Training Gaps in Digital Skills for the Cancer Health Care Workforce Based on Insights From Clinical Professionals, Nonclinical Professionals, and Patients and Caregivers: Qualitative Study

The integration of digital technologies is becoming increasingly essential in cancer care. However, limited digital health literacy among clinical and nonclinical cancer health care professionals poses significant challenges to effective implementation and sustainability over time. To address this, the European Union is prioritizing the development of targeted digital skills training programs for cancer care providers, the TRANSiTION project among them. A crucial initial step in this effort is conducting a comprehensive gap analysis to identify specific training needs.

The aim of this work is to identify training gaps and prioritize the digital skill development needs in the oncology health care workforce.

An importance-performance analysis (IPA) was conducted following a survey that assessed the performance and importance of 7 digital skills: information, communication, content creation, safety, eHealth problem-solving, ethics, and patient empowerment.

A total of 67 participants from 11 European countries completed the study: 38 clinical professionals (CP), 16 nonclinical professionals (NCP), and 13 patients or caregivers (PC). CP acknowledged the need for a comprehensive training program that includes all 7 digital skills. Digital patient empowerment and safety skills emerge as the highest priorities for both CP and NCP. Conversely, NCP assigned a lower priority to digital content creation skills, and PC assigned a lower priority to digital information and ethical skills. The IPA also revealed discrepancies in digital communication skills across groups (H=6.50; P=.04).

The study showcased the pressing need for comprehensive digital skill training for cancer health care professionals across diverse backgrounds and health care systems in Europe, tailored to their occupation and care setting. Incorporating PC perspectives ensures a balanced approach to addressing these training gaps. These findings provide a valuable knowledge base for designing digital skills training programs, promoting a holistic approach that integrates the perspectives of the various stakeholders involved in digital cancer care.