Best Practices for the Implementation and Sustainment of Virtual Health Information System Training: Qualitative Study.

Tharshini Jeyakumar,David Wiljer,Carolyn Henderson,Sharon Ambata-Villanueva,Sarah Mcclure

doi:10.2196/30613

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the adoption and implementation of digital technologies to help transform the educational ecosystem and the delivery of care.ObjectiveWe sought to understand instructors’ and learners’ perceptions of the challenges and opportunities faced in implementing health information system virtual training amid the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsSemistructured interviews were conducted with education specialists and health care staff who provided or had taken part in a virtual instructor-led training at a large Canadian academic health sciences center. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the Community of Inquiry framework, we analyzed interview transcript themes deductively and inductively.ResultsOf the 18 individuals participating in the study, 9 were education specialists, 5 were learners, 3 were program coordinators, and 1 was a senior manager at the Centre for Learning, Innovation, and Simulation. We found 3 predominant themes: adopting a learner-centered approach for a meaningful learning experience, embracing the advances in educational technologies to maximize the transfer of learning, and enhancing the virtual user experience.ConclusionsThis study adds to the literature on designing and implementing virtual training in health care organizations by highlighting the importance of recognizing learners’ needs and maximizing the transfer of learning. Findings from this study can be used to help inform the design and development of training strategies to support learners across an organization during the current climate and to ensure changes are sustainable.

Highlights

COVID-19 has created social disruptions and contributed to unprecedented changes that have required that many organizations rapidly transition instructor-led classes to a virtual format [1]
This study adds to the literature on designing and implementing virtual training in health care organizations by highlighting the importance of recognizing learners’ needs and maximizing the transfer of learning
Virtual instructor-led training is poised to transform health care across the country as organizations shift toward rapidly providing training to health care providers and staff, leading to a paradigm shift that could reshape the provision of training long-term [6]

Summary

Introduction

COVID-19 has created social disruptions and contributed to unprecedented changes that have required that many organizations rapidly transition instructor-led classes to a virtual format [1]. The emergence and innovation of digital technology have played important roles in education and training. Virtual instructor-led training has been defined as web-based education delivered via digital platforms, connecting instructors and learners across different geographic boundaries [3]. Virtual instructor-led training is poised to transform health care across the country as organizations shift toward rapidly providing training to health care providers and staff, leading to a paradigm shift that could reshape the provision of training long-term (ie, in postpandemic conditions) [6]. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the adoption and implementation of digital technologies to help transform the educational ecosystem and the delivery of care

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion