Barcelona 2013
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| Abstract #241 - Information Technologies | ||||
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Session: 17.5: Information Technologies (Parallel) on Monday @ 14.30-16.00 in Mirador Chaired by Ferran Pujol, Rich Wolitski Authors: Presenting Author: Dr Patty Solomon - McMaster University, Canada |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Despite increasing evidence of the role of rehabilitation in the management of people with HIV, few rehabilitation professionals work in HIV care. The Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR) recently developed a comprehensive evidence-informed online guide to HIV rehabilitation to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent to which email messages with case-based content and links to the guide increased awareness and capacity in rehabilitation professionals to provide evidence-informed healthcare for people living with HIV. | ||||
| Method / Issue: A single-group intervention study was conducted with in-depth telephone interviews completed post-intervention. Rehabilitation professionals in Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), including occupational therapists (OTs), physiotherapists (PTs) and speech language pathologists/therapists (SLPs) were recruited through emails to members of the CWGHR, professional associations and special interest groups. The intervention consisted of short clinical case studies from the guide, which highlight current knowledge on the pathophysiology of HIV and associated conditions, assessment and treatment of HIV, and the complexities of living with HIV.. Case studies were sent to participants in the body of an email. Key clinical questions applying rehabilitation guidelines to people with HIV were provided along with answers and links to the specific content in the guidelines to encourage use of this resource. An email was sent every 2 weeks for a 3 month period (6 emails in total). Following the 3-month intervention period, participants completed an in-depth telephone interview to assess their perceptions of the value of the case studies, their use of the guide and barriers and facilitators to learning. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A qualitative content analysis using an open coding technique and a constant comparison method was used to identify themes. | ||||
| Results / Comments: A total of 26 rehabilitation professionals (16 PTs, 7 OTs, 3 SLPs; 17 from Canada, 9 from the UK) viewed all 6 cases. Twenty-seven percent of participants worked extensively with people living with HIV; 38% had not knowingly treated anyone living with HIV. Analyses revealed increased understanding of the episodic and chronic nature of HIV, its related co-morbidities and resulting disability. Participants acknowledged that there was an increased understanding of the ?bigger picture? of HIV and that they developed increased confidence in their ability to support people living with HIV. Most participants were unable to identify immediate changes to their practice; however, this was often related to the lack of exposure to people with HIV in their practice. The case studies were received positively; participants appreciated the accessible nature of the learning opportunity, the ease and time-efficiency of the intervention and the variety and comprehensiveness of the cases. Case studies were viewed as providing foundational knowledge in an engaging way and promoted awareness of the e-module as a resource. | ||||
| Discussion: Short case studies, delivered by email, can be used as a cost-effective knowledge translation strategy to increase awareness of practice guidelines in an emergent area of practice. Additional knowledge translation strategies are required to promote change in practice. | ||||
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