Abstract
Introduction
Health and social care professionals (professionals) often lack educational opportunities to gain knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide family-centred supportive end-of-life cancer care. Guided by the ‘Person-based approach’, our team designed an evidence-based, theory-driven eLearning intervention to equip and promote professionals’ self-efficacy to deliver family-centred cancer care when a significant caregiver for dependent children is dying.
Methods
A mixed methods study was conducted to evaluate the acceptability, usability and effectiveness of the eLearning intervention. To determine the effect on self-efficacy, participants completed a validated pre-test and post-test 12-item self-efficacy survey. One-to-one, remote semi-structured interviews and single-item questions determined professionals’ usability and acceptability of perceived learning onto clinical practice. To generate enhanced insights, quantitative and qualitative data were integrated through a 4-stage, modified pillar integration process.
Results
Overall, 158 participants completed the pre-test survey, with 99 completing the post-test survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 professionals at least 1-month post-intervention. Findings highlighted a statistically significant improvement in post-test self-efficacy (p<.001). Usability of the eLearning intervention was positive, with participants reporting that it was clear and organized (mean 4.84, SD 0.373), the language was easy to understand (mean 4.71, SD 0.407), and graphics and media were purposeful (mean 4.76, SD 0.495). Deter-
mining acceptability, participants considered that the intervention would positively impact practice (mean 4.60, SD 0.589) and increase knowledge (mean 4.56, SD 0.677). Findings demonstrated transferable learning to additional contexts, such as other close adult-child relational bonds (grandparents) and to life-limiting conditions.
Conclusions
This accessible eLearning intervention makes an important contribution to the recognized global gap of educational interventions in this field. Equipping professionals with family-centred supportive end-of-life care improves self-efficacy and preparedness to engage in challenging conversations, with the potential to promote better outcomes for affected adults and children and mediate adverse outcomes for adults and children before and after bereavement.
Health and social care professionals (professionals) often lack educational opportunities to gain knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide family-centred supportive end-of-life cancer care. Guided by the ‘Person-based approach’, our team designed an evidence-based, theory-driven eLearning intervention to equip and promote professionals’ self-efficacy to deliver family-centred cancer care when a significant caregiver for dependent children is dying.
Methods
A mixed methods study was conducted to evaluate the acceptability, usability and effectiveness of the eLearning intervention. To determine the effect on self-efficacy, participants completed a validated pre-test and post-test 12-item self-efficacy survey. One-to-one, remote semi-structured interviews and single-item questions determined professionals’ usability and acceptability of perceived learning onto clinical practice. To generate enhanced insights, quantitative and qualitative data were integrated through a 4-stage, modified pillar integration process.
Results
Overall, 158 participants completed the pre-test survey, with 99 completing the post-test survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 professionals at least 1-month post-intervention. Findings highlighted a statistically significant improvement in post-test self-efficacy (p<.001). Usability of the eLearning intervention was positive, with participants reporting that it was clear and organized (mean 4.84, SD 0.373), the language was easy to understand (mean 4.71, SD 0.407), and graphics and media were purposeful (mean 4.76, SD 0.495). Deter-
mining acceptability, participants considered that the intervention would positively impact practice (mean 4.60, SD 0.589) and increase knowledge (mean 4.56, SD 0.677). Findings demonstrated transferable learning to additional contexts, such as other close adult-child relational bonds (grandparents) and to life-limiting conditions.
Conclusions
This accessible eLearning intervention makes an important contribution to the recognized global gap of educational interventions in this field. Equipping professionals with family-centred supportive end-of-life care improves self-efficacy and preparedness to engage in challenging conversations, with the potential to promote better outcomes for affected adults and children and mediate adverse outcomes for adults and children before and after bereavement.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 033 |
| Pages (from-to) | 583 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Supportive Care in Cancer |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | Suppl 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 14 Jun 2025 |
