Evaluation of a Gatekeeper Training for Pharmacists

This study aims to investigate to what extent a gatekeeper training (e-learning) for pharmacists and PTA is effective in changing the attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy. Moreover, it aims to examine how they evaluate the training and whether they were able to apply the learned skills in practice.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Suicide
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Gatekeeper training (e-learning)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 201
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Ghent, Belgium, 9000
    • Flemish Centre of Expertise in Suicide Prevention, Ghent University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥ 18 years old
• Have access to internet
• Speak Dutch
• Working as a (public) pharmacist or pharmaceutical technical assistant (FTA)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hospital pharmacists or industrial pharmacists are not included in this study and thus constitute an exclusion criterion.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Intervention group; Participants in this group (all participants) are asked to complete a questionnaire and then receive access to the online gatekeeper training (e-learning) during three days, after which they were asked to complete another questionnaire. After three months, a third questionnaire is sent.

Behavioral: Gatekeeper training (e-learning); The gatekeeper training consists of an interactive e-learning (min. 1h, max. 3h) which includes theoretical knowledge, tips, exercises and relevant examples and cases. The main topics included in the e-learning are: Background information on suicide in Flanders (rates); Definitions and theoretical background (suicidal process, integrative explanatory model of suicide); Debunking existing myths about suicide; The role of the pharmacist in suicide prevention; Signal Recognition; Talking about suicide and suicidal thoughts (start the conversation); How and to whom to refer as pharmacist or FTA; Medication management and medication in the context of suicide; Rights and obligations of a pharmacist/PTA in the context of suicide prevention; Self-care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in attitudes: Attitudes Towards Suicide Scale (ATTS)	The ATTS is a 37-item to be scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1= disagree completely to 5 = agree completely) to measure participants' attitudes towards suicide.	Change from Baseline (before intervention) to post-test (after a week of access to e-learning)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in self-efficacy: Measurement of Perceived Self-efficacy	The Measurement of Perceived Self-efficacy is a 10-item self-report questionnaire to be scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1= Completely false to 4 = completely true)	Change from Baseline (before intervention) to post-test (after a week of access to e-learning)
Changes in perceptions/myths	Self-developped questionnaire: 4 statements to be rated as true or false; 2 question about how participant would feel if a patient said they have suicidal thouhgts	Change from Baseline (before intervention) to post-test (after a week of access to e-learning)
Gatekeeper training evaluation	8 evaluative statements about the e-learning to be rated on a 5-point Likert scale (Totally disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, totally disagree). Question to rate the e-learning on a scale of 1 (not good at all) to 10 (excellent) Additionally three open questions where participants can give feedback about what they liked/did not like/ general comments.	Post-test (after a week of access to e-learning)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Socio-demographic characteristics	Age, Gender, Years of work experience	Baseline
Follow-up	Questions concerning: application of acquired skills and knowledge; actions undertaken in context of suicide prevention (12 options); experienced barriers to application of acquired skills and knowledge; need of extra support	Follow-up (three months after baseline)
Previous experience with suicide (prevention)	At baseline: motivation to participate (9 options), previous trainings (yes/no, specify if yes) At baseline and post-test: experience with suicidal patients (contact and confidence; 5 point Likert scale), knowing what to do or who to refer to (5-point Likert scale), knowing where to find information (5-point Likert scale), which actions previously taken in case of suicidal patient (list of 12), to who do you refer (5 options)	Baseline and post-test (after a week of access to e-learning)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Ghent
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Gwendolyn Portzky, PhD, University Ghent

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 12, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 11, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): January 11, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 7, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 7, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 14, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 6, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 5, 2024
• Last Verified: February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicide
• Other Study ID Numbers: ONZ-2022-0598

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No