The final training phase through an innovative e-learning platform involving more than 1,000 healthcare workers from Spain, Italy and Greece has just been launched after a successful pilot phase in terms of users’ engagement and satisfaction.
The Innovation in Global Pediatric Infectious Diseases Group from the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre / SERMAS (Spain), in collaboration with Penta and four other leading paediatric institutions from Greece, Italy, and Spain, has just launched the replication phase of the TEAM-COACH project. This 3-year project co-funded by the European Union has been designed to improve Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) practices in paediatric healthcare settings across Southern Europe through the creation of an innovative e-learning tool. By equipping different profiles of healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge, the project is contributing to improve practices to fight the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global health challenge that poses significant risks to children and vulnerable populations.
The first phase of the project was dedicated to building a comprehensive e-learning platform and to obtaining the accreditation by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), ensuring high-quality, recognised education for healthcare professionals. 18 modules are available on the platform in four languages (English, Greek, Italian, and Spanish) and cover critical topics such as AMR, IPC, and AMS, that have been identified by the EU as priority for the global health. The modules are tailored to various healthcare settings such as primary care, emergency departments, and hospital wards attending the paediatric population. The content is designed to address the needs of different healthcare worker profiles, including doctors, nurses, and nurse assistants. With its user-friendly interface and interactive content, the platform provides an engaging and effective learning experience. Penta designed and developed the training platform that hosts the training modules, serving as the driving force behind its development and implementation.
The pilot phase of the e-learning platform run from April to August 2024 across Greece, Italy and Spain, with the primary objective of testing the platform and gathering valuable feedback. About 150 healthcare workers from various settings participated in this phase. The results have been highly positive, with 92% of healthcare workers reporting that the training material was useful or extremely useful. Dr Cristina Epalza, the scientific coordinator of the project, summarised the results of the pilot phase: “All healthcare workers attending the paediatric population in the different settings are concerned about preventing infections and AMR. Offering this unique training to professionals from very diverse profiles has been challenging, but as transmitted in the feedback forms, it has been really appreciated.” The feedback received enabled to carry out an update of the platform to further enhance the learning experience, ensuring continuous improvement and greater user satisfaction.
The TEAM-COACH consortium has now started the replication phase by deploying this cutting-edge e-learning tool across its entire network. The aim is to train 850 additional healthcare workers in order to reach the goal of 1,000 trained professionals.
The expansion of the e-learning platform reflects the consortium’s ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation in healthcare training.
The project TEAM-COACH (Training and capacity building in antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control in children through an interactive electronic tool and a European collaborative group) is co-funded by the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) under the Grant Agreement nª101079939.