Welcome back!

We hope you had a wonderful holiday and that you're now ready for 2012 and the new challenges it will bring. We wish you a great year and a good start to the semester. At NPS, we're working hard to improve our online modules and IT support. In this new semester, National Prescribing Curriculum (NPC) users will be able to complete the Antimicrobials suite (3 modules) and module 28: Acute mania in bipolar disorder. We're also launching the Grade book feature inside the NPC, allowing academics to monitor student's progress, import data and follow up on students' completion of the modules with just a few clicks.

We have lots of other exciting new things this year, including video tutorials on how to use NPC modules that will encourage self-directed learning and provide solutions to computer-related issues. We're also incorporating student and academic testimonials in upcoming issues of eLearning @ NPS so everyone can benefit from the shared experiences.

We hope that you enjoy this and future issues, and as usual we welcome your feedback.

In this issue

• Is your computer system ready for NPS online modules?
• New module: Acute mania in bipolar disorder
• Academics share their experience using NPC modules
• NPC knowledge assessment study
• Antimicrobial online modules
• Keep up to date with NPS publications

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Is your computer ready for NPS online modules?

When developing e-learning modules we take into account that online learning requires interactivity in order to engage learners with the different tasks, and to have a positive outcome. Interactivity is possible using Flash and JavaScript technologies. Your system must meet the basic requirements in order for the modules to work smoothly. We have developed a system check to ensure that our modules work with your browser.

Check for updates

Before you log in, we highly recommend you update to the latest versions of Flash player and Java Platform. These updates are simple to install; simply download the files and follow the prompts. We recommend that you restart your computer after installing these updates. These updates are crucial for viewing the module content properly and preventing your system from crashing. We know this can be a frustrating experience and we want to make sure you avoid it.

Enabling pop-ups

Another important tip is to enable pop-up windows in your browser; otherwise you will not be able to see the modules. If your browser has a Google Toolbar installed, you may need to enable them there as well. Settings on how to enable pop-up windows vary according to browser, version and operational system.

It's crucial to keep your system up to date, whether you use a PC or a Mac. Updating your system and applications ensures that they work correctly and prevents them from crashing. Even if you have your updates set up automatically, it's recommended that you check for updates manually once a week to maintain a healthy system.

If you're experiencing issues accessing our modules please Contact us or phone 02 8217 8642. Make sure you have the module name, the browser you are using and a good description of the issue you are experiencing handy so we can help you as best we can.

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National Prescribing Curriculum (NPC)

New module: Acute mania in bipolar disorder

In this module, you will assess and manage a patient previously diagnosed with bipolar I disorder presenting with symptoms of acute mania.

Meet your patient Carrie…

Carrie (38 years old, female, married with children, bank employee) was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder by a psychiatrist last year after she experienced two depressive episodes and a manic episode.

Her husband brought her to the emergency ward worried because she had stopped eating and drinking and had become increasingly irritable in the last 2 days. She had not slept for 4 days, apparently preoccupied with solving calculations for work. A week ago, she had decided to discontinue her lithium carbonate as she felt fine and felt she had no need for it. Despite her family's encouragement, Carrie refused to take her medication.

On completion of this module you should be able to:

• identify evidenced-based management of acute mania in bipolar I disorder
• explain the importance of non-pharmacological management of bipolar disorder
• recognise the importance of adherence to pharmacological therapy
• state the adverse effects of medicines used for bipolar disorder select appropriate parameters to monitor treatment response during acute and maintenance phases of bipolar I disorder.

What would you do to improve Carrie's health?

Log in to find out more about Carrie.

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Academics share their experience using NPC modules

 

Dr Juanita Westbury, a lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at the University of Tasmania told us about how they use the NPC modules in their classrooms. NPC modules are introduced in the last semester of the university course (year 4) to encourage self-directed learning. At the end of the semester, the students are assessed to ensure they understand the whole concept. When we asked Juanita about the modules she said, 'I think they are relevant, I like the stepwise progression ... they're very thorough ... I really like the emphasis on non-pharmacological treatment to start with, they sort of encourage the student to think about the whole case and the whole patient ... they're also used by the majority of schools and universities in Australia and it's sort of good to know it's a consistent approach being used across the country'. Juanita also mentioned that they receive good feedback from students, saying they enjoy the modules and think they are relevant for their studies. She highly recommends the NPC modules to other academics, commenting that it's important to explain to students the reason for using the modules. To watch Juanita's interview please hit the play button.

