TY - JOUR
T1 - Do we become better prescribers after graduation
T2 - A 1-year international follow-up study among junior doctors
AU - Donker, Erik M.
AU - Brinkman, David J.
AU - van Rosse, Floor
AU - Janssen, Ben
AU - Knol, Wilma
AU - Dumont, Glenn
AU - Jorens, Philippe G.
AU - Dupont, Alain
AU - Christiaens, Thierry
AU - van Smeden, Jeroen
AU - de Waard-Siebinga, Itte
AU - Peeters, Laura E.J.
AU - Goorden, Ronald
AU - Hessel, Marleen
AU - Lissenberg-Witte, Birgit
AU - Richir, Milan
AU - van Agtmael, Michiel A.
AU - Kramers, Cornelis
AU - Tichelaar, Jelle
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by ZonMw, The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, project number: 83600095004.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate how the prescribing knowledge and skills of junior doctors in the Netherlands and Belgium develop in the year after graduation. We also analysed differences in knowledge and skills between surgical and nonsurgical junior doctors.METHODS: This international, multicentre (n = 11), longitudinal study analysed the learning curves of junior doctors working in various specialties via three validated assessments at about the time of graduation, and 6 months and 1 year after graduation. Each assessment contained 35 multiple choice questions (MCQs) on medication safety (passing grade ≥85%) and three clinical scenarios.RESULTS: In total, 556 junior doctors participated, 326 (58.6%) of whom completed the MCQs and 325 (58.5%) the clinical case scenarios of all three assessments. Mean prescribing knowledge was stable in the year after graduation, with 69% (SD 13) correctly answering questions at assessment 1 and 71% (SD 14) at assessment 3, whereas prescribing skills decreased: 63% of treatment plans were considered adequate at assessment 1 but only 40% at assessment 3 (P < .001). While nonsurgical doctors had similar learning curves for knowledge and skills as surgical doctors (P = .53 and P = .56 respectively), their overall level was higher at all three assessments (all P < .05).CONCLUSION: These results show that junior doctors' prescribing knowledge and skills did not improve while they were working in clinical practice. Moreover, their level was under the predefined passing grade. As this might adversely affect patient safety, educational interventions should be introduced to improve the prescribing competence of junior doctors.
AB - AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate how the prescribing knowledge and skills of junior doctors in the Netherlands and Belgium develop in the year after graduation. We also analysed differences in knowledge and skills between surgical and nonsurgical junior doctors.METHODS: This international, multicentre (n = 11), longitudinal study analysed the learning curves of junior doctors working in various specialties via three validated assessments at about the time of graduation, and 6 months and 1 year after graduation. Each assessment contained 35 multiple choice questions (MCQs) on medication safety (passing grade ≥85%) and three clinical scenarios.RESULTS: In total, 556 junior doctors participated, 326 (58.6%) of whom completed the MCQs and 325 (58.5%) the clinical case scenarios of all three assessments. Mean prescribing knowledge was stable in the year after graduation, with 69% (SD 13) correctly answering questions at assessment 1 and 71% (SD 14) at assessment 3, whereas prescribing skills decreased: 63% of treatment plans were considered adequate at assessment 1 but only 40% at assessment 3 (P < .001). While nonsurgical doctors had similar learning curves for knowledge and skills as surgical doctors (P = .53 and P = .56 respectively), their overall level was higher at all three assessments (all P < .05).CONCLUSION: These results show that junior doctors' prescribing knowledge and skills did not improve while they were working in clinical practice. Moreover, their level was under the predefined passing grade. As this might adversely affect patient safety, educational interventions should be introduced to improve the prescribing competence of junior doctors.
KW - clinical pharmacology
KW - graduate
KW - medical education
KW - pharmacotherapy
KW - prescribing knowledge and skills
KW - Medical Staff, Hospital
KW - Follow-Up Studies
KW - Humans
KW - Clinical Competence/statistics & numerical data
KW - Longitudinal Studies
KW - Practice Patterns, Physicians'
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133809937&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/bcp.15443
DO - 10.1111/bcp.15443
M3 - Article
C2 - 35716366
AN - SCOPUS:85133809937
SN - 0306-5251
VL - 88
SP - 5218
EP - 5226
JO - British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
JF - British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
IS - 12
ER -