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E-learning portal for professional development in cancer care

Tim Shaw (Workforce Education Development Group, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia)
Deborah McGregor (Workforce Education Development Group, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia)
Sue Sinclair (Service Delivery & Clinical Practice, Cancer Australia, Sydney, Australia)
Robert Sutherland (Service Delivery & Clinical Practice, Cancer Australia, Sydney, Australia)
Ana Munro (University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia)
Jackie Ross (Workforce Education Development Group, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia)

Education + Training

ISSN: 0040-0912

Article publication date: 8 April 2014

749

Abstract

Purpose

Cancer care is complex and an integrated cancer pathway involves many health professionals in a variety of care settings using many skills. The widely distributed and heterogeneous nature of the cancer workforce raises significant challenges with respect to professional development. Cancer Learning is a government-funded initiative designed to provide access to a wide range of quality online learning resources for all health care professionals involved in the care of cancer patients and their families. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-phase project, led by a consortium of national stakeholders in cancer care, informed the design, build, and deployment of Cancer Learning; an online, evidence based, information and learning portal to support professional development of health professionals across the continuum of cancer care in Australia. An action research approach allowed for an iterative process of ongoing dynamic evaluation and improvement of this workforce improvement resource.

Findings

The National Government Agency, Cancer Australia's Cancer Learning online hub has been supporting the professional development requirements of cancer care professionals since the site deployment in 2007. Since launch, site usage continues to grow and evaluations have been positive. Time constraints of health professionals continue to be a major barrier to sustained online learning participation.

Originality/value

This research recount of the development and implementation of an Australia first national online learning initiative highlights the rigorous approach undertaken for the delivery of a quality evidence-based resource for the professional development of all health professionals involved in the delivery of cancer care.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the Commonwealth Government of Australia for the continued funding of the project and all the members of the consortium partners who freely gave their time in the development of the programme. The authors also wish to acknowledge the effort of Gemma Connolly and Samantha Bruce who acted as Cancer Learning Knowledge managers.

Citation

Shaw, T., McGregor, D., Sinclair, S., Sutherland, R., Munro, A. and Ross, J. (2014), "E-learning portal for professional development in cancer care", Education + Training, Vol. 56 No. 2/3, pp. 165-178. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-11-2012-0113

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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