The Impact of Educational Technology on the Training of Newborn Health Professionals

Abstract

Introduction: The progress of educational technology to facilitate learning, training and solutions in response to the needs arising from the process of the professionals who provide healthcare services at neonatal intensive care units has been observed. Objective: To assess the impact of educational technology used in the training of newborn health professionals. Materials and Methods: An integrated literature review was carried out in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and LILACS databases between August and September 2017. Descriptors for mobile applications such as "health personnel, infants, newborns, multimedia, learning, mobile health, applications, neonates and health education" were crossed, from which 12 articles were analyzed. Results: Studies used different teaching technologies, from traditional to active methodologies, with the exposure to printed educational materials as well as information and communication technology. Most studies indicated an improvement of knowledge, skills and compliance with guidelines related to critical care of newborns. Discussion: Short- and medium-term educational technology used for newborn care provided an opportunity to expand knowledge and professional skills. Print technologies encouraged the development of a horizontal communication approach, which had an impact on participants' empowerment and autonomy. On the other hand, mobile devices provided immediate support to the caregiver by enabling access to a wide range of educational content from anywhere, which helped to clarify doubts related to the implementation of procedures. Conclusion: The educational technologies used in the training of professionals are diverse and applicable in different settings of neonatal care, which has an impact on newborn health learning and results.