Effects of Digital Learning Technology in Dementia Education Programs on Dementia Care Knowledge, Attitudes, and Interprofessional Collaboration Among Long-term Care Professionals
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 150
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Interprofessional collaboration level
研究概览
简要总结
Dementia, including cognitive decline and behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD), presents a significant challenge to long-term care systems and family caregivers. While various digital educational resources are available, long-term care professionals often face challenges in practical care skills, communication, and emotional coping when managing individuals with moderate to severe dementia. To address these needs, a dementia education program integrating digital learning technologies was proposed to offer a meaningful, collaborative learning experience.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of this immersive learning dementia education program on long-term care professionals' dementia care knowledge, attitudes, and interprofessional collaboration competence (as the primary outcome variables).
This study utilized a quasi-experimental, waitlist control group pre- and post-test design. This study utilized a quasi-experimental, waitlist control group pre- and post-test design. Long-term care professionals were recruited from 12 community-based long-term care institutions in Taiwan. Participants were assigned to either the intervention group or the waitlist control group based on the order of enrollment.
The intervention group participated in an 8-hour, 4-unit immersive training program held during non-working hours. The curriculum included: an advanced dementia care lecture and case discussions; Virtual Reality (VR) dementia symptom simulation (using HTC VIVE Flow headsets) followed by reflective debrief; Augmented Reality (AR) interactive skill training (using the MAKAR Viewer mobile app); and experience sharing on ethical and legal issues in dementia care.
The waitlist control group maintained their routine continuing education during the study period and received the identical 8-hour training program after the follow-up assessments were completed.
All participants completed standardized questionnaires at three time points: at baseline (pre-test), immediately following the intervention (post-test), and at a 3-month follow-up. The outcomes measured included dementia care knowledge, dementia care attitudes, and interprofessional collaboration levels.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Non Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Health Services Research
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 64 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •(1)Must be a registered long-term care professional or care assistant currently employed in a long-term care institution; (2) Provided informed consent and voluntarily agreed to participate in this study; (3) Capable of using digital learning devices, including smartphone applications and virtual reality (VR) headsets.
排除标准
- •(1)Severe visual or hearing impairments that prevent the effective use of digital learning materials or VR headsets; (2)A history of severe motion sickness, vertigo, or epilepsy that could be triggered by immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences.
结局指标
主要结局
Interprofessional collaboration level
时间窗: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up post-intervention.
Measured using the Collaboration subscale of the Chinese Version of the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS-C), this subscale assessed the extent to which long-term care professionals perceived themselves as team members who listened to and valued all members' perspectives, actively contributed professional insights, and engaged in shared decision-making. It consisted of 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = Never to 5 = Always), and the total subscale score ranged from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating a higher perceived level of interprofessional collaboration within the care team. Subgroup interactions based on occupational categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) were evaluated.
Knowledge of dementia care
时间窗: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up post-intervention.
Measured using the Taiwan Shortened Version of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS-s), this scale evaluated long-term care professionals' knowledge level across four distinct dimensions: (1) causes and characteristics of dementia, (2) communication and engagement, (3) dementia care needs, and (4) risk assessment and health promotion. The scale consisted of 16 items utilizing a partial credit scoring method, where each correct answer yielded 1 point, and incorrect or "don't know" responses yielded 0 points. The total score ranged from 0 to 16, with higher total scores indicating a higher level of understanding and knowledge of dementia care, and subgroup interactions based on occupational categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) were evaluated.
Attitude toward dementia
时间窗: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up post-intervention.
Measured using the Dementia Attitude Scale - Chinese Version (DAS-C), this scale evaluated long-term care personnel's attitudes toward individuals with dementia across two primary dimensions: (1) Social Comfort, which encompassed affective and behavioral components, and (2) Dementia Knowledge, which covered the cognitive component. The scale consisted of 17 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). The total score ranged from 17 to 85, with higher total scores indicating a more positive and favorable caregiving attitude toward people living with dementia. Subgroup interactions based on professional categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) were evaluated.
次要结局
- Interprofessional collaboration level changes by occupational category(Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.)
- Dementia care knowledge changes by occupational category(Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.)
- Dementia care attitude changes by occupational category(Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.)
研究者
Yi-Ling Tseng
Principal Investigator
Tunghai University