A Randomized Trial of eLearning for Hospital Trust Induction of Doctors

Abstract

The induction of doctors to a new hospital is mandatory and includes the work-based assessment of mandatory knowledge. It has been delivered traditionally by lectures with recently increasing trend to deliver by electronic learning (eLearning). We compared eLearning and lectures for induction of hospital doctors by randomizing them into a Lecture Group (LG) and eLearning Group (eLG) using an opaque envelope technique. The LG attended lectures on their induction day while the eLG performed their induction using eLearning prior to joining the trust. The curriculum was the same for both groups. Primary and secondary outcomes were measured by the number of correct answers for all six modules’ work-based assessment using multiple choice questions and by a questionnaire to assess the attitudes of the doctors who underwent eLearning towards their induction respectively. All 133 doctors joining the NHS trust of 2 teaching hospitals over a five month period were included with no exclusion criteria. There were 63 individuals in the LG and 70 doctors in the eLG with no statistically significant differences in demographics. Improved learning outcomes were seen in the eLG in 5 of the 6 modules (p<0.01). The eLearning was popular amongst the participants however they found it difficult to complete eLearning modules before joining the trust and perceived this as an extra burden. Our results indicate that an increase in the contribution of eLearning to the curriculum may improve learning outcomes in the medical workplace and can increase doctor availability on the first day in a new hospital.