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Kidney Week

Abstract: SA-PO183

On-line vs Face-to-Face Education to Improve Dietitians’ Clinical Competence in Early CKD

Session Information

  • Educational Research
    October 27, 2018 | Location: Exhibit Hall, San Diego Convention Center
    Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Category: Educational Research

  • 800 Educational Research

Authors

  • Marquez-Herrera, Roxana, Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Renales, Guadalajara, Mexico
  • Cortes-Sanabria, Laura, Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Renales, Guadalajara, Mexico
  • Martinez Ramirez, Hector, Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Renales, Guadalajara, Mexico
  • Cueto-Manzano, Alfonso M., Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Renales, Guadalajara, Mexico
Background

Adequate clinical competence (CC) of dietitians for prevention and management of early chronic kidney disease (CKD) would have an important impact to reduce the burden of ESRD. Unfortunately, this is not frequently observed, particularly in primary health-care. Online education offers advantages for continuing education; however, its effect on CC remains unclear. Aim: To compare the impact of an online vs face-to-face education program on dietitians’ CC regarding nutritional care of early CKD

Methods

Eighty-one dietitians were included; renal dietitians or those who were currently taking any CKD training were excluded. Dietitians were included in an online group (N 56) or face-to-face group (N 25). Educative interventions were developed by a multidisciplinary team (clinical and education experts), based on constructivism paradigm and focused on nutritional aspects of prevention and management of early CKD. Education content and duration (8 weeks) of both interventions were similar; online education was asynchronic, face-to-face was performed 1 session (4h)/week. To evaluate CC, a validated questionnaire (0-120 points) measuring dietitians’ capability to identify risk factors, integrate diagnosis, correctly use of nutritional therapeutic resources and identify iatrogenic behaviors, was applied at the beginning and the end of study

Results

Age, gender, work experience (yrs), and previous attendance to online courses were similar between groups. Baseline CC score was low in both groups: face-to-face 47 (41-56) vs online 48 (39-58), p=0.60, but increased in both of them at the end of study: face-to-face 74% (29-97, p<0.0001) and online 63% (26-91,p<0.0001); no difference in intergroup comparison was observed (p=0.57). In general, 58% of dietitians increased from low to high CC (p<0.0001). Terminal efficiency was >90% in both groups, and >90% of participants rated the interventions as good or very good

Conclusion

Online and face-to-face educative interventions were successfully developed. CC of dietitians increased similarly after both educative interventions. Online education could be useful and effective to train dietitians in prevention and management of early CKD, overcoming limitations of time, distance and costs of face-to-face education