Strategies for Designing Education for Providers: Findings from CDC’s Training Series on Applying CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids

Background:

To help address the opioid crisis, CDC released the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain to provide recommendations for safe opioid prescribing practices. The challenge: how to equip busy providers with the knowledge and tools for prescribing opioids. The response: CDC created an interactive online training series of 11 modules to educate healthcare providers on the Guideline recommendations and provide them with an opportunity to review the Guideline recommendations and learn how to apply them in their practice.

Program background:

Training design began in 2016, shortly after the Guideline’s release. Given the variation in the learner audience in terms of knowledge, experience, and education, we designed each module as a standalone learning experience so that providers can tailor the learning experience to their specific needs. Trainings were developed by instructional systems designers through consultation with clinical subject matter experts using an iterative design process. Each module was pilot tested with the target audience prior to its release and pilot test results were used to revise the training. To assess the effectiveness of the modules in communicating with and meeting the learning needs of providers, participants completed a 29 item post-training survey asking questions about whether the training addressed a knowledge gap, their ability to apply the knowledge to their practice, and the instructional strategies used.

Evaluation Methods and Results: We analyzed post-training data to inform the design of subsequent modules and to plan updates to modules released previously. Nearly 16,000 learners completed the training, with roughly 90% indicating that the training addresses a knowledge gap and that they will apply the training in their practice. Learners liked the interactive patient scenarios, finding them useful in learning how to communicate options to patients. When asked to identify barriers to implementing the knowledge learned, some providers noted the challenge in changing patient attitudes and expectations regarding pain management. Learners recommended that additional patient cases be added to include pregnant patients, patients with opioid use disorder, and hostile patients. Other suggestions include addressing how to manage treatment constraints such as the limited time for each patient visit and insurance coverage.

Conclusions: Assessment of the trainings suggested that providers found the trainings useful and relevant to their practice. To ensure that we meet providers’ needs moving forward, we recommend collecting additional feedback six months after the training is taken to gain further insights to challenges and successes in implementing safe prescribing practices.

Implications for research and/or practice:

This effort yielded insights into instructional strategy preferences of busy healthcare providers. Specifically, providers indicated that the interactive trainings addressed knowledge gaps and that they can apply the trainings to their practice. Data suggest that offering the learner a variety of patient cases is beneficial to providers.