Establishing pharmacy perceptions of e-learning format, design and development for general practice continuing professional development in Scotland

Background: This study explores an important area for Continuing Professional Development in pharmacy education and digital learning. Increased demand has generated the necessity for reviewing e-learning module development that successfully meets user needs and learner experience. Objective: This study investigates learners’ perceptions of standard and segmented e-learning modules and their impact on learner experience to inform future healthcare educational module development. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with pharmacists (14) and pharmacy technicians (1) on the General Practice Clinical Pharmacist programme. Participants were randomised to either single or segmented module design. Fifteen interviews were conducted and data were thematically analysed. Results: The format allowed for expressing opinions regarding the experience of using the module and highlighted key issues. The analysis identified 125 codes, which resulted in nine themes: Navigation, Interactivity, Structure, Time, Presentation, Resource, Content, Actions and Language. Conclusion: Results reassure educational providers that e-learning modules suit standard or segmented formats. Findings imply that module format is less important than easy-to-use, well-structured modules with high-quality content. Constructive feedback provided potential improvements to usability, which will help focus future resources and development. More work is needed to explore the translation of learning into practice and the benefit of the segmented format for diverse or interprofessional learners.