Online Self-Administered Training of PTSD Treatment Providers in Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention Skills: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Despite potential advantages in scalability and efficiency of web-based training for trauma providers, few controlled trials of feasibility and effectiveness of web-based mental health training have been performed. Our study compared web-based training in 3 intervention skills (motivation enhancement [ME], goal setting [GS], behavioral task assignment [BTA]) with web-based training plus telephone consultation, and a no-training control. The primary outcome measures included objective measures of skills acquisition (standardized patient assessments). Results showed significant differences among the training conditions. The overall tests of differences among the groups were statistically significant for ME and BTA skills (p < .001 and p = .005, respectively), but not for GS (p = .245). The web training plus consultation group improved in ME skills by 0.35 units compared to 0.12 units in the web only group (p < .001) and no change in the control group (p = .001). For BTA skills, the web training plus consultation improved by 0.27 units compared to 0.17 units in the web only group (p = .175) and no change in the control group (p = .004). Overall, these findings support the use of web-based dissemination for large-scale training programs for trauma providers in health care delivery systems. Further studies are needed to clarify the specific role of consultation as an adjunct to web-based training. Resumen A pesar de las ventajas potenciales en escalabilidad y eficiencia de los entrenamientos basados en la web para proveedores de trauma, pocas investigaciones controladas de la factibilidad y efectividad de entrenamiento basado en la web en salud mental han sido realizadas. Nuestro estudio compara el entrenamiento basado en la web en 3 habilidades de intervencion (aumento de la motivacion (AM), establecimiento de objetivos (EO), asignacion de tareas conductuales (ATC) con entrenamiento basado en la web mas consulta telefonica y un control sin entrenamiento. Las principales medidas resultantes incluyeron mediciones objetivas de la adquisicion de habilidades (evaluaciones estandarizadas de los pacientes). Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre las condiciones de entrenamiento. Las pruebas generales de diferencias entre grupos fueron estadisticamente significativas para habilidades AM y ATC (p