Digital skills training for health care professionals in oncology (DigiCanTrain)

DigiCanTrain is an international project funded by the European Union, with partners from six different countries and European-wide cancer organisations.

The project aims to design, pilot, and evaluate training program on digital skills for healthcare professionals working in the field of cancer care. The program includes modules for trainers, multidisciplinary teams, nurses, oncology and general medicine specialists, non-clinical staff, as well as experts involved in governmental roles.

The project is motivated by the prevalence of cancer and the potential offered by digitalisation. Despite the positive effects and possibilities of technology, the majority of healthcare professionals feel inadequately prepared to cope with the digital revolution.

Objectives

The DigiCanTrain project aims is to upskill and reskill participants' digital skills. The objective of the developed training modules is for them to be applicable in European cancer centres by various training providers. The ultimate goal of the project is to promote access to continuing training programmes focusing on digital skills for healthcare professionals working with cancer patients. This goal seeks to advance the utilisation of digital services and modern healthcare technology in cancer care and support the realisation of more efficient and patient-centred healthcare services.

Implementation

In the project, the current training options are identified, and the need for digital skills training among healthcare professionals in oncology is assessed. The project also provides a summary of the digital health tools and technologies commonly used for communication, patient education, and monitoring the impact of cancer treatment. Key competence areas are identified to guide the development of the DigiCanTrain programme curriculum and implementation plan. The project team creates and pilots modules for the programme, incorporating both theoretical and practical elements. Additionally, the project focuses on disseminating and sharing the achieved results with stakeholders and the wider healthcare community.

Partners

In addition to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the following partners are involved in the project:

• Cancer Society of Finland CSF, Finland
• Catalan Institute of Oncology, Spain
• European Cancer Organisation
• European Oncology Nursing Society
• Fican West, Finland
• Health Campus Turku, Finland
• Institute Oncologic “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
• National Cancer Control Programme Ireland, Ireland
• Tallinn Health Care College, Estonia
• Turku University Hospital, Finland
• Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland
• Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain
• University of Galway, Ireland
• University of Turku, Finland
• The Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland, Finland

Funding

EU4Health programme, Co-funded by the European Union

Contact information

Anu-Marja Kaihlanen
Senior Researcher
anu.kaihlanen(at)thl.fi