Effectiveness of an online training of health professionals to seek and evaluate health information

With the economy and accessibility offered by the internet, more health information materials are going online. Professionals in the field need knowledge and skills on evaluating scientific accuracy of online health information. Such training can be provided in a virtual environment but face-to-face interaction between the trainer and participants is lacking, making effectiveness of such training debatable.

Objectives: To 1) describe a training for healthcare professionals in the field on seeking scientific information online, 2) discuss best practices used to increase effectiveness in training conducted in a virtual environment, and 3) evaluate effectiveness of the online training.

Methods: Healthcare professionals were trained on seeking and evaluating health information from online databases in interactive 4-hour webinar sessions. Elements such as polls, drawing tools, and quizzes were used to increase engagement and effectiveness of the transfer of knowledge and skills.

Results: 112 participants went through the webinar training in 2009-2010. The training was evaluated through online pre- and post-surveys; 96 matched responses were received. Data showed significant (p<0.01) increases in identifying credible sources of information (27% vs. 96%), search strategies (54% vs. 84%), and evaluating information for accuracy (54% vs. 86%). Most (>90%) participants agreed that the training was informative, useful, and covered unique material. Most had either used or were planning to use training resources and skills after the training. Follow up data obtained after one year of training will also be discussed.

Conclusion: Online training on highly specialized topics such as seeking and evaluating scientifically accurate health information is effective and economical.