The use of information and communication technology in continuing education in tuberculosis

Vagner Kunz Cabral; Ana Cláudia Vasconcellos Azeredo; Otávio Augusto Gonçalves Dias Cionek; Marcelle Martinez Loureiro; Carlos Podalírio Borges De Almeida; Denise Rossato Silva

doi:10.1080/21614083.2021.1930962

The use of information and communication technology in continuing education in tuberculosis

J Eur CME. 2021 May 23;10(1):1930962. doi: 10.1080/21614083.2021.1930962.

Authors

Vagner Kunz Cabral¹, Ana Cláudia Vasconcellos Azeredo¹, Otávio Augusto Gonçalves Dias Cionek², Marcelle Martinez Loureiro², Carlos Podalírio Borges De Almeida³, Denise Rossato Silva^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Pneumológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
² Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
³ Universidade Federal do Sul e Sudeste do Pará, Marabá, Brazil.

Abstract

Introduction: The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) tools has been impacting health care. Distance learning has been used for the continuing improvement of healthcare workers (HCWs). In this systematic review, we evaluated the use of ICT in tuberculosis (TB) continuing education. Methods: We searched Medline and Embase for cross-sectional studies that included HCWs or students, and that reported participants' learning level. Results: Four studies proved eligible. Three used online educational tools, and another one used CDroms and live video conferencing. All studies evaluated participants' learning level through online pre- and post-tests. The quality of the studies was high. Conclusions: There is a paucity of studies evaluating distance learning in TB training. Continuing education of students and HCWs is essential for TB control. Accomplishing this is critical in increasing the skills and the numbers of qualified HCWs capable of meeting the health care needs of the population.

Keywords: distance education; distance learning; health education; information and communication technology; information technology; tuberculosis.