EP.47Sharing evidence-based physiotherapy for neuromuscular patients through a digital learning platform: description of a service development project

Abstract

Physiotherapy is an important modality for patients with neuromuscular diseases, as individually targeted physiotherapy approaches may enhance functions in daily life, and thereby affect quality of life. In Norway, there is scarce knowledge of neuromuscular diseases among community PTs, especially related to specific hands-on physiotherapy. The physiotherapists at the National Neuromuscular Centre, Norway (NMK), sees the need for easily attainable learning resources to meet the demands from community PTs. Hence, a service development project based on digital learning to reach the community PTs that encounter the patient group in their clinical practice and need an evidence-based platform to guide their decision-making, was planned. The project was developed in close collaboration with sjelden.no, a learning platform for rare diseases funded by Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Rare Disorders (NKSD). Two introductory videos, about physical activity and exercise, and principles for physiotherapy to neuromuscular patients, were produced and published in 2017. These combined animations and real-life video. Thereafter a module-based e-learning course consisting of four modules was made: 1) General introduction to neuromuscular diseases 2) Functional challenges for persons with diseases in muscle 3) Functional challenges for persons with neuropathies 4) Specific physiotherapeutic interventions. Module 2-4 consists of real patients and physiotherapeutic interventions to address their problems. Editing of module 2-4 is still in progress. There has been positive feedback to module 1 consisting of the introductory videos. These are published at sjelden.no, and have been marketed at the webpages of NMK and NKSD, as well as at physiotherapy congresses and other venues. Modules 2-4 are yet to be published to the public, aiming for a late 2019 introduction. E-learning through a digital learning platform, as an add-on to clinical courses, can be a cost-effective way of sharing evidence-based physiotherapy knowledge to community PTs and other health-care professionals that encounter patients with rare neuromuscular diseases in clinical practice. Proper evaluation of the finished module-based e-learning program is though needed to assess its usefulness.