Blended learning in CME: the perception of GP trainers

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of respondents: GP trainers Amsterdam and Leiden combined.

Participants (n)	170
Gender (Female)	56 (33.5%)
Age (Mean [SD])	55.9 (± 5.4)
Years practising as GP (Mean [SD])	22.4 (± 7.2)
Years practising as GP trainer (years; Median [quartiles])	8 (6–11)
Research experience (%)	15.6
Attendance meeting 1× (%)	8.2
Attendance meeting 2× (%)	20.0
Attendance meeting 3× (%)	40.6
Attendance meeting 4× (%)	31.2

Table 2. Quotes from the observations and focus groups.

Theme	Statement
Educational method	‘I think it is relatively well suited for this type of education. Even that combination, and so um, but can always be fine-tuned so to speak, but I just think it was a very good theoretical subject.’
	‘ … and, I’ve done a few times before a course, and I lost the focus because other people ask questions and just go faster than me. So I think it’s very nice that I can do this course at my own pace and with peace around me’
	‘ … the palliative course, that was just the whole day at the institute, from start to end a very nice, informative, interactive day. I would say, I do not want to change this into a computer day.’
	I particularly like that you already have a theoretical background before you come here, yes I like that …
	‘Then you benefit even more from what is discussed here.’
Time (planning) & educational method	‘Yes, at first I thought, yes, same objections as you have, for it used to be nicely rounded, and not all day, and now it has been pulled apart and you have to find your own time. Whether in your own time, time you might have or have not, which is always out of your hands, or when you are not very fresh. But it’s actually one hundred percent better than expected. I’m actually, I find it a very pleasant method. We did have the meeting in the afternoon, so you could also use the morning to do the preparation. And then you’re still fresh.’
Educational design & Topic of intervention	‘But what you really want is a kind of summary of the important points.’
	‘An topic that is not quite popular with GPs.’
Educational design	‘Well, the nice thing is that you can also occasionally look back again … Go back to ‘what was it again?’ Or the library or the glossary. I think that is an advantage, you can just switch back.’
	‘You can see what you had done, which was not possible in the other course. So you have a view of what you not yet have done.’
	‘… but for example if you, well you need to relate five things, and then you have got one not connected properly, but then it says “error, do this again”. And it is eighty percent good and twenty percent error, so to speak.’
	‘Answers in e-learning too rigid.’
Time (intervention)	‘A disadvantage is, if you want to do it well, but that also depends on the subject and also what you know about it to start with, you can lose a lot more time than half a day, as is given.’
	‘It (the e-learning) is more time consuming then stated because I look at other chapters and text because you want the complete picture’
Educational method & Topic of intervention & Time (intervention)	‘It is precisely because it was a very difficult subject for most of us. It is an advantage that you can do it at your own pace. Let me put it this way. That is strong, huh? That you can look back at what it means. On the other hand, it is therefore a difficult test case. So uhm, and you lose, there is so much more time needed than actually suggested.’
Technical problems and computer skills	‘Of course there are always some flaws in such a program (the e-learning). It would be motivating if the opportunity would be to respond to it’
Level of difficulty	‘To take this topic to you, you have to do it more often. So this week I had to repeat basically everything, for this really very difficult subject.’

Table 3. Expectations educational intervention (1 = strongly disagree; 7 = strongly agree).

(T0 N = 104; T1 N = 91)		Median (IQ)
I expect that the benefits of participating in this education via the internet outweigh the disadvantages.	T0	4 (4–5)
	T1	5 (4–5)
I expected that participating in this education via the internet would give me the ability to spend more time on other activities.	T0	3 (2–4)
	T1	3 (2–4)
I expect no prior serious drawbacks to participating in this education via the internet.	T0	4 (3–5)
	T1	5 (4-5)
I expected participation in this education via the internet would offer me the opportunity to organise my work more effectively.	T0	4 (3–5)
	T1	4 (3–5)

Table 4. Time involved in e-learning task.

	Meeting 1	Meeting 2	Meeting 3	Meeting 4
Time spent on assignment (min; mean[SD])	152 (± 70)	161 (± 104)	171 (±89)	214 (±135)
Time scheduled in diary (yes; %)	65.9	67.1	65.0	61.1
Assignment completed before meeting (%)
Yes	54.7	85.2	85.6	61.1
Partly	38.8	0	0	13.7
No	6.5	14.8	14.4	25.3

Table 5. Computer skills (1 = strongly disagree; 7 = strongly agree).

Computer/internet skills (N = 107)	Median (quartiles)
I feel confident in starting the internet.	6 (4–7)
I feel confident when searching for a web page.	6 (4–6)
I feel confident when downloading necessary materials from the internet.	5 (3–6)