P22S05:
Fibromyalgia (same medication)
Bottom line:
Information on fibromyalgia was used to maintain the management of a patient
(pursue same medication). There were no information-related patient health
outcomes.
Level 1 outcome (situational relevance): On March 5,
2009, P22 did a search at work, by themselves, and after an encounter with a
patient. They retrieved two information hits about fibromyalgia. The reported
search objectives were: to fulfill an educational or research objective, and to
search in general or for curiosity. “It was just to look at the update on the
treatment of fibromyalgia. So really educational. […] ‘General curiosity’
because after talking with some colleagues, I didn’t change this woman’s [the
patient, a woman in her thirties] treatment because it was the first visit, so
I couldn’t change it right away. I needed to better understand her case. And so
it really was for my own educational curiosity.” According to P22, e-Therapeutics+ was in agreement with and
equally relevant as the information from another electronic resource (Access
Medicine). According to P22, e-T+ was in agreement with and more relevant than
the information from another health professional (supervisor).
Level 2 outcome (cognitive impact): Two hits were associated with a report of positive
cognitive impact (see table). Regarding confirmation, reassurance and reminder, P22 stated: “[With the found information on
e-Therapeutics+] you indirectly assure yourself you are doing the right thing
for your patients and not doing any harm You have an update, [and] news about
medication or treatment so you can use it if you want or not, depending on the
patient’s context. [...] I can have other options after that, but you can’t
change a medication on the first visit. [...] Everybody knows something about
the treatment for fibromyalgia, but that doesn’t mean that you can know
everything. But yes, I remembered some medications that I already knew about.”
Retrieved
information hits:
1) e-Therapeutics+ (CIRT): e-Therapeutics Tab – Musculoskeletal
disorders – Fibromyalgia– Table 1 (P22S05H01)
2) e-Therapeutics+ (CIRT): e-Therapeutics Tab – Musculoskeletal
disorders – Fibromyalgia– Pharmacologic choices (P22S05H02)
Level 3 outcome
(information use): Information on fibromyalgia was retrieved,
and used to maintain (be more certain about) the management of
a patient (information used as presented in e-Therapeutics+). “The medication that she had […] I
didn’t want to change it since I didn’t know the patient and it confirmed [looking
in e-Therapeutics+] that I did the right thing. [...] I would like to add
something to better control her symptoms, [maybe] at her next visit.”
Level 4 outcome (patient health): Without these
information hits, P22’s management of the patient would have been the same.
There was no clear relationship between the information use and patient health
outcomes.
Levels of outcome of information-seeking
|
Situational relevance |
Positive cognitive
impact |
Information use |
Patient health |
|
Fulfill educational objective Satisfy curiosity Exchange information |
Reminded something Confirmed Reassured |
Be more certain |
No outcome |