Effectiveness of an e-learning tool for education on pressure ulcer evaluation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• Pressure ulcers present a significant challenge in nursing practice.
• Traditional training methods, relying on lectures and wound images, have limitations.
• There is a need for more effective pressure ulcer education strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of an e-learning tool versus traditional methods for undergraduate pressure ulcer training.
• To evaluate information and communication technologies as a learning tool in nursing education.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving undergraduate nursing students.
• Intervention group utilized the adaptive e-learning tool (ePULab) for pressure ulcer assessment and treatment.
• Control group received traditional on-campus lectures; pre- and post-tests assessed knowledge.

Main Results:

• The e-learning tool (ePULab) resulted in significantly better learning acquisition.
• Knowledge scores improved from 8.27 to 15.83 in the intervention group (p=0.01).
• Traditional lecture group scores improved from 8.23 to 11.6.

Conclusions:

• The e-learning approach is more effective for pressure ulcer education than traditional lectures.
• The ePULab tool is suitable for training on pressure ulcer assessment and treatment.
• This e-learning tool has potential to impact clinical decision-making in pressure ulcer management.