Background:An eHealth tool that coaches employees through the process of reflection has the potential to support employees with moderate levels of stress to increase their capacity for resilience. Most eHealth tools that include self-tracking summarize the collected data for the users. However, users need to gain a deeper understanding of the data and decide upon the next step to take through self-reflection.Objective:In this study, we aimed to examine the perceived effectiveness of the guidance offered by an automated e-Coach during employees’ self-reflection process in gaining insights into their situation and on their perceived stress and resilience capacities and the usefulness of the design elements of the e-Coach during this process.Methods:Of the 28 participants, 14 (50%) completed the 6-week BringBalance program that allowed participants to perform reflection via four phases: identification, strategy generation, experimentation, and evaluation. Data collection consisted of log data, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) questionnaires for reflection provided by the e-Coach, in-depth interviews, and a pre- and posttest survey (including the Brief Resilience Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale). The posttest survey also asked about the utility of the elements of the e-Coach for reflection. A mixed methods approach was followed.Results:Pre- and posttest scores on perceived stress and resilience were not much different among completers (no statistical test performed). The automated e-Coach did enable users to gain an understanding of factors that influenced their stress levels and capacity for resilience (identification phase) and to learn the principles of useful strategies to improve their capacity for resilience (strategy generation phase). Design elements of the e-Coach reduced the reflection process into smaller steps to re-evaluate situations and helped them to observe a trend (identification phase). However, users experienced difficulties integrating the chosen strategies into their daily life (experimentation phase). Moreover, the identified events related to stress and resilience were too specific through the guidance offered by the e-Coach (identification phase), and the events did not recur, which consequently left users unable to sufficiently practice (strategy generation phase), experiment (experimentation phase), and evaluate (evaluation phase) the techniques during meaningful events.Conclusions:Participants were able to perform self-reflection under the guidance of the automated e-Coach, which often led toward gaining new insights. To improve the reflection process, more guidance should be offered by the e-Coach that would aid employees to identify events that recur in daily life. Future research could study the effects of the suggested improvements on the quality of reflection via an automated e-Coach.
Falls and fall-related injuries among older adults are associated with decreased health. Therefore, fall prevention programs (FPPs) are increasingly important. However, the translation of such complex programs into clinical practice lacks insight into factors that influence implementation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify how to optimize and further implement a widely used group-based FPP in the Netherlands among participants, therapists and stakeholders using a mixed methods study. FPP participants and therapists filled out a questionnaire about their experiences with the FPP. Moreover, three focus groups were conducted with FPP participants, one with therapists and one with other stakeholders. Data were analysed according to the thematic analysis approach of Braun and Clarke. Overall, 93% of the 104 FPP participants were satisfied with the FPP and 86% (n = 12) of the therapists would recommend the FPP to older adults with balance or mobility difficulties. Moreover, six themes were identified regarding further implementation: (1) recruiting and motivating older adults to participate; (2) structure and content of the program; (3) awareness, confidence and physical effects; (4) training with peers; (5) funding and costs; and (6) long-term continuation. This study resulted in practical recommendations for optimizing and further implementing FPPs in practice.
E-Exercise is an effective 12-week blended intervention consisting of around five face-to-face physiotherapy sessions and a web-based application for patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis. In order to facilitate effective implementation of e-Exercise, this study aims to identify physiotherapists' experiences and determinants related to the usage of e-Exercise. Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed methods design embedded in a randomized controlled trial comparing e-Exercise with usual physiotherapy in patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis. Usage of e-Exercise was based on recruitment rates of 123 physiotherapists allocated to e-Exercise and objective web-based application usage data. Experiences and determinants related to e-Exercise usage were investigated with a questionnaire and clarified with semi-structured interviews. Results: Of the 123 physiotherapists allocated to e-Exercise, 54 recruited more than one eligible patient, of whom 10 physiotherapists continued using e-Exercise after the study period. Physiotherapists had mixed experiences with e-Exercise. Determinants related to intervention usage were appropriateness, added value, time, workload, professional autonomy, environmental factors, and financial consequences. Physiotherapists recommended to improve the ability to tailor e-Exercise to the individual needs of the patient patients' individual needs. Discussion: Determinants related to the usage of e-Exercise provided valuable information for the implementation of e-Exercise on broader scale. Most importantly, the flexibility of e-Exercise needs to be improved. Next, there is a need for education on how to integrate an online program within physiotherapy
Vanuit het werkveld bereiken Fontys Sporthogeschool (FSH) regelmatig vragen voor effectievere ondersteuning bij docentprofessionalisering van docenten Lichamelijke Opvoeding (LO). Deze zijn geconcretiseerd naar enkele breed gedeelde praktijk-vraagstellingen. Een innovatieve en veelbelovende methode voor docentprofessionalisering is Lesson Study (LS). Bij LS werken docenten samen aan het ontwerpen, uitvoeren en onderzoeken van een les. Deze aanpak voldoet aan kenmerken voor effectieve docentprofessionalisering zoals omschreven in de wetenschappelijke literatuur. Het is echter nog niet bekend of LS daadwerkelijk effectief is. Het consortium bestaande uit FSH, Universiteit Gent, Universiteit Utrecht, en de Academische Opleidingsscholen West-Brabant, Brabant Noord-Oost, Tilburg en Den Bosch, is daarom gekomen tot de volgende onderzoeksvragen: 1) Wat zijn de effecten van een workshop ‘motivationeel klimaat’ gevolgd door een begeleide lesson study op de vijf niveaus van doorwerking van Guskey (2000), in vergelijking met alleen een workshop? 2) Welke belemmeringen en succesfactoren kunnen er geïdentificeerd worden met betrekking tot het zelfstandig toepassen van de methode lesson study door docenten LO? 3) Hoe waarderen docenten LO en hun leidinggevenden de opbrengsten van de methode lesson study ten opzichte van de tijdsinvestering die deze vergt? In het onderzoek is sprake van een mixed-methods aanpak. De effecten (vraag 1) worden kwantitatief gemeten aan de hand van de niveaus van Guskey (2000) en vergeleken met een controlegroep van scholen die alleen een workshop krijgen. Vraag 2 en 3 worden kwalitatief onderzocht via focusgroepgesprekken (docenten) en semi-gestructureerde interviews (leidinggevenden). De opbrengsten van dit project zijn kennis met betrekking tot de effectiviteit en bruikbaarheid van LS voor docentprofessionalisering bij LO. Deze kennis wordt verspreid met nationale en internationale publicaties en presentaties. Voor het werkveld wordt tevens een symposium georganiseerd. De kennis zal niet alleen indalen in de lerarenopleiding LO van Fontys Sporthogeschool, maar LS zal bij gebleken effectiviteit ook in worden gezet als werkvorm voor LO-studenten die stagelopen.
