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Table 4 Factors Associated with Improvements in Knowledge, Confidence and Communication.

From: Randomized controlled trial comparing four strategies for delivering e-curriculum to health care professionals [ISRCTN88148532]

Characteristic

Change in %Correct,

Knowledge Questions

P Value

Change in Confidence

Scale Score

P Value

Change in Communications

Practices Scale Score

P Value

 

N

(mean ± SD)

 

N

(mean ± SD)

 

N

(mean ± SD)

 

Overall change from baseline

768

22.0 ± 13.2

 

735

10.5 ± 22.8

 

440

.33 ± 1.74

 

Gender

         

Male

177

21.8 ± 14.2

.18*

164

11.8 ± 20.6

.72#

110

.26 ± 1.55

.52#

Female

591

22.0 ± 12.9

 

571

10.1 ± 23.5

 

330

.35 ± 1.81

 

Delivery Method

         

Push

394

21.7 ± 12.7

.58*

382

10.5 ± 22.6

.79#

230

.27 ± 1.69

.16#

Pull

374

22.2 ± 13.7

 

353

10.4 ± 23.1

 

320

.38 ± 1.81

 

Drip

402

22.7 ± 13.5

.10*

388

10.6 ± 23.6

.65#

226

.35 ± 1.85

.74#

Bolus

366

21.2 ± 12.8

 

347

10.3 ± 22.0

 

214

.30 ± 1.62

 

Practice Status

         

Trainee

263

22.9 ± 15.1

.84*

248

15.7 ± 21.4

<.001#

112

.28 ± 1.55

.56#

Faculty/Practice

505

21.5 ± 12.1

 

487

7.8 ± 23.1

 

328

.34 ± 1.81

 

Seen Patients in last 30 days

         

No

231

24.9 ± 14.7

<.001*

216

14.6 ± 22.7

<.001#

   

Yes

537

20.7 ± 12.3

 

519

8.8 ± 22.7

 

Required for this measure

 

Paid CE Fee

         

No

319

20.5 ± 15.0

.012*

307

7.4 ± 23.8

.006#

122

.43 ± 1.57

.31#

Yes

449

23.0 ± 11.6

 

428

12.7 ± 21.9

 

318

.28 ± 1.81

 

Age

         

≤30 years

198

24.4 ± 15.0

.005†

187

15.4 ± 22.2

.001^

83

.27 ± 1.57

.51^

31–40 years

121

19.6 ± 12.0

 

117

7.0 ± 24.0

 

75

.54 ± 1.60

 

41–50 years

229

20.8 ± 12.0

 

220

7.4 ± 23.1

 

145

.20 ± 1.72

 

>50 years

220

22.4 ± 13.0

 

211

11.3 ± 21.8

 

137

.38 ± 1.94

 

Professional Group

         

Nutrition/Dietician

110

23.4 ± 10.6

<.001†

111

2.9 ± 24.9

<.001^

60

.37 ± 1.84

.28#

Nurse/NP

205

23.3 ± 12.5

 

195

12.4 ± 23.8

 

126

.29 ± 2.06

 

Physican/PA

231

18.6 ± 12.4

 

218

9.2 ± 21.5

 

176

.44 ± 1.59

 

Pharmacist

43

20.0 ± 12.3

 

43

-3.4 ± 18.3

 

17

.56 ± 0.93

 

Student

179

24.4 ± 15.6

 

168

18.5 ± 19.6

 

61

-.05 ± 1.50

 

No. Herbs and Supplement Used

  

<.001†

  

.76^

  

.47^

0

111

24.4 ± 15.0

 

103

7.8 ± 26.5

 

55

.32 ± 1.46

 

1–3

241

23.5 ± 12.8

 

232

11.1 ± 24.4

 

133

.32 ± 1.57

 

4–8

238

21.8 ± 13.8

 

231

10.6 ± 23.1

 

146

.47 ± 1.82

 

9+

178

18.7 ± 11.0

 

169

11.0 ± 17.3

 

106

.14 ± 1.98

 

Computer Expertise Self-Report Scale

  

.003‡

  

.058‡

  

.50‡

1 (Novice)

16

29.5 ± 11.9

 

12

23.9 ± 16.8

  

.52 ± 1.48

 

2

38

20.9 ± 12.9

 

39

7.7 ± 25.7

  

.28 ± 1.37

 

3

124

24.3 ± 12.0

 

120

12.4 ± 22.2

  

.33 ± 1.87

 

4

227

22.7 ± 12.7

 

214

11.6 ± 22.9

  

.43 ± 1.65

 

5

271

20.0 ± 12.9

 

264

9.1 ± 23.1

  

.25 ± 1.92

 

6

85

23.1 ± 15.9

 

81

9.4 ± 21.7

  

.26 ± 1.45

 

7 (Expert)

7

11.7 ± 12.8

 

5

-1.0 ± 25.3

  

-.17 ± 1.04

 
  1. * T test in conjunction with Levene test for equal variances.
  2. † One-way ANOVA. Pairwise analysis of subgroups not performed.
  3. ‡ Spearman's rho for correlation of ordinal with continuous variable (correlation coefficient = -.11 for knowledge change and -.07 for confidence change).
  4. # Mann Whitney test.
  5. ^ Kruskal Wallis test. Pairwise analysis of subgroups not performed.
  6. Notes: The Confidence Scale ranges from 19 to 95. A change in score of 19 is the equivalent of moving from one Likert scale category (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree) to an adjacent category for each of the 19 items in the scale. A change of 10 could represent similar change for 10 of 19 items, a change of two levels in 5 items, etc.
  7. The Communications Practices Scale ranges from 0 to 10. A change of 1.0 would be the approximate equivalent of increasing the frequency of practices by 10% in each of the 9 percentage items in the scale. A change of 0.2 could represent an increase in frequency of 20% in a single item.
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BMC Medical Education

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