Building Long-Term Care Staff Capacity During COVID-19 Through Just-in-Time Learning: Evaluation of a Modified ECHO...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare education
• Infectious disease management
• Long-term care services

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic severely strained Canadian long-term care (LTC) homes.
• Leaders and healthcare providers (HCPs) faced urgent priorities for resident safety and care.
• Effective knowledge dissemination was crucial for adapting to evolving pandemic challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual education program, Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) Care of the Elderly Long-Term Care (COE-LTC): COVID-19.
• To determine if the program delivered just-in-time learning and best practices to LTC teams and residents during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted.
• Interprofessional HCPs in LTC settings in Ontario, Canada, participated in 12 weekly virtual sessions.
• Quantitative and qualitative surveys assessed program reach, satisfaction, self-efficacy, practice changes, and impact on resident care.

Main Results:

• Out of 252 registrants, 160 (63.4%) attended sessions, primarily nurses and nurse practitioners (43.8%).
• Participants showed significant increases in confidence and comfort (effect sizes ≥ 0.7, P < .001) when managing residents with COVID-19.
• Reported impacts included intent for practice change, improved resident care, and enhanced knowledge sharing.

Conclusions:

• Project ECHO COE-LTC: COVID-19 successfully delivered time-sensitive information and best practices to LTC teams.
• The virtual program proved effective in supporting LTC staff and residents during the pandemic.
• This model offers a critical platform for just-in-time learning during health crises and periods of rapid information change.