Improving research capacity of practising dietitians through interactive sessions: evidence from a pilot study

ABSTRACT

Knowledge about research in medical and allied health fields is an integral part of professional development in patient care practice. However, completion of an exclusive research degree is not always feasible for clinicians. In such a scenario, short interactive educational sessions may serve to effectively enhance research knowledge in clinicians. Our study aimed at determining the impact of short, interactive educational sessions on knowledge about quantitative and qualitative research in dietetic professionals. In a pre–post-test single group interventional design, 34 clinical dietitians were pre-tested, exposed to interactive educational interventions, followed by a post-test. The scores were compared using paired samples t-test. There were significant improvements in the knowledge during post-test compared with pre-test. A greater overall improvement was observed in participants who were graduates, as well as those who were clinicians compared to postgraduates and academicians, respectively. A series of short, interactive educational sessions on research may provide an effective way to enhance research interest and knowledge of clinical professionals. Such sessions may play a vital part in improving the chances of better, and research-informed, patient health care provision.

KEYWORDS:

• Evidence based practice
• capacity building
• patient care
• informed decisions

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all the practicing dietitians who participated in the study. We also thank Ms. Shifa Ali, Program Coordinator, Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetic Society (PNDS) - Lahore Chapter - who helped with organizing the venue and helped in managing the pre- and post-tests during the educational sessions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was declared by the authors