Research Limitations
This study examined an educational process at a specific period in time
(”snapshot”) that lasted a few months. The results shows a significant
improvement in most of the parameters examined in the study. It is
important to repeat the questionnaires a year after the intervention in
order to examine the long-term impact of such process and to observe
whether the norms we tried to instill in the department did indeed seep
into the work of the medical staff in the department.
Two important points regarding our knowledge assessment tool are that,
first we use only parts of the original KP50 questionnaire so it is
without validation. Secondly, since the KP50 was developed and validated
before the eruption of the opioid crisis, we think that there might be a
place to revise the questionnaire to address the changes in opioids
prescription following this pandemic.
The medical experience and academic background of the physicians
participating in the study was not uniform. The physicians participating
in the study were in different stages of their residency program, have
studied in different faculties, some in Israel and some abroad. The
different background can explain the change in the median. In order to
eliminate this bias, the study examined individual change for each
physician, but the main inference is that the education program needs to
adapt to different backgrounds of doctors.