Grant: Operating Grant: Knowledge to Action

The prescribing of medicines is one of the fastest growing elements of health care expenditures, yet it is also one of the most inappropriately managed. Health systems globally are interested in promoting appropriate use of medications, which has resulted in a substantial collection of literature describing best prescribing practices. However this collection of evidence remains largely hidden and inaccessible to those that need it. In response to the growing need for enhanced accessibility to this information, Rx for Change was launched in 2007. Rx for Change is an online database of evidence summaries concerning best practices for prescribing and using medicines. Maximizing the use of Rx for Change is a critical component toward the overall goal of improved prescribing and medicine use. As such, the objective of this project is to develop, pilot and evaluate a training program to encourage use and understanding of Rx for Change. This project consists of three different objectives and stages. The first is to develop training programs that are tailored to the unique needs of various stakeholders. This will include information sessions that will emphasize the ability to work across disease specific interventions, and workshops where participants will work through relevant examples. The second objective is to complete this training and evaluate its effectiveness. Evaluations will include surveys of each training participant before and after training, the use of web analytics, and key informant interviews. The final objective is to use the results of the previous two objectives to develop training to wider audiences and learn about how different groups using the evidence have different training needs. Optimizing use of the Rx for Change database will help support better informed decisions and behaviour relevant to prescribing and using medicines. Ultimately this will translate into optimal care for Canadian by the health care system.