Efficacy of online training at the International Mental Health Training Center Taiwan (IMHTCT): Pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cheng-Chung Chen, Shu-Hui Wang, Li-Shiu Chou and 2 others
PMID 36842826WHAT IT FOUND
Online training improved self-reported knowledge for social workers and occupational therapists more than on-site training.
Nurses showed a non-significant trend toward benefit. No patient outcomes were measured.
Key findings
01Online training was associated with significantly higher increases in self-reported learning effect scores for social workers and occupational therapists compared to on-site training.
02Nurses who received online training showed a non-significant trend toward greater score increases than those receiving on-site training.
03All trainee groups showed significant pre-to-post increases in self-reported knowledge scores, regardless of training mode.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used self-reported questionnaires to measure 'learning efficacy,' which does not reflect actual clinical competence or patient outcomes. The sample sizes for occupational therapists (16) and psychologists (24) were small, limiting generalizability. The comparison is confounded by the content of the training: on-site training included clinical practice, while online training consisted only of lectures. The study did not use objective measures like Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) due to resource constraints. The population was restricted to trainees from Southeast Asia who had the socioeconomic status to afford internet and devices.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by grants from the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher scores for online training as evidence that it is superior to on-site training for developing clinical skills. The online group only received lectures, while the on-site group received lectures plus clinical practice, and the outcome measured was self-reported knowledge, not patient care ability.