JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Many individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) first present to primary care rather than specialty mental health care. Primary care providers often lack the training required to assess and treat patients with PTSD. Virtual trainings have emerged as a convenient and effective way of training primary care providers in PTSD assessment and communication methods (i.e., motivational interviewing).

Objective:

To conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of a synchronous Virtual Worlds (VW) training vs. asynchronous web-based training on PTSD and motivational interviewing (MI) to compare feasibility, acceptability, usability, and preliminary efficacy of two different training platforms among primary care providers.

Methods:

Participating primary care providers were randomized to VW (virtual world where learners were immersed as avatars) vs. a web-based PTSD training. Outcomes were collected at baseline, post-training and 90-days follow-up. Standardized patient interviews measured participants’ communication skills in assessing and managing patients with PTSD symptoms.

Results:

Compared to web-based training, the VW training platform achieved larger learning gains in MI (i.e., Partnership and Empathy) and in discussing pharmacotherapies and psychotherapy for PTSD. Both VW and web-based trainings resulted in increases in PTSD knowledge and provider self-confidence.

Conclusions:

The asynchronous web-based PTSD training improved PTSD-related knowledge and self-confidence but was not as effective as the VW immersive experience in teaching MI or clinical management. Because VW training is synchronous and new for many learners, it required more time, facilitation, and technical support. As computer technology improves, VW educational interventions may become more feasible, particularly in teaching clinical skills. Clinical Trial: NCT03898271