Abstract

There is a need to further understand the value of continuing health education (CHE) and its effectiveness. Physicians report spending, on average 50 hours per year in CHE activities geared toward improving their performance and/or optimizing the outcomes of their patients (Davis, O'Brien, Freemantle, Wolf, Mazmanian, & Taylor-Vaisey, 1999). Despite this investment, studies have demonstrated a lack of effect on physicians' performance of current practice guidelines or gaps between real and ideal performance. The findings of this study demonstrate that changes beyond knowledge transfer can occur as a result of didactic peer led group education despite barriers to application. The results of this research also illustrate the need to further investigate six key areas relating to measuring the return of CHE interventions within the pharmaceutical industry: 1) the evaluation of multiple CHE activities/interventions implemented as a concerted effort over time 2) the importance of clear identification of the types of practice changes and patient outcomes that are being targeted by CHE programs 3) the implementation of validated behavior and/or practice change instruments within CHE program assessment 4) a better understanding of the role that barriers to change play in the effectiveness of CHE programs 5) a better understanding of inter-disciplinary/interprofessional education and the specific needs associated with this type of educational intervention with regards to program design and implementation 6) the continuous refinement of models for calculating gains or losses from educational programs in an aim to consistently demonstrate the value of CHE within provider organizations