The concept of the In-reach for Successful AGing through Education (i-SAGE) training program is to create opportunities for a practice-relevant, problem-based virtual learning network specifically tailored towards inter- disciplinary clinicians and peer health promoters caring for ethnic minority older adults with Limited English Proficiency. The project will develop an inter-disciplinary, web-based training program on successful aging to be used by (a) Bi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary health personnel, clinicians and trainees (clinicians, physicians-in-training, medical students and nursing students) at Stanford University School of Medicine, De Anza College of Nursing, the Veterans Affairs' facilities in the States of California, Nevada and Hawaii, Foothill College, University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing and the VA Nationwide Palliative Care Network; and (b) Bi-lingual, multi-cultural peer health promoters (lay health advisers) from the 13 different ethnic groups commonly represented in the following ten California counties--Alameda, Merced, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Solano through our numerous community out-reach partners, including Foothill College, University of San Francisco, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, Pallium India USA and First Nations Native American Veterans Service Organizations. The overall goal of the i-SAGE training is for learners to develop an understanding of the scientific principles of culturally effective care of ethnic minority older adults from 13 different ethnic groups: African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian Indian Americans, Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Hmong Americans, Japanese Americans, Korean Americans, Pakistani Americans, and Vietnamese Americans. Dual areas of special foci in the curriculum include (i) cross-cultural cancer care and (ii) cross-cultural palliative and end-of-life care. The core web-based material will be hosted on a password-protected learning management system augmented with practice quizzes, evaluation tests, links to clips of digitized video case studies, seminars, links to relevant external web sites, and lists of additional learning resources. Access will be facilitated through an internet portal, which will serve dual purposes of (a) providing ongoing learner support (through web boards, downloadable job-aids and other educational resources) as well as (b) a marketing tool for the i-SAGE training. The usability and the effectiveness of the i-SAGE training will be studied using automatic analysis of individual learner movement through the curricular modules and through semi structured online surveys. Automatic analysis of the i-SAGE portal activity will be done via a browser-based interface with the goal of improving the effectiveness of the portal. A mechanism will be developed to disseminate the i-SAGE training nationwide to clinicians and peer health promoters in all VA facilities, community-based senior centers, nursing home facilities and interested medical schools throughout the country.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter