| Author: | Chan, Sau Yi |
| Title: | Effects of a continuous professional education programme utilising facebook on dementia knowledge and care : a pilot randomised controlled trial |
| Advisors: | Leung, Y. M. Angela (SN) |
| Degree: | DHSc |
| Year: | 2019 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations Professional education Online social networks Dementia |
| Department: | Faculty of Health and Social Sciences |
| Pages: | 156 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Background: Social network sites (SNSs) are not only widely exploited in the daily lives of billions of users, but also in health communication and professional knowledge transfer. Nevertheless, there is an absence of evidence evaluating SNSs in connecting health professions for professional purposes. Objective: This pilot trial was designed to evaluate the feasibility of an interventional trial aiming to investigate the effects of a continuous professional education programme utilising Facebook on dementia knowledge and care. Methods: This is a pilot randomized, unblinded, controlled trial with mixed research methods (quantitative and qualitative). Eighty Hong Kong healthcare professionals were recruited and randomised in a 1:1 ratio by block randomisation method to the Facebook group (n=40) and control group (n=40). The intervention was an eight-week educational programme developed to bring updated knowledge on dementia care from a multidisciplinary perspective, delivered either by Facebook (Facebook group) or by email communications (control group) from October - December 2018. The primary outcomes were the effects of Facebook intervention measured by the differences in mean scores in the pre- and post-intervention knowledge assessments that consisted of the 25-item Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) and formative evaluation of 20 multiple choice questions (MCQs). Other outcome measurements included participant compliance, participant engagement in the Facebook group, satisfaction and self-perceived uses of Facebook for CPE programmes. Results: Significantly more Facebook group participants (n=35) completed the study than the control group (n=25) (P < 0.001). The overall retention rate is 75% (n=60). On the post-intervention knowledge tests, the mean of changes in scores in the Facebook group were significant in all assessments, including the DKAS (mean 8.3, SD 8.6, 95% CI 5.3-11.2, P < 0.001) and the MCQs (mean 4.9, SD 3.7, 95% CI 3.6-6.1, P < 0.001). Between two groups, a significant difference in changes in mean scores was identified in the DKAS subscale 'Communication and behaviour' (95% CI 0.4-3.3 P = 0.016). There was no significant difference between two groups on the total DKAS, other DKAS subscales and MCQs. Education delivered through Facebook group was significantly more effective in improving participants' knowledge on how people with dementia communicate and behave. Participant compliance rates, particularly in assessing multimedia learning materials, were significantly higher in the Facebook group than the control group (P <0.001). The mean numbers of participants accessing a week (out of eight) were 31.5 (SD 3.9) and 17.6 (SD 5.2) in the Facebook group and control group respectively. Facebook group participants were engaged in the group, generating an average of 19.03 actions per post. Polls attracted the highest level of participant engagement (mean 20.17), followed by videos (mean 19.56). Overall, participants were satisfied with the interventions (mean 4.0 out of 5, SD 0.6). Facebook group participants scored significantly higher in favouring the use of Facebook for the CPE programme (P = 0.029), particularly on the item, 'recommending Facebook for other CPE courses' (P = 0.01). Conclusions: The significantly higher retention rate (P < 0.001), together with the high levels of participant compliance and engagement make Facebook a promising method for delivering professional educational programmes. Comparing to the control, although significant difference was not observed in the mean of changes in scores in the total DKAS and MCQs assessments, the Facebook intervention was significantly more effective in improving participants' knowledge of communication and behaviour in dementia patients (P = 0.016). Participants demonstrated positive attitudes towards utilising Facebook for professional learning. As the first pilot RCT examining the effectiveness of an SNS for professional education for health professionals, this study's findings provide evidence for the feasibility of using Facebook for intervention delivery in a way that can be rolled out into a practical setting. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 991022379158003411.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 3.26 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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