Hållbar digital kompetens genom kamratmentorskap : En studie med blandad metod om vuxnas lärande i medicinskt skrivande

Digital technology has transformed medical writing, requiring professionals to master tools for collaborative writing, research, and reference management. Many medical writers lack formal training in these essential digital tools, creating inefficiencies and limiting their ability to adapt to evolving communication demands. This study examines how peer mentorship workshops can address these skill gaps. This study evaluates participants' perceived improvements in digital competence and confidence and the impact of digital tools on their writing processes and intentions for future peer support, while also exploring mentors' strategies and contributions to adult learning and social sustainability. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study combined quantitative survey data from workshop participants (n=21) with qualitative evidence synthesis from seven existing studies on mentor experiences. Survey responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlation, while mentor experiences were examined through thematic analysis. Results showed significant improvements in digital competence: 100% of participants gained confidence using Zotero for citation management and 91% using Google Docs for collaborative writing. Most participants (86%) found integrating PubMed searches with Zotero useful for organizing references. These tools improved writing clarity and professionalism for 90% of participants. Crucially, 95% expressed interest in future peer support groups, indicating strong potential for sustained learning communities. Mentors effectively engaged adult learners by respecting self-direction, grounding learning in relevance, and facilitating experiential learning cycles, which fostered the co-construction of knowledge through reciprocal mentor-mentee interactions and contributed significantly to social sustainability by promoting inclusion, building social capital, and sustaining lifelong learning, despite facing challenges like time constraints. These findings demonstrate that peer-to-peer digital mentorship workshops are highly effective for enhancing digital competence among adult learners in medical writing. The reciprocal nature of mentorship fosters continuous professional development, contributing to both individual skill acquisition and broader social sustainability goals. These findings provide actionable recommendations for educators and program managers to implement digital education initiatives that build professional learning communities.