Evaluation of Technology-Enhanced Learning Programs for Health Care Professionals: Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Informatics
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) is transforming health care professional education, offering flexible access to training.
• Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of TEL programs is crucial for ensuring their quality and suitability.
• This paper presents the first comprehensive review of the evidence base for TEL program evaluations in health care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and critically appraise the quality of existing literature on the evaluation of TEL programs for health care professionals.
• To identify common evaluation methods and assess the quality of studies in this domain.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted using multiple databases (Medline, CINAHL, ASSIA, ZETOC, IEEE Xplore, AMED, ERIC) from January 2006 to January 2017.
• A hand search of reference lists was performed to identify additional relevant studies.
• The Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool was used to assess the quality of 21 included studies, with a proportion independently reviewed by two additional experts.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria, with quality scores ranging from 37% to 95% (average 68%).
• Learner satisfaction surveys and combined pre/post-test knowledge scores with satisfaction surveys were the most frequent evaluation methods.
• Studies generally scored low in reporting on ethical considerations, study design, and data collection methods.

Conclusions:

• There is an ongoing need for the development of standardized and effective evaluation tools for TEL in health care.
• High-quality research describing robust TEL evaluations is required to improve future program design and implementation.
• Many studies lack sufficient detail, hindering the transferability of findings and the direct application to future health care education programs.