Table 3.

Strategies for improving preventive health care education

CHALLENGE	STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING TEACHING	COMMENTS
Need for learning objectives and implementation of new resources	Use a case-based guidebook illustrating how to apply theory to practice Use real clinical cases that cite applied evidence	There is a need to move away from sporadic evidence-based teaching to a more integrated approach linked to day-to-day practice and direct interactions with patients
Limited or outdated understanding of core concepts in screening	Translate learning objectives into strategies for teaching Ensure there are structured learning opportunities on core concepts Provide updated information on the key concepts of screening	Many physicians and educators are unaware of the key concepts that have become well known over the past 10 y
Limited training time and available resources	Leverage academic faculty members to adapt the curriculum Ensure these topics are seen at many points and reinforced throughout the curriculum A longitudinal learning approach starting in medical school is needed Engage stakeholders, including medical schools, provincial regulatory bodies, and the College of Family Physicians of Canada	Reinforce the key concepts through existing learning and continuing professional development formats
More effective integration of screening at the time of the patient encounter¹⁰	Facilitate the integration of shared decision making as an effective approach to addressing conflicting recommendations and enabling better screening decisions Teach shared decision making Teach and use knowledge translation tools Assemble a package of knowledge translation tools Consider a visit dedicated to prevention and screening	Shared decision making improves decision quality and patient outcomes, and it supports better health care resource use. A key challenge to address is the need to provide tools that can be used at the point of care.