Effectiveness of leprosy LaKAR training on knowledge and skills among healthcare workers in primary healthcare facilities – Pahang, Malaysia

Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of leprosy LaKAR training on knowledge and skills among HCWs in primary healthcare in Pahang, Malaysia. Method A parallel, single-blind, two-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial design was conducted in a primary healthcare setting in Pahang, Malaysia, from July to December 2022. Stratified random sampling and simple randomisation were used to allocate 150 HCWs into 6 district clusters with fixed cluster sizes, for both intervention and control groups. The intervention groups received the leprosy LaKAR training module, while the control groups received only leprosy brochures. LaKAR is a Malaysian acronym for 'Training, Detect, Analysis, Treat and Refer'. Data were collected through a validated, pretested, self-administered questionnaire and skills assessment checklist assessed by assessors, at pre- and post-intervention for analysis. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS version 26. Results The findings showed no significant differences in socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and skills scores of HCWs at baseline. There was significantly greater improvement on knowledge of leprosy in the intervention groups (intragroup and intergroup differences) compared to the control groups. The effect size was found to be large using Cohen’s guideline for both knowledge and skills of leprosy. The robustness of findings was shown using a sensitivity analysis, by comparing the results from Per Protocol analysis and primary ITT analysis. Conclusion The leprosy LaKAR training intervention was effective in improving knowledge and skills regarding leprosy among HCWs in Pahang, Malaysia. Therefore, it is recommended to implement and standardize the leprosy LaKAR training for future training programs.