Effect of evidence-based online training course on hepatitis B among healthcare workers in China

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of Know HBV(hepatitis B virus)evidence-based online training course in improving healthcare workers' hepatitis B prevention and management knowledge in China.Methods Doctors,nurses and public health workers at city,county and township level in Shandong province registered and took the online training course.Participants' hepatitis B knowledge was assessed before and after the course with a same questionnaire on the course website.Results Between July 1 to November 1,2012,among 740 registered participants,698 completed the course and completed the pre-and post-course tests and learner feedback questions.Pre-and post-course test results showed significant knowledge improvement across all groups and levels of healthcare workers.Percentage of participants who answered all 20 questions correctly doubled from 29.4% to 57.6%(P<0.001).Specifically greater improvements were observed in the proportions of correct answer to 5 questions relating to the misunderstanding of hepatitis B being transmitted by contaminated food,from 80.5%,87.8%,81.4%,83.8%,and 87.1% before the training to 90.1%,97.4%,91.7%,91.4%,and 96.4% after the training.Of the participants,91.6%,93.5%,and 93.9% rated the overall quality of the course modules 1,2,and 3 as good or very good and 93.3% of the participants agreed that the online training is more effective than the traditional face-to-face training.Conclusion Know HBV evidence-based online training course appears to be an effective educational tool that could be disseminated nationwide to improve healthcare workers' hepatitis B knowledge in China.