Experience / Project

Online Training for Medical Providers: Summary

PenBay Technology Group developed a compelling online awareness training program to improve VA medical providers’ ability to provide high-quality, sensitive care to women Veterans who have experienced psychological trauma. PenBay Technology Group developed the creative approach, scripts, storyboards, photos and visual treatments, audio, graphics, and interactive learning components. The training courses are captioned, 508-compliant, and SCORM-compliant for deployment in the VA’s Learning Management System.

Challenges

The VA Women’s Health Sciences Division required an online training course for VA medical providers, to convey basic information about psychological trauma as well as engaging, interactive content to help providers understand how trauma history can affect women Veterans’ presentation in the medical setting, and how providers can respond sensitively. The course needed to present a large amount of information in a relatively short course while still engaging medical providers and helping them to understand the Veterans’ experience.

Solutions

Working with the Subject Matter Experts in the Women’s Health Sciences Division (WHSD), PenBay Technology Group translated the course information into a web-based training program. PenBay Technology Group developed the creative approach, scripts and storyboards, as well as custom photography and visual treatments, audio, graphics, and interactive application features. We produced two training courses: a 15-minute overview of the content and a 60-minute scenario-based training course. The shorter overview course educates medical providers about the effects of psychological trauma and how being exposed to interpersonal trauma can affect interactions with medical professionals. It also included a short scenario to reinforce the idea that there may be more to a medical encounter then meets the eye. The 60-minute course included an overview of the effects of psychological trauma, supplemented by a series of engaging case studies of medical encounters that illustrated some behavior patterns of Veterans with trauma history, and Veterans’ responses to the treatment encounter. The longer course also incorporated interactive learning activities and knowledge checks. Both courses incorporated narration, sound effects, music, and video scribing techniques.

Results

The training courses were completed and successfully deployed in the VA’s Learning Management System. They are currently being used as a pilot program with medical providers at the Boston VA. Initial feedback on the program has been very positive.

"People are really thrilled to have this available as a resource and have been very complimentary of it." --Women's Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD