A recent point prevalence study completed across 15 Victorian Health Services identified malnutrition as highly prevalent in the inpatient and ambulatory oncology settings. A core recommendation from this study was to develop a resource to increase awareness, understanding and the appropriate management of malnutrition amongst multidisciplinary cancer clinicians. 

E-learning resources were the selected medium, with the goal to optimise the accessibility, reach and impact.  E-learning presents benefits in cost effectiveness; enhanced audience engagement and response; consistency and currency of information; accessibility and flexibility in time, pace and location; monitoring capacity; and opportunity for innovative, interactive, active learning. 

Focussed, discipline specific cancer malnutrition E-learning packages were developed for medical, allied health, nursing, general practitioners and practice nurse domains to promote awareness, identification, early intervention and management. Through education and enhanced management, patient outcomes are expected to benefit. 

Development of the packages considered key theories in adult learning given the diverse target audience.  Kolb’s Experiential Learning theory was consulted and a range of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic information modalities utilised to enhance educational impact on cancer clinicians. Videos, images, maps and charts were utilised throughout to engage visual learners. Auditory learners will benefit from consistent written and verbal information presented by a narrator, clinicians and patients as well as a range of written information as fact-sheets, education resources, clinical tools and a comprehensive literature review. The resource includes a range of interactive activities throughout to engage those who learn kinaesthetically. In many cases, a combination of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic information was presented to optimise the influence of the information provided.

This e-learning package is an example of an innovative, interactive, evidence-based health education package. A number of pedagogic strategies and theories have been employed to meet the learning needs of a wide and diverse audience to ultimate enhance patient care and outcomes.