McBride MR et al. 2004 "Harnessing technology and collaboration for an online ethnogeriatric educational resource."
Reference
McBride MR, Napier-Tibere B. Harnessing technology and collaboration for an online ethnogeriatric educational resource. Gerontol Geriatr Educ 2004;24(4):61-75.
Abstract
"The paper describes the development and testing of a Web-based educational resource for usability and acceptability by health care providers who care for ethnic older adults. The work was undertaken as a dissertation project. The purpose of the Website is to provide on-demand ethnogeriatric information to enhance provider-patient interaction. Focus groups of clinicians and ethnic older adults were used in order to identify content relevant to the care of frail ethnic older adults. Collaboration with the Stanford Geriatric Education Center, On Lok SeniorHealth Services, Inc., Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education, and a network of virtual consultants provided support to the project. The site contains information on 15 cultures, 12 religions, and 6 ethnic minority cohort groups. Testing by snowball sampling generated survey data from 96 respondents, consisting of general practitioners (24%), pediatric specialists (20%), and geriatric specialists (18%). The Website was considered useful for provider-patient communication (77%) and would be recommended to others (99%)."
Objective
To describe "the development and testing of a Web-based educational resource for usability and acceptability by health care providers who care for ethnic older adults."
Tools Used
Type Clinic
Primary care and specialty care
Type Specific
Pediatrics, internal medicine, and geriatrics
Size
not applicable
Geography
Urban
Other Information
The Web site was developed through collaboration between the Stanford Geriatric Education Center, On Lok SeniorHealth Services, Inc., and Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education.
Type of Health IT
Informational resource
Type of Health IT Functions
Program content was developed from clinical, geriatric education, and religious education sources. The "content was embedded in clinical stories and examples that simulate traditional learning situations" for physicians and other practitioners. The Web site had a simple text-based browser format with hyperlinks and contained "three categories of culture-based information for specific ethnic groups" ("15 cultures, 12 religions and 9 American minority, cultural, or immigrant cohort groups"): greetings and introductions, religious beliefs and beliefs about healing, and cohort life events.
Workflow-Related Findings
Of the 90 survey respondents, "77% reported that the information gained would impact their communication with patients or clients, 86% expressed intent to bookmark the site for further visits and 99% said they would recommend the site to others."
Study Design
Only postintervention (no control group)
Study Participants
A snowball sample yielded 96 survey respondents (24 percent general practitioners, 20 percent pediatric specialists, and 18 percent geriatric specialists).