Evaluation of international continuing education on neurorehabilitation for rehabilitation health workers in Honduras: a pretest-posttest design

Abstract

BackgroundRehabilitation therapies are still in the early stages of development in Honduras. At the present time there are no formal training opportunities in Honduras to support the learning needs of health professionals and healthcare workers who specialize in neurological rehabilitation. Support and development of those delivering rehabilitation services from community engaged academic collaborations outside of Honduras can enhance the learning and knowledge of healthcare workers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate reaction and learning linked to two continuing educational workshops for rehabilitation workers in northern Honduras. MethodsThe study design was a pretest-posttest design. The workshops were conducted in a rehabilitation center and a family support organization located in northern Honduras in September 2017.Faculty from Canada and Colombia, together with health professionals from Honduras, facilitated two workshops. Seventeen participants attended the ‘Acquired brain injury/spinal cord injury workshop’ (adult workshop); 15 attended the ‘Rehabilitation for children with impaired neuromotor development workshop’ (pediatric workshop). Participants completed three questionnaires: sociodemographic, knowledge, and Modified Stages of Learning Questionnaires (MSLQ), and three after: Modified Kirkpatrick, knowledge, MSLQ. ResultsWorkshop participants were physiotherapists, physicians, nurses, educational professionals and other non-physiotherapists. Most agreed that the workshops had positive effects in reaction (engagement, relevance, satisfaction), and learning (skills, attitude, confidence and commitment). Stages of Learning changed from scanning/evaluation to learning/experience (p<0.05) in three out of six topics in the pediatric workshop. Three of the knowledge questions showed important learning effects. ConclusionsWorkshops offered to the neurological rehabilitation healthcare workers in Honduras through an international collaboration resulted in enhanced learning and knowledge of participants. This has the potential to improve quality of care for people with neurological conditions in the region.

Critical perspectives on rehabilitation education, practice and process: northern Honduras case study

“…We chose these centres because due to our preexisting collaboration with the centres. Some members of this team had collaborated with local organizations and health providers and conducted training workshops there to advance system changes and advance rehabilitation care [20]. As such, participants were purposefully selected and consisted of rehabilitation workers and managers of rehabilitation centres in Northern Honduras.…”

“…A native Honduran research assistant conducted the focus group discussions and three interviews in Spanish. Another research assistant who was familiar with the rehabilitation centers and involved in providing rehabilitation workshops [20] conducted the fourth interview. The researchers explained the reasons for the research before conducting the interviews.…”