Browsing by Author "Armson, Heather"

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    DynIA: Dynamically Informed Allegories
    (2015-03-05) Topps, David; Taenzer, Paul; Armson, Heather; Carr, Eloise
    An important strategy for improving population health is to use what we learn from medical research in our patient care. One approach to this is using the highest quality medical research to make recommendations and guide healthcare providers in deciding how to diagnose and treat their patients. These recommendations form the basis of healthcare tools that are called clinical practice guidelines. Theme four focused on strategies for increasing the uptake of clinical practice guidelines on low back pain and headache into community-based care. Theme four researchers collaborated with guideline developers in Alberta at the Institute of Health Economics and an organization called Towards Optimize Practice (TOP) that is sponsored by the Alberta Medical Association and the Alberta Ministry of Health (Alberta Health and Wellness). The research team first looked at what is already been known about uptake of guideline recommendations for chronic pain. This process involved going back to original research from around the world. Research librarians and scientists found 19 scientific papers that are relevant. Taken together, these studies indicated that the best approach to improving uptake of chronic pain guidelines into community care is to present them to care providers in special interactive educational settings where they are able to discuss the recommendations approaches with the educators. Theme four then went on to test this approach in the study of using an interactive educational workshop focused on the low back pain guideline. The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta. The workshop presenters were an expert team of physicians, physiotherapists, nurses and psychologists that traveled to the offices of the community healthcare providers. This study showed that the providers’ knowledge of low back pain increased after the workshop. When the medical records were examined, the researchers were unable to detect changes in how care was provided. This was a small study involving 24 providers. The researchers concluded that a larger study may confirm the increase in provider knowledge and detect changes in care. An important advance in healthcare is the use of computerized medical records. Computerization also provides an opportunity for healthcare providers to access relevant health information during their time with the patient. Theme four researchers collaborated with the Department of Family Medicine that McMaster University to develop a tool to help community caregivers use the recommendations from clinical practice guidelines while they are in the office with patients. This tool called the McMaster Pain Assistant has undergone successful usability testing and is now being tested in the community to see if using the tool leads to increases in knowledge and decisions that reflect the guideline. Rural physicians face important challenges in accessing medical education. In the past they would have to leave their practices and travel to a distant site to learn. Theme four researchers collaborated with the Department of Continuing Medical Education at the University of Calgary to explore a distance learning approach using Internet-based webinars and “virtual patients” that are designed to teach about the guidelines and how it might affect their care. This preliminary study demonstrated that rural physicians appreciated being able to access high quality medical education where they can interact with experts without having to travel. They found the sessions and the virtual patients highly engaging and realistic. Only small changes were shown in management of the virtual patients through the case series. Detailed analysis of practice patterns showed participants to be very conformant with clinical practice guideline recommendations.
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    How do clinicians use implementation tools to apply breast cancer screening guidelines to practice?
    (2018-06-07) Armson, Heather; Roder, Stefanie; Elmslie, Tom; Khan, Sobia; Straus, Sharon E
    Abstract Background Implementation tools (iTools) may enhance uptake of guidelines. However, little evidence exists on their use by primary care clinicians. This study explored which iTools clinicians used and how often; how satisfied clinicians were with the tools; whether tool use was associated with practice changes; and identified mediators for practice change(s) related to breast cancer screening (BCS). Methods Canadian primary care providers who are members of the Practice-Based Small Group Learning Program (n = 1464) were invited to participate in this mixed methods study. An educational module was discussed in a small group learning context, and data collection included an on-line survey, practice reflection tools (PRTs), and interviews. The module included both the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care revised guideline on BCS and iTools for clinician and/or patient use. After discussing the module and at 3 months, participants completed PRTs identifying their planned practice change(s) and documenting implementation outcome(s). Use of the iTools was explored via online survey and individual interviews. Results Seventy participants agreed to participate. Of these, 48 participated in the online survey, 43 completed PRTs and 14 were interviewed. Most survey participants (77%) reported using at least one of seven tools available for implementing BCS guideline. Of these (78%) reported using more than one tool. Almost all participants used tools for clinicians (92%) and 62% also used tools for patients. As more tools were used, more practice changes were reported on the survey and PRTs. Interviews provided additional findings. Once information from an iTool was internalized, there was no further need for the tool. Participants did not use tools (23%) due to disagreements with the BCS guideline, patients’ expectations, and/or experiences with diagnosis of breast cancer. Conclusion This study found that clinicians use tools to implement practice changes related to BCS guideline. Tools developed for clinicians were used to understand and consolidate the recommendations before tools to be used with patients were employed to promote decision-making. Mediating factors that impacted tool use confirmed previous research. Finally, use of some iTools decreased over time because information was internalized.
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    How do physicians behave when they participate in audit and feedback activities in a group with their peers?
