Trial Report eLearning improves allied health professionals' knowledge and confidence to manage medically unexplained chronic fatigue states: A RCT, 2023, Sandler

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022399923003197

eLearning improves allied health professionals' knowledge and confidence to manage medically unexplained chronic fatigue states: A randomized controlled trial

Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Available online 16 August 2023, 111462
Matthew D. Jones a b c 1, Sally M. Casson a d 1, Benjamin K. Barry b e f, Sophie H. Li g, Trinidad Valenzuela h i, Joanne Cassar a h, Camillo Lamanna a, Andrew R. Lloyd a, Carolina X. Sandler a j k

a
The Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
b
School of Health Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
c
Centre for Pain IMPACT, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
d
School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
e
Medical School, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
f
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
g
Black Dog Institute and School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales Australia, Sydney, Australia
h
Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
i
Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Laboratory, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
j
School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
k
Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Received 5 March 2023, Revised 8 August 2023, Accepted 14 August 2023, Available online 16 August 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111462Get rights and content

Abstract
Objectives
To evaluate the impact of eLearning by allied health professionals on improving the knowledge and confidence to manage people with medically unexplained chronic fatigue states (FS).

Methods
Using a parallel randomized controlled trial design, participants were randomized 1:1 to a 4-week eLearning or wait-list control group. Knowledge and self-reported confidence in clinical skills to implement a therapeutic intervention for patients with FS were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and follow-up. Secondary outcomes (adherence and satisfaction with online education, knowledge retention) were also assessed. Data was analyzed using intention-to-treat.

Results
There were 239 participants were randomized (eLearning n = 119, control n = 120), of whom 101 (85%) eLearning and 107 (89%) control participants completed baseline assessments and were included in the analysis. Knowledge (out of 100) improved significantly more in the eLearning group compared to the control group [mean difference (95% CI) 8.6 (5.9 to 11.4), p < 0.001]. Knowledge was reduced in the eLearning group at follow-up but was still significantly higher than baseline [6.0 (3.7 to 8.3), p < 0.001]. Median change (out of 5) in confidence in clinical skills to implement the FS intervention was also significantly greater in the eLearning group compared to the control group [knowledge: eLearning (1.2), control (0); clinical skills: eLearning (1), control (0.1); both p < 0.001)]. Average time spent on the eLearning program was 8.8 h. Most participants (80%) rated the lesson difficulty as at the “right level”, and 91% would recommend it to others.

Conclusions
eLearning increased knowledge and confidence to manage FS amongst allied health professionals and was well-accepted.

Registration: ACTRN12616000296437 https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=370222&isReview=true.

 

https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=370222&isReview=true;

Brief summary

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a serious and debilitating illness that affects between 0.2-2.6% of the world’s population (Prins et al, 2006). There is Level One evidence indicating that graded exercise therapy (GET) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is currently the most effective means to manage CFS (for review see Larun et al, 2015; Prince et al, 2008). Despite GET and CBT being widely acknowledged as best-practice interventions for CFS, the great majority of patients in Australia are not receiving these appropriate evidence-based interventions. Recent studies have demonstrated that the reason for this documented gap between research and practice is largely due to practicing health professionals lacking the knowledge and skills to provide appropriate care.

In order to address this lack of knowledge, our group has developed a CFS Treatment Manual and accompanying DVD aimed at providing clinicians with the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage CFS. However, recent studies have documented that seeking to train clinicians simply by providing a manual is ineffective (Wiborg et al, 2014). Other barriers to continuing education of practicing clinicians include the financial expense of courses and the geographical constraints of attending training (McHugh & Barlow, 2010). The proposed study aims to conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of the eLearning activity in improving clinician knowledge of CFS and their confidence and skills in implementing evidence-based CFS interventions.

 

Andrew Lloyd touting for business.

 

"Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
16/09/2016
Actual
17/10/2016

Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
23/12/2016
Actual
15/06/2017

Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
3/10/2017"

So it's taken almost 6 years after the last data was collected to get this published?

"Funding source category [1]
Charities/Societies/Foundations
Name [1]
The Judith Jan Mason & Harold Stannett Williams Memorial Foundation"

 

You can't evaluate knowledge when you don't have knowledge. They are medically unexplained, thus as medical professionals they have no knowledge of them. This is literally what defines them, the actual definition. We are in the age of AI and machine learning, FFS, where this is a very big deal and common knowledge at this point.

This is asinine bullshit and nothing but pseudoscience. These people should be ashamed of themselves. The absolute last thing you want in ignorance is to grow confidence in it. They are literally teaching people to be confident in their ignorance, as people who are themselves fully ignorant of it.

Holy hell this is complete antiscience. It's identical to having homeopaths evaluate the validity of homeopathic knowledge by teaching homeopathy and using knowledge of homeopathy as an outcome.

And holy crap they actually used an RCT model for this. What is wrong with these quacks and the people who actually approved of this? This makes even less sense than trying to measure voltage using a microscope, because at least those measurements are actually real in isolation.

 

I suppose this is the 'propaganda trial' that we previously discussed?