International collaboration in an online digital health education for undergraduate nursing students in China: Results and recommendations for course development from World eHealth Living Lab

Abstract

Digital health enhances healthcare accessibility and should be integrated into nursing education to prepare future nurses for the evolving medical systems. An international collaboration between a Chinese medical university and World eHealth Living Lab of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands developed and implemented the online course “Digital Health Empowerment and Nursing Innovation” for undergraduate nursing students in China. The course’s effectiveness was evaluated using a mixed methods approach, including a pre- and post-test assessing students’ scientific innovation ability, a post-test for protocol completion, students’ attitudes and satisfaction. 32 undergraduate nursing students completed the course, achieving a 100 % attendance rate and showing significant improvement in the total score of scientific innovation ability (37.87 ± 6.16 versus 40.97 ± 6.32, P = 0.049). Specifically, the score of thinking innovation improved significantly (17.31 ± 3.28 versus 19.28 ± 3.18, P = 0.017), while application innovation and scientific research practice scores remained unchanged. Participants highly rated the value of protocol writing with 23–25 (total score of 28) and presentation with 41–45 (total score of 48). Additionally, students reported high satisfaction with the aspects of this course including a well-structured schedule with lectures and workshops, feasible and sufficient materials on the online platform, and engaging and helpful teaching methods. Furthermore, suggestions of the course are mainly related to addressing the complexity of the platform, providing timely feedback and evaluation from teachers, and improving (online) interactions.This international collaboration effectively enhanced Chinese nursing students’ scientific innovation ability and thinking innovation, with high satisfaction reported. Future digital health education should emphasize practical research examples to implement innovations. Specifically, active teaching methods, such as practice units and student engagement in digital health innovation research implementation in clinical settings, are recommended for future courses. In areas with limited access to digital health specialists, online platforms can enhance access to high-quality medical education.