This document describes an e-learning course on radiation toxicity that was developed for hospital personnel at La Ribera University Hospital in Spain. The 10-hour online course was completed by 8 of the 10 enrolled staff members over 30 days using the Moodle e-learning platform. Course materials included presentations, forums, assignments, and assessments. An evaluation found that the course was effective for self-paced learning and allowing students to focus on relevant materials, though initial difficulties using the online platform were reported. The authors concluded that online learning is suitable for ongoing medical training when accompanied by technical support.

1. ELEARNING FOR HOSPITAL PERSONNEL. A METHOD FOR
ACCESSING SCIENTIFIC TRAINING
J.L. Monroy Anton1
, J.V. Izquierdo Soriano1
, F. Buendia Garcia2
1
La Ribera Universitary Hospital (SPAIN)
2
Valencia Polytechnical University (SPAIN)
jlmonroy@hospital-ribera.com, jizquierdo@hospital-ribera.com, fbuendia@disca.upv.es
Abstract
La Ribera Universitary Hospital is an accredited teaching hospital with people in different levels of
formation: medicine and nursing, health students, residents, health technicians… . The Radiation
Oncology Department is involved in formative activities of these groups, with presential courses and
seminars. This year we proposed an e-learning course about radiation toxicity, open to the workers
and students of the hospital. This course was developed through Campus Ribera, an online platform
created in our institution for this online courses implementation.
Keywords: elearning, hospital education, moodle, scientific training.
1 INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, the training of health workers was developed through courses, seminars and workshops
face to face, ie, the classes were taught directly to students, with training times and locations of
specific and concrete. With the development of information technology and communications networks,
began to explore new forms of education, reaching what is now known as online learning (e-learning).
Such studies across platforms have been launched in different professions. In the health sector is
beginning to be used as a method of training institutions such as hospitals.
2 MATERIAL AND METHODS
We designed an online training course entitled "Introduction to the toxicity of cancer treatment with
radiation therapy." We offered 10 places for training hospital staff worker, regardless of their
professional status and job. We established a theoretical training schedule of 10 hours over 30 days
and connection to the Bank Campus platform for 24 hours every day of the course.
The course was a teacher in charge of teaching assignments and academic assessments. Moreover,
we also have the figure of a tutor-manager platform, responsible for enabling the computer
components and tools necessary for the proper development of the course and resolve problems
caused by a malfunction of the platform.
A training schedule was established at the beginning of the course which was useful guide for
students in the study of theoretical issues and implementation of practical exercises.
E-Learning platform allow access to information from any location by using a personalized
identification. The generic Moodle Platform, used in the health setting, was selected for our study
[1,2,3]. The platform resources (Figure 1) were prepared based on Word documents. Evaluation
forums and questionnaires were conducted, complemented by other interactive resources (images,
diagrams, videos, interactive webpages, among others).

2. Figure 1. Virtual Platform Moodle (Campus Ribera)
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Eight people were enrolled in the course, corresponding to 80% of the positions offered. The first day
teaching was attending classes, all students facilitating their access codes to the platform, a
requirement to operate it. In this first class were also explained tools and applications of the virtual
course, students can work with some of them.
The course structure is divided into three sections: Forums; Agenda (theoretical and practical);
Assessments (academic and satisfaction with the course).

