deemed to be non-inferior to the face-to-face learning session in terms of knowledge application and knowledge gain. Insufficient data were available to analyze the secondary outcome of knowledge retention over time. Participant satisfaction was similar for the 2 groups (p = 0.62).

CONCLUSION

The self-paced enhanced online module was non-inferior to facilitated face-to-face learning in terms of improving application and knowledge of insulin dosing. Pharmacists had similar levels of satisfaction with the 2 modes of learning.

Pharmacists' online information literacy: an assessment of their use of Internet-based medicines information

INTRODUCTION

Pharmacists need effective skills in accessing and using Internet-based medicines information (IBMI) for themselves and their consumers. However, there is limited information regarding how pharmacists use the Internet.

OBJECTIVES

To develop and use a research instrument to measure pharmacists' Internet knowledge, search skills, evaluation of and opinions about using IBMI.

METHODS

A structured questionnaire examining general Internet knowledge, ability to search for and select pertinent IBMI, evaluation of IBMI, opinions about using IBMI and current Internet use was developed. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to analyse IBMI evaluation.

RESULTS

208 pharmacists responded (response rate 20.6%). There was a large variation in pharmacists' scores. Mean scores were low for General Internet Knowledge (mean 7.91 +/- 3.62; scale 0-16), Search and Selection of IBMI (4.98 +/- 2.91; 0-10) and Opinions on IBMI (44.51 +/- 9.61; 0-80). Four factors [Professionalism of website (4 items; factor loading 0.62-0.87; Cronbach's alpha 0.84), Disclosure (5; 0.37-0.79; 0.73), Appropriateness of content (5; 0.32-0.50; 0.65), Standard of information (6; 0.31-0.48; 0.58)] were extracted from the evaluation scale, explaining 36.89% of the total variance.

CONCLUSIONS

A tool was developed to evaluate pharmacists' skills and opinions in using IBMI. A wide range of skills and opinions highlighted the need for training in online information literacy.

Educating Australian pharmacists about the use of online information in community pharmacy practice

Objectives

Community pharmacists practice in an information technology-rich society, however many have not been educated in internet use for professional practice. The aims of this study were to investigate how community pharmacists use the internet in their practice; to develop an intervention to address their educational needs; and to examine the benefits and weakness of a flexible delivery programme.

Method

We conducted two focus groups investigating community pharmacists' internet use and education needs. We subsequently developed and provided a four-module educational course on CD ROM, ‘Advanced web skills for pharmacists: finding quality on the internet’. In total, 147 pharmacists participated. A survey was conducted to evaluate the impact of the course.

Key findings

The focus group findings provided a clear rationale for an educational intervention. One-hundred and four pharmacists completed the course. Participating pharmacists were highly positive about the learning experience, in particular the provision of education by flexible delivery. Many reported specific changes to practice. They also described the time-consuming nature of the course as the biggest barrier to further education.

Conclusions

This project demonstrates the need for community pharmacists to have access to internet education. Flexible CD ROM-based learning provided a successful delivery medium.

Who's using PDAs? Estimates of PDA use by health care providers: a systematic review of surveys

Background

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) find many uses in health care. Knowing rates of collective PDA use among health care providers is an important guiding step to further understanding those health care contexts that are most suited to PDA use and whether PDAs provide improved health outcomes.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to estimate current and future PDA use among health care providers and to discuss possible implications of that use on choice of technology in clinical practice and research.

Methods

This study was a systematic review of PDA usage surveys. Surveys were identified as part of an ongoing systematic review on the use of handheld devices. Reports from eight databases covering both biomedical sciences and engineering (1993-2006) were screened against distinct eligibility criteria. Data from included surveys were extracted and verified in a standardized way and were assessed descriptively.

Results

We identified 23 relevant surveys, 15 of which were derived from peer-reviewed journals. This cohort of surveys was published between 2000 and 2005. Overall, since 1999, there is clear evidence of an increasing trend in PDA use. The current overall adoption rate for individual professional use ranges between 45% and 85%, indicating high but somewhat variable adoption, primarily among physicians.

Conclusions

Younger physicians and residents and those working in large and hospital-based practices are more likely to use a PDA. The adoption rate is now at its highest rate of increase according to a commonly accepted diffusion of innovations model. A common problem with the evaluation of information technology is that use frequently precedes research. This is the case here, in which PDA adoption rates are already high and projections are for rapid growth in the short term. In general, it appears that professional PDA use in health care settings involves more administrative and organizational tasks than those related to patient care, perhaps signaling where the growth in adoption is most likely to occur. We conclude that physicians are likely accustomed to using a PDA, and, therefore, technology expertise will probably not be a barrier to implementing PDA applications. However, there is an urgent need to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of specific tasks using handheld technology to inform those developing and those using PDA applications.

A review and a framework of handheld computer adoption in healthcare

Wide adoption of mobile computing technology can potentially improve information access, enhance workflow, and promote evidence-based practice to make informed and effective decisions at the point of care. Handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) offer portable and unobtrusive access to clinical data and relevant information at the point of care. This article reviews the literature on issues related to adoption of PDAs in health care and barriers to PDA adoption. Studies showed that PDAs were used widely in health care providers' practice, and the level of use is expected to rise rapidly. Most care providers found PDAs to be functional and useful in areas of documentation, medical reference, and access to patient data. Major barriers to adoption were identified as usability, security concerns, and lack of technical and organizational support. PDAs offer health care practitioners advantages to enhance their clinical practice. However, better designed PDA hardware and software applications, more institutional support, seamless integration of PDA technology with hospital information systems, and satisfactory security measures are necessary to increase acceptance and wide use of PDAs in healthcare.