The Curriculum in IDD Healthcare (CIDDH) eLearn Course: Evidence of Continued Effectiveness Using the Streamlined Evaluation and Analysis Method (SEAM)

Abstract

Medical professionals are rarely trained to treat the unique healthcare needs and health disparities of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The Curriculum in IDD Healthcare (CIDDH) eLearn course aims to redress gaps in the delivery of medical care to people with IDD. An initial comprehensive evaluation of CIDDH in-person training content had previously underscored its knowledge and skill transfer efficacy for Mississippi healthcare providers. Training content has recently become available to medical professionals nationwide through an online self-paced modality to address physicians’ IDD education needs. This study introduces and applies a new evaluation framework called SEAM (Streamlined Evaluation and Analysis Method) that offers a promising avenue for rendering a follow-up appraisal after rigorous evidence of program effectiveness has been previously established. SEAM reduces the data-reporting burden on trainees and maximizes instructor–trainee contact time by relying on an abbreviated post-only questionnaire focused on subjective trainee appraisals. It further reduces methodological and analytical complexity to enhance programmatic self-assessment and facilitate sound data interpretation when an external evaluator is unavailable. Ratings from a small sample of early-cohort trainees provide an important test of effectiveness during CIDDH’s transition to online learning for clinicians nationwide. Using SEAM, CIDDH achieved high ratings from this initial wave of trainees across various evaluative domains. The study concludes by highlighting several promising implications for CIDDH and SEAM.