Search

BackgroundOlder adults desire to stay independent at home for as long as possible. We developed an interactive website to inform older adults and caregivers about ways to achieve this. Objective This study aimed to perform an in-depth exploration among potential end users about how to improve the interactive website to better inform older adults and caregivers about ways to stay independent at home. MethodsTo complement the results of a quantitative survey on the usability and acceptability of the website before implementation, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study. Using multiple recruitment strategies, we recruited a purposeful sample of older adults (aged ≥65 years) and caregivers of older adults struggling to stay independent at home. We conducted face-to-face or telephonic interviews in either English or French. In addition, we collected sociodemographic characteristics, other characteristics of participants (eg, health, digital profile, and perception of retirement homes), and experiences with using the website (factors facilitating the use of the website, barriers to its use, and suggestions for improvement). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed by two researchers. ResultsWe recruited 15 participants, including 5 older adults (mean age 75 years, SD 6) and 10 caregivers (mean age 57 years, SD 14). The mean interview time was 32 min (SD 14). Most older adults had either mobility or health problems or both, and many of them were receiving home care services (eg, blood pressure measurement and body care). Overall, participants found the website easy to navigate using a computer, reassuring, and useful for obtaining information. Barriers were related to navigation (eg, difficult to navigate with a cellphone), relevance (eg, no specific section for caregivers), realism (eg, some resources presented are not state funded), understandability (eg, the actors’ accents were difficult to understand), and accessibility (eg, not adapted for low digital literacy). Suggestions for improvement included a needs assessment section to direct users to the support appropriate to their needs, addition of information about moving into residential care, a section for caregivers, distinction between state-provided and private support services, simpler language, expansion of content to be relevant to all of Canada, and video subtitles for the hearing impaired. ConclusionsUsers provided a wealth of information about the needs of older adults who were facing a loss of autonomy and about what such a website could usefully provide. The request for less generic and more personalized information reflects the wide range of needs that electronic health innovations, such as our interactive website, need to address. After integrating the changes suggested, the new website—Support for Older Adults to Stay Independent at Home (SUSTAIN)—will be implemented and made available to better assist older adults and caregivers in staying independent at home.

Background: Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for physicians to maintain and enhance their knowledge, competence, skills, and performance. Web-based CPD plays an essential role. However, validated theory–informed measures of their impact are lacking. The CPD-REACTION questionnaire is a validated theory–informed tool that evaluates the impact of CPD activities on clinicians’ behavioral intentions. Objective: We aimed to review the use of the CPD-REACTION questionnaire, which measures the impact of CPD activities on health professionals’ intentions to change clinical behavior. We examined CPD activity characteristics, ranges of intention, mean scores, score distributions, and psychometric properties. Methods: We conducted a systematic review informed by the Cochrane review methodology. We searched 8 databases from January 1, 2014, to April 20, 2021. Gray literature was identified using Google Scholar and Research Gate. Eligibility criteria included all health care professionals, any study design, and participants’ completion of the CPD-REACTION questionnaire either before, after, or before and after a CPD activity. Study selection, data extraction, and study quality evaluation were independently performed by 2 reviewers. We extracted data on characteristics of studies, the CPD activity (eg, targeted clinical behavior and format), and CPD-REACTION use. We used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies. Data extracted were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Student t test (2-tailed) for bivariate analysis. The results are presented as a narrative synthesis reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Results: Overall, 65 citations were eligible and referred to 52 primary studies. The number of primary studies reporting the use of CPD-REACTION has increased continuously since 2014 from 1 to 16 publications per year (2021). It is available in English, French, Spanish, and Dutch. Most of the studies were conducted in Canada (30/52, 58%). Furthermore, 40 different clinicalbehaviors were identified. The most common CPD format was e-learning (34/52, 65%). The original version of the CPD-REACTION questionnaire was used in 31 of 52 studies, and an adapted version in 18 of 52 studies. In addition, 31% (16/52) of the studies measured both the pre- and postintervention scores. In 22 studies, CPD providers were university-based. Most studies targeted interprofessional groups of health professionals (31/52, 60%). Conclusions: The use of CPD-REACTION has increased rapidly and across a wide range of clinical behaviors and formats, including a web-based format. Further research should investigate the most effective way to adapt the CPD-REACTION questionnaire to a variety of clinical behaviors and contexts. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42018116492; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=116492 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]