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Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research

Date Submitted: Oct 27, 2019
Date Accepted: Dec 15, 2019

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

A Web-Based Dementia Education Program and its Application to an Australian Web-Based Dementia Care Competency and Training Network: Integrative Systematic Review

Moehead A, DeSouza K, Walsh K, Pit S

A Web-Based Dementia Education Program and its Application to an Australian Web-Based Dementia Care Competency and Training Network: Integrative Systematic Review

J Med Internet Res 2020;22(1):e16808

DOI: 10.2196/16808

PMID: 32012077

PMCID: 7003124

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

An integrative systematic review of features required for a functional and effective web-based dementia education program and the application to an Australian web-based Dementia Care Competency and Training Network

  • Anne Moehead; 
  • Kathryn DeSouza; 
  • Karen Walsh; 
  • Sabrina Pit

ABSTRACT

Background:

Dementia education that meets quality and safety standards is paramount to ensure a highly skilled dementia care workforce. Web-based education provides a flexible and cost-effective medium. To be successful web-based education must contain features that promote learning and support knowledge translation into practice. The Dementia Care Competency and Training Network (DCC&TN) has developed an innovative web-based program that promotes the attitudes, knowledge, skills, behaviour and practice of clinicians, regardless of their work setting, in order to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia.

Objective:

The review aims to 1) determine the key features that are associated with an effective and functional web-based education program. An effective and functional web-based program is defined as one that measures results, is accessible, user friendly and translates to clinical practice. 2) to determine how these features, correlate with DCC&TN.

Methods:

Six electronic databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Aushealth, Nursing@Ovid and Google Scholar) were searched between 2009-2018, using keywords including: Education, Distance, Continuing, Learning, Web-Based, Internet, Dementia, Program Evaluation, Validation Studies, Outcome and Process Assessment Healthcare, Nursing, Assisted Instruction and Facilitated. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Kirkpatrick’s model for the evaluation of training was used to ensure quality and rigor of the analysis.

Results:

Forty-six studies met inclusion criteria. Fourteen key features were identified, associated with an effective web-based learning environment: self-directed, individualised, interactive, multimodal, flexible, accessible, consistent, cost-effective, equitable, facilitated, nurtures critical thinking and reflection within a learning community, translates into practice and measures participant satisfaction. These features were further categorised into five sub-groups: applicability, attractiveness, functionality, learner interaction and implementation into practice. Literature frequently cites Kirkpatrick’s four level model of evaluation and application in the review of education and training, regardless few studies appeared to meet all four levels of Kirkpatrick’s model. Features were then correlated against the DCC&TN with an encouraging link found between these features and the inclusion within the content and elements of the DCC&TN.

Conclusions:

Fourteen key features were identified that support an effective and functional web-based learning environment. Few studies included Kirkpatrick’s salient elements of the model of reaction, learning, behaviour and results in their evaluation and clinical application. It could, therefore be considered prudent to include Kirkpatrick’s levels of evaluation within studies of dementia training. There was limited research that evaluated web-based dementia education programs, with even fewer reporting evidence that web-based training could increase staff confidence, knowledge, skills and attitudes towards the person with dementia and be sustainable over time. The DCC&TN appeared to contain the majority of key features and one of the few programs inclusive of hospital, community and residential care settings. The DCC&TN model could potentially be used as a template for future developers and evaluators of web-based dementia training. Clinical Trial: n/A


 Citation

Please cite as:

Moehead A, DeSouza K, Walsh K, Pit S

A Web-Based Dementia Education Program and its Application to an Australian Web-Based Dementia Care Competency and Training Network: Integrative Systematic Review

J Med Internet Res 2020;22(1):e16808

DOI: 10.2196/16808

PMID: 32012077

PMCID: 7003124

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