Dr Amal Hanna
Managing Editor
International Journal of Research in Open Educational Resources
Amal.Hanna@ResearchOERJournal.net
Abstract
Background & Aims: Patients search online to find more information about their health worries. Misunderstanding, misunderstood, or inaccurate health information, accompanied by lack of professional guidance, may cause emotional and physical health crises if patients do not consult their physicians about information they found. It is argued that Moodle can be used as e-Health Learning Management System in which not only health information is provided to patients (breast cancer), but also it provides a secure/private environment where psychologists and physicians can work together to educate patients, answer their queries, and manage their emotions.
Proposed Methods: Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used: 1) Content analysis of breast cancer websites will be used to identify suitable health information that should be included in Moodle; 2) e-HLMS activity (discourse) analysis to evaluate how education and emotions are being managed; 3) Built-in questionnaire in which patients, healthcare professionals and psychology students and their lecturers are required to report their experience; and 4) Interviews with post-operative breast cancer patients and their physicians to evaluate their experience about health information provided and patient-physician communication.
Expected Outcomes: This research establishes a new orientation in health services beyond hospitals, surgeries, and medical practices – to consider patients themselves as informative bodies where they not only should be consulted, but also their thoughts and emotions should be considered while health information is being provided to them. This particularly will lead new perspectives in health learning management systems and patient education research. This research will highlights the need to consider individual differences and their needs and emotions through more tailored communications/feedback. In general, this proposed research project will reduce time and effort that healthcare professional spend to manage patient communications and patient education. Moreover, medical and psychology students will have risk-free hand-on experience with breast cancer patients.
Keywords: Moodle, e-Health, Learning Management System (LMS), e-HLMS, ICT in Health Education, Patient Education, Breast Cancer Education, Professional Development, Psychological (Emotional) Intervention
Cite as: Hanna, A. 2015, ‘Using Moodle as a dynamic multi-purpose “e-Health Learning Management System”: Tailored patients education, efficient doctor-patient communication, and risk-free professional development for health students’, International Journal of Research in Open Educational Resources, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 37-49, http://www.researchoerjournal.net/publications/2015/vol_02/no_02/ResearchOER_2(2)_37-49.pdf