title: Improvement of drug dose calculations by classroom teaching or e-learning: a randomised controlled trial in nurses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Insufficient skills in drug dose calculations increase the risk for medication errors. Even experienced nurses may struggle with such calculations. Learning flexibility and cost considerations make e-learning interesting as an alternative to classroom teaching. This study compared the learning outcome and risk of error after a course in drug dose calculations for nurses with the two methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomised controlled open study, nurses from hospitals and primary healthcare were randomised to either e-learning or classroom teaching. Before and after a 2-day course, the nurses underwent a multiple choice test in drug dose calculations: 14 tasks with four alternative answers (score 0-14), and a statement regarding the certainty of each answer (score 0-3). High risk of error was being certain that incorrect answer was correct. The results are given as the mean (SD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  16 men and 167 women participated in the study, aged 42.0 (9.5) years with a working experience of 12.3 (9.5) years. The number of correct answers after e-learning was 11.6 (2.0) and after classroom teaching 11.9 (2.0) (p=0.18, NS); improvement were 0.5 (1.6) and 0.9 (2.2), respectively (p=0.07, NS). Classroom learning was significantly superior to e-learning among participants with a pretest score below 9. In support of e-learning was evaluation of specific value for the working situation. There was no difference in risk of error between groups after the course (p=0.77).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study showed no differences in learning outcome or risk of error between e-learning and classroom teaching in drug dose calculations. The overall learning outcome was small. Weak precourse knowledge was associated with better outcome after classroom teaching.
authors.affiliation: Department of Quality and Patient Safety, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Brumunddal, Norway.|Unit for Applied Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Bjoerg O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Simonsen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Care and Nursing, Gjoevik University College, Gjoevik, Norway.
authors.forename: Gro K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Daehlin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Care and Nursing, Gjoevik University College, Gjoevik, Norway.|Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: Unit for Applied Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Gjoevik, Norway.
authors.forename: Per G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Farup
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D054796:Drug Dosage Calculations; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D058996:Quality Improvement
keywords: HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT; MEDICAL EDUCATION & TRAINING