Comparative Initial and Sustained Engagement in Web-based Training by Behavioral Healthcare Providers in New York State.

Abstract

Improved dissemination is critical to implementation of evidence-based practice in community behavioral healthcare settings. Web-based training modalities are a promising strategy for dissemination of evidence-based practice in community behavioral health settings. Initial and sustained engagement of these modalities in large, multidisciplinary community provider samples is not well understood. This study evaluates comparative engagement and user preferences by provider type in a web-based training platform in a large, multidisciplinary community sample of behavioral health staff in New York State. Workforce make-up among platform registrants was compared to the general NYS behavioral health workforce. Training completion by functional job type was compared to characterize user engagement and preferences. Frequently completed modules were classified by credit and requirement incentives. High initial training engagement across professional role was demonstrated, with significant differences in initial and sustained engagement by professional role. The most frequently completed modules across functional job types contained credit or requirement incentives. The analysis demonstrated that high engagement of a web-based training in a multidisciplinary provider audience can be achieved without tailoring content to specific professional roles. Overlap between frequently completed modules and incentives suggests a role for incentives in promoting engagement of web-based training. These findings further the understanding of strategies to promote large-scale dissemination of evidence-based practice in community behavioral health settings.