An e-Learning Intervention for Professionals to Promote Family-Centered Cancer Care When a Significant Caregiver for Children Is at End of Life: Mixed Methods Evaluation Study

Abstract

Background: Families are often unsure how best to prepare dependent children for the death of a significant caregiver with a poor cancer prognosis and seek guidance and support from health care teams. Health and social care professionals (hereafter referred to as professionals) often lack educational opportunities to gain the desired knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide family-centered supportive cancer care. e-Learning has positively impacted access and reach, improving educational opportunities in health care. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the acceptability, usability, and effectiveness of an evidence-based, theory-driven e-learning intervention to equip and promote professionals’ self-efficacy to deliver family-centered supportive cancer care when a significant caregiving member for dependent children is at the end of life. Methods: Guided by the “person-based approach,” a mixed methods outcome evaluation was used. To determine the effect on self-efficacy, participants completed a validated pretest and posttest 12-item self-efficacy survey. The use of one-on-one, remote semistructured interviews and single-item questions determined the usability by professionals of the e-learning intervention and the acceptability of perceived learning in clinical practice. To generate enhanced insights, quantitative and qualitative data were integrated through a 4-stage, modified pillar integration process. Results: Overall, 158 participants completed the pretest survey for the e-learning resource, with 99 (62.7%) completing the posttest survey. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 professionals at least 1 month after the intervention. Findings highlighted a statistically significant improvement in posttest self-efficacy (99/158, 62.7%; P