Online PARP Inhibitor Education Has Positive Impact on Oncologists’ and OB/GYNs’ Knowledge and Confidence

Online education of clinicians improves knowledge and confidence in the ability to integrate poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in the treatment of newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer into clinical practice.

A study of oncologists and obstetricians/gynecologists released during the European Society of Gynecological Oncology Virtual Congress 2020 found an improvement in the number of correct responses measuring clinician knowledge, as well as a positive shift in confidence. As a result of participation in the activity, nearly half (47%) of the participants stated that they would modify patient treatment plans.

Results were presented by Geoff Fisher from Medscape Global Education, New York City, and colleagues.

The online education consisted of a 30-minute online video panel discussion with synchronized slides. The effect of the activity was measured by repeated-pairs pre-/post-activity, in which individual participants served as their own control. Answers to 3 multiple-choice knowledge questions, and 1 self-efficacy, 5-point Likert scale confidence question were analyzed.

A total of 157 oncologists and 152 OB/GYNs completed pre- and post-activity questions. Among the oncologists, the average number of correct responses on the 3-item multiple-choice activity improved from 59% before the activity to 74% after the activity. Among the OB/GYNs, the corresponding percentages were 48% pre- and 58% post-activity.

Participants with all 3 correct answers to the multiple-choice questions improved from 16% pre-activity to 44% post-activity among the oncologists, and from 11% pre- to 32% post-activity among the OB/GYNs.

Before the online education, only 18% of oncologists and 16% of OB/GYNs correctly answered questions on identifying data from the PRIMA trial of niraparib, compared with 48% and 41%, respectively, after the online education. Similar improvements were observed when participants were asked to identify data from the PAOLA trial for olaparib: 68% of oncologists and 53% of OB/GYNs answered correctly pre-activity, compared with 80% and 59%, respectively, post-activity.

Improvements in the percentage of correct responses post-activity were also observed for questions on identifying data from the PRIMA trial of niraparib (oncologists: 18% to 48%; OB/GYNs 16% to 41%) and the PAOLA trial data for olaparib (oncologists: 68% to 80%; OB/GYNs 53% to 59%).

Confidence in the ability to integrate PARP inhibitors into practice improved pre-activity to post-activity, with a total confidence shift of 14% for oncologists and 29% for OB/GYNs.

“This on-demand, online video panel discussion resulted in a positive educational impact,” the investigators concluded. “However, education gaps remain evident, especially among OB/GYNs. Online medical education, increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, is valuable in supporting implementation of new treatment strategies and identifying areas of continued educational need.”