Aouad Phillip, Janssen Anna, Corry Sally, Spielman Karen, Gonzalez-Arce Veronica, Bryant Emma, Simeone Rachel, Shaw Tim, Maguire Sarah
InsideOut Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney, Australia.
Research in Implementation Science and EHealth (RISe) Group (Faculty of Medicine and Health), The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2024 Jul;32(4):687-699. doi: 10.1002/erv.3074. Epub 2024 Feb 28.
Over two-thirds of people present to their primary care physician (or general practitioner; GP) as a first point of contact for mental health concerns. However, eating disorders (EDs) are often not identified in a primary care setting. A significant barrier to early detection and intervention is lack of primary care physician training in EDs; compounded by the significant time commitments required for training by already time-poor general practitioners. The aim of the current study was to pilot and evaluate a microlearning programme that can be delivered to general practitioners with high workloads to help support patients with, or at risk of, developing an ED.
Fifty-one Australian general practitioners aged between 25-to-60 years old were recruited. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire to ascertain their experience working in general practice and with EDs. Participants then completed an online programme consisting of a series of 10 case studies (vignettes) delivered over a 6-10 week period related to various facets of ED care. Following conclusion of the programme, participants were asked to complete an evaluative questionnaire related to the content of the programme; perceived knowledge, confidence, willingness-to-treat, skill change; and their overall experience of microlearning.
All 51 GPs completed the programme and reached completion criteria for all vignettes, 40 of whom completed the programme evaluation. Participants indicated improved skill, confidence, willingness-to-treat, and knowledge following the completion of the pilot programme. Almost all (97.5%; n = 39) found microlearning to be an effective method to learn about EDs; with 87.5% (n = 35) of participants reporting they felt able to apply what was learnt in practice. Qualitative feedback highlighted the benefit of microlearning's flexibility to train general practitioners to work with complex health presentations, specifically EDs.
Findings from the current study lend support to the use of microlearning in medical health professional training; notably around complex mental health concerns. Microlearning appears to be an acceptable and effective training method for GPs to learn about EDs. Given the significant time demands on GPs and the resulting challenges in designing appropriate training for this part of the workforce, this training method has promise. The pre-existing interest in EDs in the current study sample was high; future studies should sample more broadly to ensure that microlearning can be applied at scale.
超过三分之二的人将基层医疗医生（或全科医生；GP）作为心理健康问题的首选就诊对象。然而，在基层医疗环境中，饮食失调（EDs）往往未被识别。早期检测和干预的一个重大障碍是基层医疗医生缺乏饮食失调方面的培训；而本就时间紧张的全科医生还需要投入大量时间进行培训，这使情况更加复杂。本研究的目的是试点并评估一个微学习项目，该项目可提供给工作量大的全科医生，以帮助支持患有饮食失调或有饮食失调风险的患者。
招募了51名年龄在25至60岁之间的澳大利亚全科医生。参与者完成了一份基线问卷，以确定他们在全科医疗和饮食失调方面的工作经验。然后，参与者完成了一个在线项目，该项目由一系列10个案例研究（案例 vignettes）组成，在6至10周内分阶段提供，涉及饮食失调护理的各个方面。项目结束后，要求参与者完成一份与项目内容相关的评估问卷；包括感知到的知识、信心、治疗意愿、技能变化；以及他们对微学习的总体体验。
所有51名全科医生都完成了该项目，并达到了所有案例的完成标准，其中40人完成了项目评估。参与者表示，在完成试点项目后，他们的技能、信心、治疗意愿和知识都有所提高。几乎所有（97.5%；n = 39）参与者都认为微学习是了解饮食失调的有效方法；87.5%（n = 35）的参与者报告说，他们觉得能够将所学应用到实践中。定性反馈突出了微学习的灵活性在培训全科医生处理复杂健康问题（特别是饮食失调）方面的益处。
本研究结果支持在医疗卫生专业人员培训中使用微学习；特别是在处理复杂心理健康问题方面。微学习似乎是全科医生了解饮食失调的一种可接受且有效的培训方法。鉴于全科医生面临的巨大时间需求以及为这部分劳动力设计适当培训所带来的挑战，这种培训方法具有前景。本研究样本中对饮食失调的既有兴趣较高；未来的研究应进行更广泛的抽样，以确保微学习能够大规模应用。
