Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Medical Education
Date Submitted: May 31, 2021
Date Accepted: Sep 19, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Sep 20, 2021
E-learning and Web-based Tools for Psychosocial Interventions Addressing Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic: Quasi-Experimental Study Assessing Feasibility and Efficacy in Tokyo, Japan
ABSTRACT
Background:
Concern has been raised that the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent social distancing measures may increase neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia. Thus, we developed and delivered an e-learning training course to professional caregivers on using a web-based tool for psychosocial interventions for people with dementia.
Objective:
The objective of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of an e-learning course in combination with a web-based tool in addressing neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia.
Methods:
A quasi-experimental design was used in Tokyo, Japan. The e-learning course was delivered three times to professional caregivers between July and December 2020. Caregivers who completed the course assessed the level of neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia using a total Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score via a web-based tool. The primary outcome measures were the number of caregivers who implemented follow-up NPI evaluations by March 2021 and the change in NPI score from baseline to their most recent follow-up evaluations. As a control group, information was also obtained from professional caregivers who completed a face-to-face training course using the same web-based tool between July 2019 and March 2020.
Results:
A total of 268 caregivers completed the e-learning course in 2020. Of the 268 patients, 56 (20.9%) underwent follow-up evaluations with 63 persons with dementia. The average NPI score was significantly reduced from baseline (20.4, standard deviation [SD] = 16.2) to the most recent follow-up evaluations (14.3, SD= 13.4). The effect size was assumed to be medium (Cohen’s drm=0.40). The control group consisted of 252 caregivers who completed a face-to-face training course. Of the 252 patients, 114 (45.2%) underwent follow-up evaluations. Compared to the control group, caregivers who completed the e-learning course were significantly less likely to implement follow-up evaluations (χ2(1) = 52.01, P < .001). The change in NPI score did not differ according to the type of training course (coefficient=-0.61, P = .691).
Conclusions:
The replacement of face-to-face training with e-learning may have provided professionals with an opportunity to participate in the dementia behavior analysis and support enhancement (DEMBASE®) program who may not have participated in the program otherwise owing to it not being available during COVID-19. Although the program showed equal efficacy in terms of the two training courses, the feasibility was suboptimal with lower implementation levels for those receiving e-learning training. Further strategies should thus be developed to improve feasibility by providing motivational triggers for implementation and technical support for care professionals. However, these findings provide important implications for policy regarding the design and implementation of interventions to address symptoms of dementia during COVID-19. Clinical Trial: Not applicable
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.