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Online education for gluten‐free diet teaching: Development and usability testing of an e‐learning module for children with concurrent celiac disease and type 1 diabetes
Author(s) -
Connan Veronik,
Marcon Margaret A.,
Mahmud Farid H.,
Assor Esther,
Martincevic Inez,
Bandsma Robert H.,
Vresk Laura,
Walsh Catharine M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
pediatric diabetes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.678
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1399-5448
pISSN - 1399-543X
DOI - 10.1111/pedi.12815
Subject(s) - usability , medicine , thematic analysis , system usability scale , test (biology) , medical education , qualitative research , usability engineering , computer science , human–computer interaction , paleontology , social science , sociology , biology
Background and Objective Celiac disease (CD), the most common genetically‐based food intolerance, affects 3% to 16% of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Treatment involves lifelong adherence to a gluten‐free diet (GFD). Individualized dietary education is resource‐intensive. We, therefore, sought to develop and test the usability of an e‐learning module aimed at educating patients and caregivers regarding implementation of the GFD in children with concurrent CD and T1D. Methods An interactive e‐learning module was developed based on extensive review of CD, T1D, and educational literature. A mixed‐methods usability testing approach was used to refine and evaluate the module, using qualitative semi‐structured interviews, observations, and satisfaction and knowledge questionnaires in two iterative cycles. The module was refined based on themes identified from each usability cycle. Results Eighteen patients (8 in cycle 1, 10 in cycle 2) and 15 caregivers (7 in cycle 1, 8 in cycle 2) participated. Patient participants had CD and T1D for a mean (SD) of 6.1 ± 5.1 and 8.3 ± 5.5 years, respectively. Their mean age was 13.5 ± 4.5 years. Thematic analysis of usability interviews showed the module to be appealing and resulted in minor module revisions after each cycle to improve usability. Mean satisfaction scores post‐module completion were high (4.67 ± 0.54), indicating participants were “very satisfied” with the education. Knowledge test scores increased significantly from pre‐ to post‐module completion ( P = 0.001). Conclusion A multifaceted user‐centered usability approach demonstrated that an innovative, interactive e‐learning module is effective in knowledge retention and can provide comprehensive and accessible information in the implementation of the GFD teaching in children with CD and T1D.