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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07679230

Digital Learning Technology for Dementia Care Training in Long-term Care Professionals

Dementia, including cognitive decline and behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD), presents a significant challenge to long-term care systems and family caregivers. While various digital educational resources are available, long-term care professionals often face challenges in practical care skills, communication, and emotional coping when managing individuals with moderate to severe dementia. To address these needs, a dementia education program integrating digital learning technologies was proposed to offer a meaningful, collaborative learning experience.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of this immersive learning dementia education program on long-term care professionals' dementia care knowledge, attitudes, and interprofessional collaboration competence (as the primary outcome variables).

This study utilized a quasi-experimental, waitlist control group pre- and post-test design. This study utilized a quasi-experimental, waitlist control group pre- and post-test design. Long-term care professionals were recruited from 12 community-based long-term care institutions in Taiwan. Participants were assigned to either the intervention group or the waitlist control group based on the order of enrollment.

The intervention group participated in an 8-hour, 4-unit immersive training program held during non-working hours. The curriculum included: an advanced dementia care lecture and case discussions; Virtual Reality (VR) dementia symptom simulation (using HTC VIVE Flow headsets) followed by reflective debrief; Augmented Reality (AR) interactive skill training (using the MAKAR Viewer mobile app); and experience sharing on ethical and legal issues in dementia care.

The waitlist control group maintained their routine continuing education during the study period and received the identical 8-hour training program after the follow-up assessments were completed.

All participants completed standardized questionnaires at three time points: at baseline (pre-test), immediately following the intervention (post-test), and at a 3-month follow-up. The outcomes measured included dementia care knowledge, dementia care attitudes, and interprofessional collaboration levels.

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Key information

Conditions

Long-Term Care Professionals Behavior Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Dementia Dementia Education Program Dementia Knowledge and Attitudes Interprofessional Collaboration Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurocognitive Disorders

Age range

18 year–64 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Tunghai University

Taichung, 4070, Taiwan

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

(1)Must be a registered long-term care professional or care assistant currently employed in a long-term care institution; (2) Provided informed consent and voluntarily agreed to participate in this study; (3) Capable of using digital learning devices, including smartphone applications and virtual reality (VR) headsets.

Exclusion criteria

(1)Severe visual or hearing impairments that prevent the effective use of digital learning materials or VR headsets; (2)A history of severe motion sickness, vertigo, or epilepsy that could be triggered by immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences.

Treatment and study plan

Dementia care education program

Behavioral

an 8-hour digital learning dementia care education program

Routine Education

Behavioral

Maintaind routine education and completed parallel tests at T0, T1, and T2. The identical 8-hour digital learning dementia care program was provided to this group after T2 data collection ends.

Primary outcomes

  1. Interprofessional collaboration level

    Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up post-intervention.

    Measured using the Collaboration subscale of the Chinese Version of the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale (AITCS-C), this subscale assessed the extent to which long-term care professionals perceived themselves as team members who listened to and valued all members' perspectives, actively contributed professional insights, and engaged in shared decision-making. It consisted of 8 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = Never to 5 = Always), and the total subscale score ranged from 8 to 40, with higher scores indicating a higher perceived level of interprofessional collaboration within the care team. Subgroup interactions based on occupational categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) were evaluated.

  2. Knowledge of dementia care

    Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up post-intervention.

    Measured using the Taiwan Shortened Version of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS-s), this scale evaluated long-term care professionals' knowledge level across four distinct dimensions: (1) causes and characteristics of dementia, (2) communication and engagement, (3) dementia care needs, and (4) risk assessment and health promotion. The scale consisted of 16 items utilizing a partial credit scoring method, where each correct answer yielded 1 point, and incorrect or "don't know" responses yielded 0 points. The total score ranged from 0 to 16, with higher total scores indicating a higher level of understanding and knowledge of dementia care, and subgroup interactions based on occupational categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) were evaluated.

  3. Attitude toward dementia

    Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up post-intervention.

    Measured using the Dementia Attitude Scale - Chinese Version (DAS-C), this scale evaluated long-term care personnel's attitudes toward individuals with dementia across two primary dimensions: (1) Social Comfort, which encompassed affective and behavioral components, and (2) Dementia Knowledge, which covered the cognitive component. The scale consisted of 17 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree). The total score ranged from 17 to 85, with higher total scores indicating a more positive and favorable caregiving attitude toward people living with dementia. Subgroup interactions based on professional categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) were evaluated.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Interprofessional collaboration level changes by occupational category

    Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.

    Evaluated the subgroup interaction effect between occupational categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) and time points within the intervention group using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). This analysis determined whether the treatment efficacy on interprofessional collaboration degrees (measured via the AITCS-C Collaboration subscale) differed significantly based on the participants' occupational categories.

  2. Dementia care knowledge changes by occupational category

    Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.

    Evaluated the subgroup interaction effect between occupational categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) and time points within the intervention group using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). This analysis determined whether the treatment efficacy on dementia care knowledge (measured via the DKAS-s) differed significantly based on the participants' occupational categories.

  3. Dementia care attitude changes by occupational category

    Time frame: Baseline (pre-test), immediately post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up.

    Evaluated the subgroup interaction effect between occupational categories (healthcare professionals vs. care assistants) and time points within the intervention group using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). This analysis determined whether the treatment efficacy on dementia care attitudes (measured via the DAS-C) differed significantly based on the participants' occupational categories.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Tunghai University

Other

Collaborators

  • Kaohsiung Medical University

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Digital Learning Technology in Dementia Education Programs on Dementia Care Knowledge, Attitudes, and Interprofessional Collaboration Among Long-term Care Professionals

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 1, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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