    (2018-07-31) Cooke, Lara J; Duncan, Diane; Rivera, Laura; Dowling, Shawn K; Symonds, Christopher; Armson, Heather
    Abstract Background Audit and feedback interventions may be strengthened using social interaction. With this in mind, the Calgary office of the Alberta Physician Learning Program developed a process for audit and group feedback for physician groups. As a part of a larger project to develop a practical approach to the design and implementation of audit and group feedback projects, we explored patterns of physician behavior during facilitated audit and group feedback sessions. Methods Six audit and group feedback sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically to derive a conceptual model of physicians’ behaviors during audit and group feedback sessions. Results A predictable cycle of behaviors emerged from audit and group feedback sessions. This cycle would repeat with discussion of each new data element: reacting to the data, questioning and understanding the data, justifying and contextualizing, sharing and reflecting on the data and relevant guidelines, and planning for change. “Change cues” that emerged within groups reliably pivoted the discussion towards action planning. Conclusions In audit and group feedback sessions, physicians display a predictable series of behaviors as they move towards commitment to change. Establishing the meaning and credibility of the data is a necessary precursor to reflection. Group reflection leads to “change cues” triggered by group members, which stimulate action planning.
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    OpenLabyrinth for Learning and Teaching
    (Taylor Insitute Teaching Community, 2014-05-13) Topps, David; Armson, Heather
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    The Calgary Audit and Feedback Framework: a practical, evidence-informed approach for the design and implementation of socially constructed learning interventions using audit and group feedback
    (2018-10-30) Cooke, Lara J; Duncan, Diane; Rivera, Laura; Dowling, Shawn K; Symonds, Christopher; Armson, Heather
    Abstract Background Audit and feedback interventions may be strengthened using social interaction. The Calgary office of the Alberta Physician Learning Program (CPLP) developed a process for audit and group feedback for physicians. This paper extends previous work in which we developed a conceptual model of physician responses to audit and group feedback based on a qualitative analysis of six audit and group feedback sessions. The present study explored the mediating factors for successfully engaging physician groups in change planning through audit and group feedback. Methods To understand why some groups were more interactive than others, we completed a comparative case analysis of the six audit and group feedback projects from the prior study. We used framework analysis to build the case studies, triangulated our observations across data sources to validate findings, compared the case studies for similarities and differences that influenced social interaction (mediating factors), and thematically categorized mediating factors into an organizing framework. Results Mediating factors for socially interactive AGFS were a pre-existing relationship between the program team and the physician group, projects addressing important, actionable questions, easily interpretable data visualization in the reports, and facilitation of the groups that included reflective questioning. When these factors were in place (cases 1, 2A, 3), the audit and group feedback sessions were dynamic, with physicians sharing and comparing practices, and raising change cues (such as declaring commitments to de-prescribing, planning educational interventions, and improving documentation). In cases 2C–D, the mediating factors were less well established and in these cases, the sessions showed little physician reflection or change planning. We organized the mediating factors into a framework linking the factors for successful sessions to the conceptual model of physician behaviors which these mediating factors drive. Conclusions We propose the Calgary Audit and Feedback Framework as a practical tool to help foster socially constructed learning in audit and group feedback sessions. Ensuring that the four factors, relationship, question choice, data visualization, and facilitation, are considered for design and implementation of audit and group feedback will help physicians move from reactions to their data towards planning for change.
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    Understanding the Development of a Physician Practice Reflection Tool – A Case Study
    (2024-04-30) Burnett, Hongyu; Alonso-Yañez, Gabriela; Armson, Heather; Simmons, Marlon; Bharwani, Aleem; Campbell-Scherer, Denise
    This study investigated the development of a physician practice reflection tool by Continuing Professional Development (CPD) educators at the University of Calgary, focusing on the operationalization of the Physician Practice Improvement (PPI) system. The problem addressed was the evolving expectations of physician CPD in Canada, emphasizing the need for tools that support reflective practice and meet specific learning needs. Using an instrumental case study methodology within an interpretive paradigm, this study explored the design process of the My Practice Improvement (MyPI) tool from November 2020 to November 2021. Data were collected through field observations, document reviews, and interviews, providing insights into tool conceptualization, educators' collaborative efforts in tool design, and the challenges faced in the project process. These findings revealed considerable advancements in the translation of the PPI system into CPD programming. The MyPI tool was designed to facilitate physicians' self-assessment and reflection, thus aligning their learning with individual practice improvements. The key strategies developed included structured guidance for reflective practice and linking learning with quality improvement metrics. This study illustrates how CPD tools can be designed to empower physicians to direct their learning and improve their patient care. This research contributes to the field by detailing a practical approach to developing CPD tools that support PPI systems. It offers insights into collaborative educational practices and the potential for broader application across CPD programs aimed at addressing physician practice improvement.