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Increasing Access to Radiation Safety Training and Validating its Effectiveness in Improving Work Practices Involving Radiation
RS2006-IG11
Final Report Date: October 2008
| Principal Applicant: | Emerenciana (Emmy) Duran (Vancouver Coastal Health Authority “VCH”) |
| Co-Applicants: | Peter Choi (VCH), Anthony Yu (Fraser Health) |
| Authors: | John Aldrich, Denise Subotin (VCH), Patricia Baxter (Vancouver Island Health Authority) |
For more information about this project, please contact Denise Subotin.
Issue
Radiation is an occupational hazard requiring an exposure control plan and mandatory training of staff. However, there are multiple challenges to providing this training within Health Authorities, such as a lack of content expertise among clinical educators, and geographical and scheduling considerations. Interviews and feedback have shown that staff want and need radiation safety training, but that the mode of delivery needs to consider their time and scheduling constraints and should not be confined to scheduled in-service sessions. In order to address the need for more accessible training, this project developed four radiation safety training modules in online and DVD formats, and evaluated them in a pilot study.
Key findings
- Four audience-specific radiation safety training modules were developed, in online and DVD formats, to enable self-directed study and increase access to radiation safety education.
- Participants’ knowledge of radiation safety concepts increased, as measured by pre- and post-module test scores. The average increase in scores ranged from 14.4 to 18.6%.
- Participants rated the quality of the modules and their impact on practice positively both in the post-module evaluation and in the one month follow up survey.
- The modules are an effective way to deliver radiation safety training to health care staff, and are being integrated into regular staff orientation procedures and training resources.
Objectives
- To develop audience-specific training modules on radiation safety in healthcare, in formats that are suitable for self-study.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the modules in transferring knowledge and improving work practices which involve radiation.
Methods
Four modules were developed with the participation of content experts from the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH), the Fraser Health Authority (FH) and the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA). Specific health care user groups were targeted during the development of each module and module content was tailored to meet the training needs of these groups. The modules developed were: Radiation Safety Basics, Radiation Safety for Nursing Staff, Radiation Safety for Nuclear Medicine Technologists, and Safe Use of Fluoroscopy.
A four month online pilot of the modules was carried out in VCH, FH and VIHA, to assess the effectiveness of the modules in transferring knowledge and improving work practices involving radiation. The quality of the product was assessed using an evaluation questionnaire, which covered ease of use, clarity and relevance of content, visual appeal, and format preference. The effectiveness of knowledge transfer was assessed through a comparison of participants’ pre-test and post test scores, and a one-month post-module follow-up survey which asked if the knowledge gained had been useful to participants’ work and resulted in any changes in practice.
Results
Four modules were developed and piloted. Three of the modules took approximately 40 to 60 minutes to complete, while the Safe Use of Fluoroscopy module took approximately 2 hours.
A total of 109 participants completed one of the four modules during the pilot study, with post-test, evaluation and follow-up rates being 77%, 71% and 41% respectively.
Participants rated the quality of the modules positively, with overall average scores (depending on the module) ranging from 3.4 to 4.5 on a scale of 5 (with 5 being the most positive ranking possible).
The average improvement in participant knowledge of radiation safety concepts ranged from 14.4% to 18.6% based on the pre- and post-test scores.
Based on the one-month follow-up survey responses, 100% of respondents would recommend the module to others. A total of 38.6% reported they had made use of knowledge gained and 77.8% expected to use the knowledge in the future. Participants’ average ratings of the modules’ positive impact on practice ranged from 3.1 to 4.1 (with 5 being the most positive ranking possible).
Conclusions
The researchers conclude that online or DVD-format self-directed learning modules can effectively be used to provide training to staff on unique or technical subject matters like radiation safety theory and practice. The evaluation results also indicate that staff perceive such modules well and value the convenience of the online format.
The modules will increase the accessibility of radiation safety training, allowing staff to access safety training as soon as their schedule permits rather than needing to wait for an in-service to be arranged. In addition, having the modules hosted on an e-learning platform allows staff to access the course both through the Intranet at work and the Internet outside of work.
Future directions
Although the one month follow-up survey measured how this knowledge transfer translated into practice for pilot participants in the short term, it would also be of value to conduct a future study with the aim of assessing change in radiation safety practice and perception (safety culture) over a longer time frame (one to two years after the modules have officially been implemented by the Health Authorities).
Also, the success of these modules in transferring knowledge of radiation safety indicates that additional modules on other specialty safety topics would also be beneficial. For example, a self-directed, online module addressing timely laser safety education to staff working with or around lasers would be of great value.