Needs Assessment and Best Practices for Digital Trainings for Health Professionals in Ethiopia Using the RE-AIM Framework: COVID-19, Case Study.

Abstract

To assess the implementation science outcomes of a COVID-19 e-health educational intervention in Ethiopia targeting healthcare workers via the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adaption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework. A series of three one-hour medical seminars focused on COVID-19 prevention and treatment education were conducted between May-August 2020. Educational content was built from medical sites previously impacted by COVID-19. Post-seminar evaluation information was collected from physician and other participants by a survey instrument. Cross-sectional evaluation results are reported here by RE-AIM constructs. The medical seminars reached 324 participants. Key success metrics include that 90% reporting the information delivered in a culturally sensitive/tailored manner (effectiveness), 80% reporting that they planned to share the information presented with someone else (adoption and implementation), and 64% reporting using information presented in their daily clinical responsibilities 6 months after the first medical seminars (maintenance). Grounded in a theoretical framework and following evidenced-based best practices, this intervention advances the field of dissemination and implementation science by demonstrating how to transition healthcare training and delivery from an in-person to digital medium in low-resource settings like Ethiopia.