Digital Competence Development for Hospital-At-Home Care - A Design Evaluation Study Among Healthcare Professionals and Students

The rapid digitalization of healthcare and the increasing implementation of Hospital-at-Home models place new demands on healthcare professionals' digital competencies. The Nordic Digital Health Education (NorDigHE) program was developed to address these needs through a self-managed, digital and multimodal learning platform. The aim of this study was to evaluate the design of the NorDigHE program regarding usability, the use of simulations and learning games, and participants' perceptions of other selected learning tools, including podcasts, videos and quizzes.

A quantitative, descriptive study design was applied, targeting level 1 in the Kirkpatrick framework. Data was collected using validated questionnaires assessing usability, educational podcasts, case-based videos, simulations and game-based learning experiences, and online quizzes. Participants included students and healthcare professionals from Denmark, Norway and Sweden who had completed at least two of the five course modules. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in line with level 1 in Kirkpatrick's framework for evaluation of education.

In total, 125 participants completed the surveys. Usability scores exceeded the established cut-off value, indicating acceptable to good usability. Podcasts and case-based videos were perceived as relevant and supportive of learning, with consistently positive item-level ratings. Simulations and learning games were evaluated as engaging and helpful for applying theory to real-life situations, although some participants reported being insufficiently challenged. Quizzes were primarily perceived as useful for reinforcing understanding and supporting achievement of learning objectives rather than for acquiring new information.

The NorDigHE program was perceived as usable and pedagogically coherent digital learning by both students and healthcare professionals. The results support the use of a multimodal and partially gamified design approach in digital health education. Areas for further development include tailoring the level of challenge in simulations to heterogeneous learner groups. Overall, the results provide a foundation for the continued iterative development of the NorDigHE program.