A focused and high-engagement multiple-activity educational curriculum aimed at clinicians can effectively evaluate and target clinical challenges related to the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a study published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia has shown.1
TKIs like imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib, and bosutinib have revolutionized the treatment landscape of CML and have improved survival significantly for those who achieve a complete cytogenetic response. Despite their established efficacy, clinicians may not be aware of the most recent safety and efficacy guidelines for genetic and molecular testing, whether and when to switch TKIs, and strategies to improve treatment adherence.
Therefore, medical education researchers sought to assess the proficiency and performance of clinicians on various facets of CML management and their use of TKIs, and to determine the effectiveness of an educational curriculum on targeting any identified gaps in proficiency.
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Prior to the implementation of the curriculum, the investigators found that clinicians had a high proficiency in their knowledge of first- and second-line TKIs; however, they struggled to apply this knowledge to patient case studies. These clinicians then participated in the multiple-activity educational curriculum, which allowed the clinicians to engage with nationally recognized CML experts about how to apply the latest information from clinical research to clinical management.
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Following completion of the program, results showed that the program had successfully improved clinical performance with respect to the treatment of patients requiring first-line therapies and treatment intensification in those with refractory disease (low-intermediate and high Sokal scores).
In contrast, participants continued to be challenged by cases concerning patients with intermediate Sokal scores who require treatment intensification following first-line therapy.
Reference
- Ruiz-Cordell K, Haimowitz S, Gracie-King L, Middleton D. Optimizing the use of TKIs in the management of chronic myelogenous leukemia [published online ahead of print May 10, 2016]. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2016.04.005.
