Development and evaluation of point-of-care testing recertification with e-learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Diagnostics
• Healthcare Education Technology

Background:

• Efficient operator training is crucial in point-of-care testing (POCT) to prevent diagnostic errors.
• E-learning is preferred for its flexibility but often faces low employee acceptance.
• Previous attempts with commercial e-learning yielded limited success in improving POCT operator training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key factors for enhancing the acceptance of e-learning modules among POCT operators.
• To compare the acceptance of a hospital-specific e-learning program against a commercial alternative.
• To establish a successful online training and recertification process for POCT personnel.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of tailored e-learning modules focused on common POCT error sources using the ILIAS learning management system.
• An anonymous online questionnaire administered to POCT operators to assess and compare acceptance levels of commercial versus hospital-specific e-learning.
• Integration of successful module completion into the POCT operator recertification process.

Main Results:

• The hospital-specific e-learning modules demonstrated significantly higher acceptance rates compared to the commercial program.
• Relevance of content to individual work and clinic-specific processes, along with manageable processing times, were identified as critical for acceptance.
• Successful establishment of online training for POCT operators was achieved.

Conclusions:

• Adapting e-learning content to specific hospital workflows is essential for improving operator acceptance.
• Tailored online training solutions can effectively address the need for regular recertification of POCT operators.
• Hospital-specific e-learning offers a viable and accepted solution for POCT operator training challenges.