eLearning @ NPSeLearning @ NPS July 2011

Welcome to the first issue of e-learning @ NPS, a new quarterly e-newsletter from the Educational Design and Support team at NPS.

e-learning @ NPS is designed to keep health professionals, students and universities up to date with relevant NPS products. If you are a student, you have received this email because you requested to receive more information about NPS products. For academics, e-learning @ NPS will build on the relationship between your university and NPS. It is part of our ongoing commitment to provide quality educational tools for health professional and students.

Our digital newsletter contains news and updates about NPS online learning resources available to health professionals and students. It informs and inspires academics, providing opportunities to incorporate free NPS online learning resources in their curriculum. We also include information on NPS events, publications, new products, projects and partnerships that may be of interest to you. We hope that you enjoy this and future issues and we welcome your feedback on this initiative.

In this issue

• NPS wins e-learning award!
  
• e-learning resources from NPS: what's in it for me?
• National Prescribing Curriculum
• The NPC evaluation report: What do learners think about the NPC modules?
• National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC) online training module
  
• Keep up to date with NPS publications

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NPS wins e-learning award!

We are proud to announce that the National Prescribing Curriculum has been awarded the Platinum Award in the Best Bespoke Learning Solution category of the 2011 LearnX E-learning & Training Awards. This category focuses on tailor-made learning solutions (or programs) that have had a significant positive impact on workforce performance. The Platinum Award is awarded to the highest scoring entry in the category. We look forward to attending the Awards presentation ceremony in September 2011 in Brisbane. 

Additionally the National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC) online training course was shortlisted as a finalist during the first stage of the international IMS Global 2011 Learning Impact Awards (Australian Regional Finals). We attended the judging for the competition in February 2011 in Melbourne and participated in a very intense, high energy judging session based on specific criteria. Amidst some very fierce competition, the course was not selected to represent Australia. Nonetheless, it was great exposure and a good learning opportunity.  

At NPS, we are committed to providing you with quality, useful and relevant e-learning resources and it is exciting for our work to be recognised by experts and peers in the e-learning world. Many people are involved in bringing our e-learning resources to life, so a huge thank you to academics and clinicians involved in writing or reviewing our products, and to our learners for your ongoing support and feedback.
 

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e-learning resources from NPS: what's in it for me?

Well, there is a lot in it for you! As a discipline, e-learning is relatively young but it has been evolving very quickly with changing technology. Technology has rearranged the way we live, communicate and socialise and it is rearranging the way we learn, making it more interactive, engaging and ubiquitous.

NPS has made a decision to invest in e-learning so that you can have the autonomy and the choice to decide when, where and how to learn. We work hard to ensure that our e-learning resources are founded on solid pedagogical principles and we use a variety of tools to engage you and enhance your learning experience.

So, whether you are an academic or a student, we trust that you will find something that is of relevance to you in the suite of NPS e-learning resources. Not only that, we trust that you will enjoy using these resources and be able to apply what you learn into your day-to-day work.  Our online learning resources are available for free please contact us for further information.  

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National Prescribing Curriculum

The National Prescribing Curriculum (NPC) is a series of case-based modules for new prescribers that encourage confident and rational prescribing. The modules follow a step-wise approach as outlined in the WHO's (World Health Organization's) Guide to Good Prescribing.

New module: opioid analgesics in chronic non-cancer pain

We have recently launched module 26 in the NPC series. In this module, you will be considering the role of opioid analgesics in managing Winston, a 64-year-old man who suffers from chronic non-specific back pain.

Meet your patient Winston…

Winston is a 64-year-old artist who has come to see you for worsening back pain. About 5 years ago Winston started feeling pain in his lower back and went to see his GP. As the pain was thought to be associated with years of standing for many hours in front of his easel, Winston's GP referred him to an occupational therapist.

For the past 3 years, in conjunction with posture change while painting, paracetamol and ibuprofen have been effective in controlling his non-specific low back pain. Recently, he reports that the pain has been increasing and is distracting him from his work, making simple daily tasks, such as moving his easel and walking to the nearby wine bar, increasingly difficult.

Winston lives alone and drinks 2 or 3 glasses of wine a day. He takes irbesartan 300mg for hypertension and atorvastatin 10mg for hypercholesterolaemia (both in the morning). He takes paracetamol 1g four times a day regularly and ibuprofen when required for breakthrough pain. Winston has no history of falls or injury. His family history is unremarkable with respect to cardiovascular diseases, cancer or musculoskeletal disorders. Further questioning revealed no lower limb pain or neurological symptoms.

