The evaluation of an online orientation to rural mental health practice in Australia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate an online, interprofessional education programme for clinicians commencing work in rural mental health services in New South Wales, Australia. Twenty-eight participants, including nurses, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists, completed a 24-week education programme (Introduction to Rural Mental Health Practice programme) that orientated clinicians to working in rural settings. The online programme included an orientation to online learning and clinical skills such as risk assessment, therapeutic communication and de-escalation skills applied in rural settings. Twenty-four participants provided pre- and post-evaluation responses that were matched and analysed using paired t-tests to identify any significant differences in mean scores across the domains of interest. Fifty per cent (n= 13) of participants had a background in nursing and 49% were allied health clinicians (psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists). Statistically significant improvements (P < 0.05) were detected in participant confidence in responding to common mental health problems, knowledge about the role of different services in rural mental health care, perceived safety of work and perceived self-efficacy in dealing with challenging or aggressive behaviours. The Introduction to Rural Mental Health Practice programme was successful in orienting clinicians to rural mental health but the small sample size highlights the need to evaluate the programme with a larger cohort of rural clinicians. The attrition at the early stages of the study highlights significant challenges in the retention of rural clinicians in online education programmes. Factors that promoted participation and retention included the provision of study leave and orientation to the online environment.

The use of information and communications technologies in the delivery of interprofessional education: A review of evaluation outcome levels

“…Other clinical areas of focus included mental health care (Church et al, 2010;Cornish et al, 2003;Meyer et al, 2005;Robinson, Hills, & Kelly,, 2011), disaster response management (Atack et al, 2009;Lund et al, 2002;Vanderbeek, Carson, & Troy, 2008), and resuscitation (Long, 2005). The majority of studies included in the review did report evaluations of the use of web-based learning modalities in particular.…”

“…Only professions that were involved in five or more reviewed studies are presented in Table IV. Carbonaro et al, 2008Chen, Klein, & Minor, 2009Clouder et al, 2011Connor, 2003Djukic et al, 2012Juntunen & Heikkinen, 2004Kinghorn, 2005Kovacich, 1996Luke et al, 2009Lund, Lam, & Parks, 2002Meyer et al, 2005Miers et al, 2007Richardson & Cooper, 2003Robinson, Hills, & Kelly, 2011Santy et al, 2009Schonfield & Spetman, 2007Skorga, 2002Solomon & King, 2010 Asynchronous discussions appeared as a technology-mediated instructional modality for IPE more often than any other in the reviewed studies Most studies reported positive outcomes at the reaction level (1) measured by questionnaires, surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Bendz et al (2001) hosted online discussions with students and learners, concluding that the online course was ''useful and very interesting,'' but that technical difficulties impeded the learning process.…”

“…2003Robinson et al, 2011Skorga, 2002 Use of instant messaging often accompanied by other ICTs, with positive learner reaction Learners supported use of instant messaging where verbal contact is unnecessary or cumbersome More applicable to clinical settings Websites N ¼ 5 (8.3%) Websites providing on-demand access to curricular materials Bendz et al, 2001Brown et al, 2006DeBate et al, 2009Walsh & van Soeren, 2012 Studies often referred to web-based LMSs, with similarly positive feedback Web-based courses rated favorably on accessibility, readability and usefulness Websites less effective for engaging learners to participate in absence of face-to-face contact Mobile communications N ¼ 3 (5.0%) Curriculum or media exchange specifically designed for mobile phone or device platforms Lo et al, 2012Vanderbeek, Carson, & Troy, 2008Wu et al, 2011 Smartphones rated positively for connecting IP learners over distances, in disaster situations Improvements described for perceived access to other professionals, especially to physicians Lack of consensus regarding appropriateness of exchanging patient information using phones …”

“…Included studies Summary of included study outcomes Posel et al, 2008Richardson & Cooper, 2003Skorga, 2002 Critical debate not commonly exchanged Used for one-way direct communication Little specific information collected on the impact on learning objectives Web-conferencing N ¼ 8 (13.3%) Synchronous multicasting of curriculum resources mediated through the internet not necessarily involving video, such as webinars Anderson & Friedemann, 2010Berg, Wong, & Vincent, 2010Carbonaro et al, 2008Chen et al, 2009Kinghorn, 2005Liu et al, 2004Meyer et al, 2005Robinson et al, 2011 Useful as a tool for rich two-way communication Satisfaction and post-activity selfrated skill assessments were typically positive In two cases, web-conference enabled observer ratings; learners were able to demonstrate learned skills in real time Multimedia video N ¼ 8 (13.3%) Asynchronous video media exchange Carbonaro et al, 2008Chen et al, 2009Luke et al, 2009MacDonald, Stodel, & Chambers, 2008Posel et al, 2008van Soeren, Devlin-Cop, Maude MacMillan, & Reeves, 2012 Videos frequently used to offer on-demand demonstration of clinical/collaboration skills In two cases, learners' session was videotaped to provide learners with feedback Some learner feedback indicated that in some cases access to video clips was problematic Video content enhanced interactivity and realism of curricula Instant messaging N ¼ 6 (10.0%) Synchronous text or other messaging delivered directly to learners in real time Lo et al, 2012Meyer et al, 2005Richardson & Cooper. 2003Robinson et al, 2011Skorga, 2002 Use of instant messaging often accompanied by other ICTs, with positive learner reaction Learners supported use of instant messaging where verbal contact is unnecessary or cumbersome More applicable to clinical settings Websites N ¼ 5 (8.3%) Websites providing on-demand access to curricular materials Bendz et al, 2001Brown et al, 2006DeBate et al, 2009Walsh & van Soeren, 2012 Studies often referred to web-based LMSs, with similarly positive feedback Web-based courses rated favorably on accessibility, readability and usefulness Websites...…”

Evaluación de un programa de educación a distancia en Promoción de Salud para la Atención Primaria en Chile

“…Estos estudios mostraron que el uso de casos prácticos es más efectivo que el uso exclusivo de material de lectura, por la mayor interactividad y participación que generan. La falta de tiempo y acceso a internet son obstáculos descritos también por otros investigadores 11,14,17 .…”