Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers
Abstract This study explored whether digital health content was included in current higher education curriculum, barriers and enablers to inclusion, key skills required and university educators' confidence in delivering content in undergraduate and postgraduate health courses in Western Austral...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Discover Education |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00495-6 |
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| _version_ | 1849311571016155136 |
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| author | Laura Thomas Amy Braddon Crystal Lee Richard Norman Kate Valmadre Stephanie Waters Giles Nunis Tab Berger Suzanne Robinson |
| author_facet | Laura Thomas Amy Braddon Crystal Lee Richard Norman Kate Valmadre Stephanie Waters Giles Nunis Tab Berger Suzanne Robinson |
| author_sort | Laura Thomas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study explored whether digital health content was included in current higher education curriculum, barriers and enablers to inclusion, key skills required and university educators' confidence in delivering content in undergraduate and postgraduate health courses in Western Australia. A three-stage design included: 1) desktop audit of course (n = 117) and unit (n = 1559) descriptors for digital health-related keywords; 2) semi-structured interviews with university educators (n = 15); and 3) online survey of final year students (n = 14). Health, allied health, medicine, nursing and midwifery disciplines at five universities were included. The audit identified limited digital health-related keywords. Interviews identified unsystematic application of digital health content across disciplines. Five themes for digital health curriculum were identified; only one required discipline-specific content. Despite low responses, students supported a need for additional training opportunities to support digital health skill implementation in practice. Comprehensive and ongoing digital health curricula and practice opportunities are needed for undergraduate and postgraduate health workers. Consideration should be given to the skills of university educators and clinical supervisors regarding their own confidence in delivering digital health teaching and practice opportunities for students. A universal approach, supplemented by discipline-specific content, may create efficiencies in curriculum development and support a common language and understanding across professions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aa2aca027abf4bef9686c24799e90da2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-5525 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-aa2aca027abf4bef9686c24799e90da22025-08-20T03:53:22ZengSpringerDiscover Education2731-55252025-05-014111010.1007/s44217-025-00495-6Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workersLaura Thomas0Amy Braddon1Crystal Lee2Richard Norman3Kate Valmadre4Stephanie Waters5Giles Nunis6Tab Berger7Suzanne Robinson8School of Population Health, Curtin UniversitySchool of Population Health, Curtin UniversitySchool of Population Health, Curtin UniversitySchool of Population Health, Curtin UniversityWestern Australian Country Health ServiceWestern Australian Country Health ServiceWestern Australian Primary Health AllianceWestern Australian Department of HealthSchool of Population Health, Curtin UniversityAbstract This study explored whether digital health content was included in current higher education curriculum, barriers and enablers to inclusion, key skills required and university educators' confidence in delivering content in undergraduate and postgraduate health courses in Western Australia. A three-stage design included: 1) desktop audit of course (n = 117) and unit (n = 1559) descriptors for digital health-related keywords; 2) semi-structured interviews with university educators (n = 15); and 3) online survey of final year students (n = 14). Health, allied health, medicine, nursing and midwifery disciplines at five universities were included. The audit identified limited digital health-related keywords. Interviews identified unsystematic application of digital health content across disciplines. Five themes for digital health curriculum were identified; only one required discipline-specific content. Despite low responses, students supported a need for additional training opportunities to support digital health skill implementation in practice. Comprehensive and ongoing digital health curricula and practice opportunities are needed for undergraduate and postgraduate health workers. Consideration should be given to the skills of university educators and clinical supervisors regarding their own confidence in delivering digital health teaching and practice opportunities for students. A universal approach, supplemented by discipline-specific content, may create efficiencies in curriculum development and support a common language and understanding across professions.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00495-6Digital healthHealth workersTelehealthUniversity educationQualitative research |
| spellingShingle | Laura Thomas Amy Braddon Crystal Lee Richard Norman Kate Valmadre Stephanie Waters Giles Nunis Tab Berger Suzanne Robinson Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers Discover Education Digital health Health workers Telehealth University education Qualitative research |
| title | Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers |
| title_full | Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers |
| title_fullStr | Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers |
| title_short | Practice makes progress: essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers |
| title_sort | practice makes progress essential components in digital health training for current and prospective health workers |
| topic | Digital health Health workers Telehealth University education Qualitative research |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00495-6 |
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