3. The forums available are as follows: My presentation, Workshop News, General Questions, Virtual
Cafeteria, Science Forum, Bibliography and Web Links. Each permit interactivity between the teacher
and students and those students with each other, so as to resolve questions or issues or alternative
jobs proposed by the teacher. The focus of each board was different.
The Agenda consisted of 5 blocks divided into two parts: theoretical study and practical application,
with each one of them with folders and workspaces separate.
T-1: Presentation. Overview of the development of the course, explaining the timing, dates of interest,
curriculum, assessments and any other practical aspects necessary for monitoring the activity.
T-2: Physical and Biological Basis of Radiotherapy. Introduction to basics and general concepts of
cancer treatment with radiation therapy. Central to the subsequent monitoring of the subjects. Its
practical part consisted of conducting a study on the fundamentals of ionizing radiation.
T-3: External radiation formed. Explanation of the elements that characterize the most commonly used
technique for cancer treatment in the discipline of Radiation Oncology. Its practical part consisted in
the development of a commentary to choose among several topics suggested on this treatment
technique.
T-4: acute and late toxicity. Toxicity scales. Together with the following (T-5) are the key issues of
course. In it explain the basis for the toxicity produced during irradiation, and how to recognize and
evaluate. Its practical part students had to discuss a case, to choose among proposals.
T-5: Toxicity anatomic locations. Based on the previous topic, here we explain the toxicity that occurs
in each particular area that receives radiation, distinguishing each anatomical region and analyzing
them separately. The practical part consisted of hands-on analysis of the anatomical locations
explained in the theoretical part.
To study these issues, Professor hanging in folders on the platform enabled the necessary
documents, mainly theoretical texts which explain the important points. The practical exercises were
also available to students, with a deadline. From this information, students individually administered
their study time and work delivery. Monitoring by the teacher was to answer questions or raise issues
regarding the study topics through forums dedicated to it.
The use of the platform was high, with a total number of course views of 949 records (average of
118,63 and standard deviation of 29,92). The resources were visited by students in a total number of
352 (average of 44 and standard deviation of 15).The number of shares held in the forums was 935
(average of 116,88 and 35,10 deviation typical).
Evaluation of the course was conducted through two ways: first, an academic evaluation and,
secondly, a survey of student satisfaction on the course. The academic side was also examined in two
ways: the realization in the final days of the course of a Knowledge Test and the development of
practical exercises were done during the school year established. To get the final certification of the
course was necessary to fill 80% of practical exercises. It was also necessary to pass a final
evaluation consisting of an exercise test with multiple answers. Both were completed by 100% of the
students.
The knowledge assessment test contained 10 questions with several possible answers and only one
correct. The final grade is made, therefore, a total of 10 points, 60% being necessary for the
sufficiency of the course and, accordingly, the certificate itself. The average rating was 7.67 (range: 7-
9 points).
Difficulties in implementation: One of the highlights of the online courses are the difficulties content
management platform and its use by students and faculty. Students at the beginning of the course
raised several issues through forums, mainly related to the management platform and difficulties in
viewing documents or inserting them in the spaces and folders for this purpose. These difficulties were
resolved in a timely effective manner by the person appointed guardian, administrator of the platform,
so that monitoring of the content could be performed without major incidents.
4 CONCLUSION
Our assessment after the course is that the implementation of online training has advantages such as
self-study ability and the ability to choose those elements most appropriate training to each student
profile.

4. We note that the actual hours of training significantly exceeded the theoretically raised, because the
connection to be possible at any time of day, the dedication of more time to study spaces as well as
activities outside of the platform is an accumulation of hours more than originally estimated. In
addition, a number of hours, as previously mentioned are beyond the control schedule of activities and
forums of the platform, with a consequent increase in time spent.
The size of students and teachers is also an important point in this type of training. For a correct
assessment of the number of members of the courses considered necessary before an evaluation of
objectives, contents and estimated duration of the course. Thus, we offer a number of training places
and adequate teachers and do not involve an imbalance between the two.
We believe that online training is a training pathway that requires continuous computer support and
speed in the management and resolution of problems, especially in those courses with short
completion periods.
REFERENCES
[1] HUSC, 2008: Hospital Universitario San Cecilio Granada. Retrieved 04/03/2011 in
[http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdesalud/hsc/moodle/]
[2] PHT, 2008: Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. Retrieved 15/03/2011 in [http://www.i-am-in-
themoodle.co.uk/]
[3] Buendia F., Izquierdo J.V.: Using virtual learning environment for training hospitals staff. E-Society
IADIS International Conference. Barcelona: IADIS, 2009