Developing a Web Platform to Support a Community of Practice: A Mixed Methods Study in Pediatric Physiotherapy

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Professional Development

Background:

• Web platforms are vital for virtual communities of practice (vCoP) among healthcare professionals.
• Developing effective platforms for implementing best practices in healthcare remains underexplored.
• Pediatric physiotherapists (PTs) are a key demographic for understanding these platform needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore pediatric physiotherapists' perspectives on the utility and usability of a web platform designed for virtual communities of practice.
• To identify specific platform characteristics that support or hinder effective virtual interactions for healthcare professionals.
• To inform the development of future web platforms for professional communities.

Main Methods:

• An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed.
• A web platform was developed for PTs working with children with developmental coordination disorder, incorporating social, information-quality, and system-quality factors.
• Quantitative data from a survey (n=41) and qualitative data from semistructured interviews (n=9) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• PTs generally perceived the utility of web platform characteristics positively.
• Usability issues were identified, particularly concerning navigation and information retrieval.
• The platform's features aimed at social, information-quality, and system-quality factors showed mixed reception regarding ease of use.

Conclusions:

• Web platforms for vCoPs must be carefully designed with user needs at the forefront.
• User involvement in the co-construction of web platforms is highly recommended.
• Continuous evaluation of platform characteristics for both utility and usability is crucial for successful implementation.