Evaluating the stages of veterinary practitioner learning for continuing education needs assessment and program evaluation.

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Recent behavioral change theory suggests that individuals go through stages of readiness for change. This theory has been applied to continuing medical education as a four stage theory of physician learning. The purpose of this project was to test a method that used the four-stage learning theory to evaluate differences between continuing veterinary medical education (CVME) program attendees and non-attendees and to evaluate movement from one stage to another after a continuing education activity. A survey using eight clinical scenarios was used to elucidate the stage of learning of dairy practitioner participants before and after a CVME course and of non-participating dairy practitioners. Differences in response rates before and after the course and between participants and non-participants were analyzed using chi-square contingency table analysis. Responses to six of the eight scenarios were different between participants and non-participants (p < 0.10). Attendees were more likely to report needing to update to solve the specific problems. Depending on the scenario, participants changed their responses after completing the continuing education course (range 31-81% change). The four stage theory of learning can be used for continuing education needs assessment, for understanding program participation, and for program evaluation. A continuing education activity can move practitioners from one stage of learning to another.