Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Medical Education
Date Submitted: Sep 27, 2023
Date Accepted: Sep 1, 2024
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited.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.
Pediatric Malnutrition: Identification of Competencies and Online Course for Syrian Health Professionals During Syrian Crisis
ABSTRACT
Background:
There is a shortage of competent health professionals in managing malnutrition. Online education may be a practical and flexible approach to address this gap.
Objective:
This study aimed to identify essential competencies and assess the effectiveness of an online course on pediatric malnutrition in improving the knowledge of pediatricians and health professionals.
Methods:
A focus group (n=5) and Delphi technique (n=21 health professionals) were used to identify essential competencies. An online course consisting of four educational modules in PowerPoint slide form with visual aids (photos and videos) was designed and published on the Syrian Virtual University platform website using an asynchronous e-learning system. The course covered definition, classification, epidemiology, anthropometrics, treatment, and consequences. Participants completed a pre-test of 40 multiple-choice questions, accessed the course, completed a post-test after a specified period, and filled out a questionnaire to measure their attitude and assess their satisfaction.
Results:
Twenty-four, 29, and 15 competencies were related to knowledge, skills, and attitudes, respectively. Ten, 21, and 37 competencies were related to etiology, assessment and diagnosis, and management, respectively. Ten volunteers (five pediatricians and five health professionals) participated in the study, and their acquired knowledge increased after completing the course (pre-test mean = 24.2 and post-test mean = 35.2). The acquired knowledge improved in all modules, and a statistically significant relationship was found between the pre-test results of pediatricians, especially those who attended malnutrition training courses within the past year. Participants rated the course highly, with 60% preferring a mix of traditional and e-learning.
Conclusions:
Sixty-eight essential competencies are required for pediatricians to manage malnourished children. An online course can effectively improve the acquired knowledge of health professionals, with a high degree of course approval and satisfaction with the e-learning environment.
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