Significant Knowledge Gains for the Diagnosis and Management of T-Cell Lymphoma
Recently, i3 Health provided an educational activity that has challenged knowledge gaps experienced by clinicians regarding the diagnosis and evidence-based management of T-cell lymphoma (TCL).
T-cell lymphoma is an uncommon subtype accounting for approximately 7% of all cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the United States. Compared with its B-cell counterpart, TCL has a poor prognosis and is associated with a 5-year survival rate of less than 20%. The clinical and pathologic presentations of TCL are varied and often nonspecific, making diagnosis and treatment challenging. Due to this, it is vital that all clinicians working with patients with TCL maintain proficiency and an up-to-date understanding of the diagnostic process and evidence-based management for this rare disease.
To address the knowledge gaps experienced by clinicians regarding diagnosis and evidence-based management of TCL, i3 Health provided two continuing medical education (CME)/nursing continuing professional development (NCPD)–accredited live webinars and an enduring online activity. The live webinars were hosted by i3 Health via Zoom on June 13 and June 17, 2022. Following the webinars, the activity was made available on i3 Health's website from June 30, 2022, until June 29, 2023. The activity was chaired by expert and key leader in the field of TCL, Aaron Goodman, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego Health.
Between the live webinars and enduring online activity, a total of 7,343 learners participated in the activity with 1,479 completing the activity for credit. Most learners were physicians and registered nurses, followed by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and those who chose "other" as their profession. Among those who completed the activity, the average number of patients with TCL seen per month was 8 and the average number of years in practice was 14.
The baseline data collected revealed knowledge gaps in the following areas: assessing guideline recommendations for the diagnostic workup of TCL; evaluating emerging efficacy and safety data on novel therapies for newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory TCL; and applying strategies for optimizing the safety and tolerability of novel and established TCL therapies.
Participants were given a matching pretest and posttest at the beginning and end of the activity, respectively. The posttest assessment revealed statistically significant knowledge gains respective to each question and learning objective. The activity produced a 74% increase in understanding of brentuximab vedotin efficacy as a first-line treatment for anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) (pretest 14% versus posttest 88%); a 55% increase in understanding of adverse event monitoring for alemtuzumab and cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone (CHOP) (pretest 35% versus posttest 90%); a 65% increase in understanding of pretreatment with vitamin B12 and folic acid for pralatrexate (pretest 28% versus posttest 93%); a 70% increase in understanding of the clinical staging of mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome (pretest 18% versus posttest 88%); and a 57% increase in understanding regarding mogamulizumab efficacy for stage III Sézary syndrome (pretest 41% versus posttest 98%).
Upon completion of the activity, 90% of learners reported that they felt more confident in treating their patients with TCL, and 91% 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 the diagnosis and evidence-based management of TCL. Based on these data, i3 Health has determined that the multidisciplinary team may benefit from CME/NCPD activities that provide TCL education on the following: assessment of guideline recommendations for diagnostic workup, efficacy and safety data on novel therapies, and strategies to monitor and manage adverse events.
Resources
i3 Health (2023). Diagnosis and evidence-based management of T-cell lymphoma: activity outcomes report. Data on file.