Bridging Knowledge Gaps for Treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenia
i3 Health has provided an educational activity that has challenged knowledge gaps experienced by nursing staff regarding updated treatment options and optimal patient care for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
ITP is an autoimmune platelet disorder in which the blood does not clot normally as a result of a low platelet count, causing bruising and bleeding. Research has shown that the burden of ITP is significant; in a survey of more than 1,300 patients from 13 different countries, 36% reported a high impact on emotional well-being and 28% on ability to work. Additionally, nearly two-thirds reported fatigue as the most severe symptom, underscoring the effect of ITP on day-to-day quality of life. Current gaps in knowledge, including the lack of specific diagnostic criteria and uncertainty about the true frequency of bleeding events, limit effective management.
To address the knowledge gaps experienced by nursing professionals encompassing the best treatment options and patient-centered care for ITP, i3 Health provided a nursing continuing professional development (NCPD)–approved activity, Immune Thrombocytopenia: Evolving Treatment Paradigms and Patient-Centered Care. This activity was led by Allison Imahiyerobo, APN, Advanced Practice Nurse at Hematology and Oncology Physicians of Englewood in New Jersey. This activity was supported by an independent educational grant from Dova Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Learners who took part in this activity either attended the live Greater Los Angeles Chapter of Oncology Nursing Society (GLAONS) 2020 virtual plenary session, held on September 12, 2020, or participated via the online enduring activity provided by i3 Health on their website. Between the live session and the online activity, most participants were registered nurses, followed by nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physicians, and those who chose "other" as their profession.
The baseline data collected revealed knowledge gaps in the following areas: the pathogenesis of ITP and mechanisms of therapeutic strategies, differentiating the efficacy and safety profiles of current and emerging ITP therapies, and developing evidence-based strategies to optimize treatment experiences and ensure patient-centered ITP care.
Participants were given a matching pretest and posttest at the beginning and end of the activity, respectively. The pretest revealed knowledge gaps, with 32% of learners successful in identifying fostamatinib as a second-line ITP treatment and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor; only 19% successful in understanding that eltrombopag would not be a better second-line treatment option than avatrombopag for a patient with ITP at risk for hepatotoxicity; 45% successful in identifying rituximab as the second-line treatment option preferred for a patient at risk of deep vein thrombosis; and 6% successful in understanding the need for dietary restrictions for a patient with ITP starting second-line treatment with eltrombopag.
The posttest assessment revealed significant knowledge gains for each learning outcome, with 19% more participants successful in understanding mechanisms of action of second-line ITP treatments; 13% more successful in understanding second-line treatment option selection for ITP; 17% more successful in understanding comorbidities in addition to second-line ITP treatment selection; and 32% more successful in understanding patient counseling for eltrombopag.
Upon completion of the activity, 87% of participants reported they felt more confident in treating their patients with ITP, and 87% reported they felt that the material presented would be used to improve the outcomes of their patients.
The data revealed by the posttest assessment affirm the effectiveness of online educational content pertaining to the topic of patient-centered care and updated treatment options for ITP. Based on the collected data, i3 Health has determined that the multidisciplinary team may benefit from CME/NCPD activities that provide ITP education on novel therapeutic agents, treatment selection, adverse event management.
Resources
i3 Health (2022). Immune thrombocytopenia: evolving treatment paradigms and patient-centered care: activity outcomes report. Data on file.
