Development and evaluation of a short-term training design for health professionals.

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess how a training program on adolescent development affected health professionals and their work performance. Several mechanisms were used to evaluate the impact of the workshop. Changes in trainees' attitudes and knowledge about adolescent development were measured with pre- and posttraining tests. For five test components: attitude, psychosocial, cognitive, general knowledge and case study applications, the cognitive section differentiated significantly between trainee and comparison groups. On-site observations and interviews were conducted to gauge whether training information was incorporated and applied within the job setting. Short-term training, evaluated at six weeks posttraining, affected basic theoretical knowledge of adolescent development, which in turn improved morale through greater understanding of the complexities of adolescent behavior. Moreover, the evaluation process itself was an effective teaching mechanism, since the various evaluation components interacted with the workshop materials, creating a more comprehensive learning experience for the participants. On-site observations demonstrated that application of workshop materials was often constrained at the work site. Additional practice, organizational support for training objectives and extensive follow-up may be necessary to assure that training materials are applied at the work site.