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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01168323

Spaced Education to Optimize Prostate Cancer Screening

Two memory research findings (the spacing and testing effects) can dramatically improve retention of learning, but they have largely have been ignored by educators. The researchers have developed a novel form of online education (termed 'spaced education') based on these two effects which has been shown in randomized trials to improve knowledge acquisition and boost learning retention. Using prostate cancer screening as an experimental system, the researchers investigated whether spaced education could durably improve clinicians' behaviors, not just their knowledge.

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Key information

Conditions

Prostate Cancer Genital Diseases Genital Diseases, Male Genital Neoplasms, Male Male Urogenital Diseases Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Prostatic Diseases Prostatic Neoplasms Urogenital Diseases Urogenital Neoplasms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System

Boston, Massachusetts, 02130, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) from the 8 Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals in the New England region (Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 [VISN-1]) were eligible to enroll.

Exclusion criteria

  • Primary care providers (PCPs) who ordered PSA as a screen for prostate cancer less than 10 times each year were excluded.

Treatment and study plan

Online spaced education

Behavioral

Spaced education is currently delivered via periodic emails that contain clinical case scenarios and multiple-choice questions. Upon submitting answers to each question online, clinicians receive immediate feedback and educational material. The questions are then repeated over spaced intervals of time to harness the pedagogical benefits of the spacing effect.

Primary outcomes

  1. Percentage of inappropriate prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening performed by clinicians

    Time frame: Weeks 1-108

    The primary outcome measure was the difference in the percentage of inappropriate PSA screening performed by clinicians in the spaced education and control cohorts. Based on published clinical guidelines and reports, inappropriate PSA utilization was defined as the use of PSA for prostate cancer screening in patients >76 or <40 years old, or with an estimated life expectancy of less than 10 years.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in test scores between cohorts measured in weeks 1-36

    Time frame: Weeks 1-36

  2. Change in spaced education performance measured in weeks 1-36

    Time frame: Weeks 1-36

  3. Clinicians' intention to participate in future spaced education programs

    Time frame: Week 36

    Assessed on end-of program survey at week 36

  4. Time required by clinicians to complete the spaced education questions-explanations

    Time frame: Week 36

    Assessed on end-of program survey at week 36

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Harvard University Faculty of Medicine

Other

Collaborators

  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
  • American Urological Association
  • Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • US Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Wyeth is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2007
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2009
First posted
Jul 23, 2010
Registry last updated
Aug 9, 2010

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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