Interactive E-Learning for Therapist Training in Exposure Therapy

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Despite the existence of numerous well-established evidence-based practices (EBPs) for mental disorders, it has been difficult to disseminate these practices in community settings. Exposure therapy for anxiety disorders represents one of the most glaring examples of this research-to- practice gap. Many practicing therapists have never had the opportunity to receive training in exposure therapy and cite this as a primary barrier to its delivery. To address this gap, we need to rethink the way in which we train providers. Over the past 10 years, our team developed and empirically validated a suite of exposure therapy training modules through multiple NIMH-funded studies. In keeping with the evidence base, these modules place a heavy emphasis on active learning components. Accordingly, they are time-consuming, costly, require live delivery by experienced trainers, and are inflexible due to scheduling constraints. Recent advances in e- learning offer an exciting opportunity to automate both the didactic and interactive components of these evidence-based training modules–an approach that has potential to vastly improve scalability, thus addressing a primary barrier to accessing the most potent treatment available for anxiety. In this project, we will develop and initially test an automated eLearning approach for therapists learning exposure therapy. We will leverage evidence-based training content and strategies from our prior work, as well as recent advances in eLearning (e.g., adaptive eLearning). The proposed Phase I STTR study will take place in three stages. Stage one (Development) is a nine-month development period during which PARC Innovations will build an alpha version of the training program in accordance with specifications from the research team and early input from a Multi-perspective Advisory Panel (MAP). The MAP (N=8) will consist of professionals with expertise in commercialization, education & e-learning, and/or technology. In Stage two (End- User Feedback and Optimization), a group of clinician end-users (N = 8) will interact with the platform and provide quantitative and qualitative feedback that will be synthesized by the research team into action items for further development. In stage three (Training Trial), therapists (N=40) will complete 8 hours of e-learning training (self-paced) over three weeks. Usability and training outcomes (e.g., therapist knowledge, self-efficacy) from this pilot trial will support a Phase II STTR project aimed at building out and broadly disseminating this eLearning approach.