On examination there is no sign of asymmetry of the lumbar spine. There is some restriction of movement on lumbar flexion but not on extension. His blood pressure is 126/80 mmHg. His body mass index is 31 kg/m2. His renal and liver function test, fasting blood glucose and full blood count are within the normal range.

What would you do to improve Winston's health?

 

What will I learn from this module?

On completion of this module, you will be able to:

• recognise the role of a thorough history and physical examination to determine if further investigations are necessary
• develop a multidisciplinary pain management plan
• explore non-drug strategies for management of chronic non-cancer pain
• understand the importance of initiating any opioid therapy on a trial basis only to assess effectiveness and adverse effects
• understand the risks and benefits of opioid analgesia in chronic non-cancer pain
• assess the indications for ongoing opioid analgesia on an individual patient basis
  

Attention academics: NPC enrolment for second semester now open

Enrolment for second semester has started. Contact us to discuss your enrolment needs for the new semester. We can assist by setting up access for your learners and provide them with a brief user guide that outlines each activity in a typical module, computer requirements and frequently asked questions. We can also give you access to monitor your learners' progress. We also support learners via email and phone should there be any technical issues or feedback/suggestions. For more information please contact the Educational Design and Support team.

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The NPC evaluation report: What do learners think about the NPC modules?

NPS conducted a survey of medical, pharmacy, nurse practitioner and dental students in 2010 to gain an understanding of students' attitudes towards the NPC in terms of usability, content and usefulness.

Four hundred and forty two students responded to the survey. Medical students formed the major part of the responders (79.6%), followed by pharmacy students (14.1%), then nurse practitioner students (4.8%) and dental students (1.6%). The proportion of each student group is moderately representative of the students registered on the NPC for 2009-10.

Attitudes towards NPC module tasks, content, relevance and navigation were overwhelmingly positive. Students found the module tasks engaging, the instructions easy to follow, the content clearly presented and the modules relevant to (anticipated) clinical experience. Learning objectives were reported to be clear, and module tasks/activities were found to adequately address the objectives.

'Excellent. Medical students should be required to complete all of the modules before graduating from medical school. They are invaluable.' Medical student

The findings of the survey highlight the positive impact that the NPC has on students' perceived knowledge and confidence in relation to prescribing and therapeutics. There was 90% agreement among students that their knowledge of the topics and prescribing processes covered improved as a result of completing the modules. They also felt better prepared and more confident to prescribe/recommend appropriately.

'Good resource with practical orientation.' Nurse practitioner student

'Great feedback and rationale after each case.' Pharmacy student

The survey also highlighted some areas for improvement; these areas are actively addressed as they arise. Suggestions made by students are also being considered.

A knowledge assessment study, in collaboration with several universities who use the NPC modules, is currently underway to assess the extent to which the NPC is enhancing the prescribing capabilities of future health professionals. Medical, pharmacy and nurse practitioner students will volunteer to complete multiple choice questions (MCQs) before and after doing an NPC module. This study will also assess the possibility of using MCQs as a learning tool for the students. It is anticipated that the MCQs used in the study will be made available to all students using the NPC modules from 2012 onwards.

Read the full NPC evaluation report.

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National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC) online training course

If you haven't already heard, NPS has recently launched the new National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC) online training course. The interactive web-based course consists of 7 modules which guide the learner through the principles of safe prescribing and demonstrate how to correctly complete the NIMC by following national guidelines. It is applicable to health professional staff and students involved in medication management (either prescribing, dispensing or administering) in a hospital setting.

The NIMC online training course allows learners to practice skills in documenting and interpreting medication orders within a safe environment. It incorporates formative and summative assessment tasks and is based around 3 patient case studies, making the learning realistic, relevant and applicable to the learner's workplace. It also includes a module on the special features of the paediatric NIMC.

All learner's progress and scores are recorded so that the course can be completed progressively over a number of sessions if required. Learners can print their own transcripts as proof of completion and organisations can apply for access to generate on-call reports on completion status and scores for all staff in their organisation.

Here are some testimonials from our learners:

'This is a fantastic, totally relevant course…I feel far more confident having been able to analyse medication charts outside the frantic setting of placement in the hospital. This was an issue of concern to me regarding my professional practice previously, but I now feel much more educated and confident…here's to a future healthcare system with minimal medication errors!' Nursing student

'The course was so relevant and practical, a valuable use of my time. Thanks!' Pharmacy student

'Excellent. The online modules allow me to go through the teaching at my own pace and time. Very well structured.' Hospital intern

The NIMC online training course is freely available to all Australian health professionals and students via the NPS online learning site.

Email us or phone (02) 8217 8642 during business hours for support.

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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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