Experiences and perceptions of online continuing professional development among clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa

Caryl Feldacker,Sheena Jacob,Anya Nartker,Michael H Chung,H Nina Kim

doi:10.1186/s12960-017-0266-4

Abstract

BackgroundLimitations in healthcare worker (HCW) capacity compound the burden of dual TB and HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. To fill gaps in knowledge and skills, effective continuing profession development (CPD) initiatives are needed to support practicing HCWs reach high standards of care. e-learning opportunities can bring expert knowledge to HCWs in the field and provide a flexible learning option adaptable to local settings. Few studies provide insight into HCW experiences with online CPD in the developing country context.MethodsAn online survey using both close-ended and free response was conducted to HCWs in sub-Saharan Africa who completed the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine online graduate course, “Clinical Management of HIV.” Associations between respondent characteristics (age, gender, rural/urban, job title) and learning preferences, course barriers, and facilitators with an emphasis on online courses were examined using chi-square. Covariates significant at the p < 0.05 were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Responses to open-ended comments were analyzed using simplified grounded theory.ResultsOf 2,299 former students, 464 (20%) HCWs completed surveys from 13 countries: about half were women. Physicians (33%), nurses (27%), and clinical officers (30%) responded mostly from urban areas (67%) and public institutions (69%). Sixty-two percent accessed the online course from work, noting that slow (55%) or limited (41%) internet as well as lack of time (53%) were barriers to course completion. Women (p < 0.001) and HCWs under age 40 (p = 0.007) were more likely to prefer learning through mentorship than men or older HCWs. Respondents favored group discussion (46%), case studies (42%), and self-paced Internet/computer-based learning (39%) and clinical mentorship (37%) when asked to choose 3 preferred learning modalities. Free-response comments offered additional positive insights into the appeal of online courses by noting the knowledge gains, the flexibility of format, a desire for recognition of course completion, and a request for additional online coursework.ConclusionsOnline CPD opportunities were accepted across a diverse group of HCWs from sub-Saharan Africa and should be expanded to provide more flexible opportunities for self-initiated learning; however, these need to be responsive to the limited resources of those who seek these courses.

Highlights

Limitations in healthcare worker (HCW) capacity compound the burden of dual TB and HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa
In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden of TB and HIV epidemics are the highest, healthcare systems are severely challenged by a critical shortage of healthcare workers (HCWs) [1, 2]
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) refers to the purposeful and ideally ongoing education that HCWs undertake after completion of basic training to maintain their core competencies and update their knowledge, skills, and practices [4]

Summary

Introduction

Limitations in healthcare worker (HCW) capacity compound the burden of dual TB and HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. To fill gaps in knowledge and skills, effective continuing profession development (CPD) initiatives are needed to support practicing HCWs reach high standards of care. E-learning opportunities can bring expert knowledge to HCWs in the field and provide a flexible learning option adaptable to local settings. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden of TB and HIV epidemics are the highest, healthcare systems are severely challenged by a critical shortage of healthcare workers (HCWs) [1, 2]. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) refers to the purposeful and ideally ongoing education that HCWs undertake after completion of basic training to maintain their core competencies and update their knowledge, skills, and practices [4]. In resource-constrained settings where expert faculty are scarce or inaccessible, e-learning has emerged as a powerful tool to enable fewer faculty to reach a wider audience of learners and to permit students to remain in their worksites, learn at their own pace, and reduce travel costs associated with more traditional training courses [6, 8]. e-Learning may help reduce trainingrelated absenteeism, improve HCW retention, and reduce the impact of training on family life [9]

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