Evaluate interactive, simulation-based, spaced and mobile forms of digital education for guideline adoption, reporting skills, behaviour, patient and cost outcomes¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (3 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 quant-synthesis), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The review recommends that future research move beyond passive, low-interactivity digital education toward formats it found promising or untested. It states "future research should evaluate interactive, simulation-based and spaced forms of digital education and report on outcomes such as skills, behaviour, patient outcomes and cost", and notes that no included study evaluated virtual or augmented reality or mobile delivery, which may enable easy, on-the-go access to training.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Studies should report pre-post intervention change outcome data, use validated outcome measurement tools and assess learners' retention as well as long-term outcomes

Constraints¶

• The review's findings apply only to digital education on guidelines and are not applicable to computerised decision support systems

Target Learners¶

• pre- and post-registration healthcare professionals

Target Learning Goals¶

• adoption of clinical practice guidelines in clinical practice

Claims¶

• Digital education on clinical practice guidelines produces little or no change in healthcare professionals' behaviour, except email-delivered spaced education [+W]
• Skills outcomes for digital education on guidelines are mixed: simulation modules outperform printed guidelines and no intervention, but video demonstration underperforms peer teaching [+W]
• More interactive digital education interventions mostly show no advantage over less interactive forms, with attrition and low usage challenging low-interactivity interventions [~W]
• Email-delivered spaced education is the only intervention type shown to improve both clinician behaviour and patient outcomes for guideline adoption [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Future psychiatry education technology studies should use active comparators, standardized assessment tools, and long-term follow-up
• Prioritise longitudinal research and cost analysis when evaluating digital clinical skills modalities
• Future research should use standardized validated outcome measures, longitudinal follow-up designs, and methods linking learner gains to patient-relevant outcomes

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Tudor Car Lorainne, Soong Aijia, Kyaw Bhone Myint, Chua Kee Leng, Low-Beer Naomi, Majeed Azeem. (2019). Health professions digital education on clinical practice guidelines: a systematic review by Digital Health Education collaboration. BMC Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1370-1