The effects of an eLearning module “Elderly people in safe hands” for healthcare professionals to challenge elder abuse: a mixed method study

One out of twenty elderly people in the Netherlands is being abused. It is important that healthcare professionals are capable of recognizing elder abuse. Therefore, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport introduced an action programme to challenge elder abuse. Part of this programme was the eLearning module ‘Elderly people in safe hands’ for health care professionals. The aim of this study was to investigate the results of this eLearning module and to determine the factors which make healthcare professionals motivated to participate in web-based education. Mixed methods were used to obtain insight into the effects of the module. The test results of a pre-test and a post-test were compared. Also, a Self-Efficacy Scale was used to find out whether the course members felt capable of dealing with elder abuse, to determine the effect of the module on people’s self-efficacy in dealing with the abuse of elderly people. The results of this study show a positive effect of the module on the knowledge of the healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the module has a positive effect on the course members' estimation of their efficacy in dealing with the abuse of elderly people after having finished the module. These findings were confirmed in telephone interviews with course members. Telephone interviews were also held with three healthcare organizations to determine the factors which motivate healthcare professionals to participate in web-based education. A short period of time to complete the module in combination with a good guidance from the organization were considered important factors.