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NPC knowledge assessment study

A multidisciplinary study with 83 medical, 40 pharmacy and 13 nurse practitioner students was conducted at the Universities of Melbourne, Tasmania and Sydney to evaluate the impact of NPC modules on students' prescribing and therapeutic knowledge, and to assess the usefulness of answering multiple choice questions (MCQs) before and after the modules. Students were asked to answer a set of 10 online MCQs immediately before and after completing one of the NPC modules on chronic heart failure (CHF) or prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE). These MCQs were written and peer reviewed by subject experts before the study. For each MCQ, students had to indicate how certain they were with their answer on a three-point scale (low, medium and high). The certainty-based questions were used to assess the confidence level of students, and there is evidence suggesting that such questions promote reflective thinking. On a five-point scale, students had to rate the usefulness of completing the pre- and post-modules and the certainty-based questions as a learning activity.

The results show that the NPC enhances the prescribing and therapeutic knowledge of students from multiple disciplines with students performing significantly better after completing the module compared with before. This study also confirmed previous findings from student and academic surveys that the NPC is a useful resource. Additionally, from all cohorts, over 75% of the students found completing the pre-module MCQs helpful as a learning activity and over 85% felt the same about the post-module MCQs.

Based on the findings of this study, we are rolling out the MCQs and the certainty-based questions as an optional learning resource in NPC modules. So look out for these when you next visit the NPC.

Further to students having access to an additional learning activity within these 3 modules, the anonymous responses will help us further evaluate the impact of NPC modules.

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Antimicrobial online modules

Working in collaboration with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) we have launched 3 online modules (in pilot mode) that deal with antimicrobials in hospital settings:

• Staphylococcal bacteraemia
• Surgical prophylaxis
• Catheter-related urinary tract infection.

These modules focus on antimicrobial prescribing and incorporate the format of the WHO Guide to Good Prescribing used in the current NPC modules. Clinical experts from the ACSQHC, in conjunction with our Educational Design and Support (EDS) team and independent reviewers, have been working extensively on this exciting project for almost 6 months.

The objectives in developing an online learning program that teaches safe and appropriate antimicrobial prescribing include:

• Filling an unmet need for an online teaching resource that's accessible to all prescribers and which forms a common curriculum for hospitals and universities to teach the principles of safe and appropriate antimicrobial prescribing.
• Providing a teaching resource that's endorsed by experts and addresses problems in the prescribing of antimicrobials known to drive the development of antimicrobial resistance.
• Contributing to the overall effort of antimicrobial stewardship in containing and improving the quality of antimicrobial use in Australia. 

The main audience for the program are medical prescribers in their first two years post-graduation. However, the program is open to other prescribers such as nurse practitioners, hospital pharmacists and university students. If you're a student and you're interested in completing the modules, please contact your academic staff to request access. Modules are free of charge.

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Keep up to date with NPS publications

NPS has a wide range of free evidence-based publications for health professionals that are highly respected, including peer-reviewed journals and newsletters. These publications are guided and reviewed by groups of experts, editorial panels, expert reviewers and the public. The material is derived from a wide range of authoritative evidence researched and written by internal teams of health professional, medical and consumer writers.

Australian Prescriber is a free, independent publication providing readily accessible information about drugs and therapeutics. It covers topics for health professionals, students and consumers.

NPS News provides health professionals with succinct, independent information on therapeutic topics.

NPS RADAR provides independent, evidence-based assessment of new drugs, new PBS listings and the latest research for doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals.

Prescribing Practice Review presents key messages for quality prescribing on selected therapeutic topics and evidence-based prescribing information.

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