Evaluation of the Introduction of an e-Health Skills Component for Dietetics Students.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate and effective use of technology within practice is a key competency outlined in Australian dietetics training standards. An e-health skills component (lecture and workshop) was introduced to undergraduate students enrolled in an Australian nutrition and dietetics program.

METHODS: The lecture orientated students to key e-health terms and concepts relating to telehealth and m-health technologies, while the workshop provided an opportunity to apply knowledge. The workshop consisted of four stations with activities relating to (1) orientation to telehealth equipment; (2) comparison of dietetic consultation components completed in person versus remotely via video call; (3) quality assessment of mobile apps; and (4) exploration of advantages and disadvantages, and the ethical, security, and privacy issues relating to use of e-health technologies in dietetic practice. Student experience of the training was evaluated via questionnaire.

RESULTS: Forty-five students (62.2% aged ≤19-24 years, 86.7% female) completed the survey. Following the workshop, the level of understanding relating to each key e-health concept improved significantly (p < 0.001). The aspects relating to the impact and need for initial training and ongoing professional education to support the use of e-health technologies within dietetic practice were rated a high level of importance by most students (78-80%). The majority of students (93.3% to 97.8%) reported a positive experience at each of the four workshop stations, with "informative" the most common word selected to rate each station (37.8% to 44.4% of students across the four stations).

CONCLUSION: The introduction of an e-health skills component resulted in an improved understanding of concepts for using these technologies. These findings provide preliminary support for integration of further e-health training within the dietetics program.