Design, implementation and evaluation of a postgraduate workshop on cross-border healthcare in Europe – Mixed methods research

Introduction In European border regions, healthcare providers join forces to make full use of the potential of healthcare. Trainees need to be aware of the challenges and opportunities of cross-border healthcare. To increase such awareness, a workshop was designed, implemented and evaluated. The workshop was entitled ‘Creating cross-border collaborators’ and combined elements of contextual, collaborative and reflective learning. The aim of the study was to understand how this workshop enhanced trainees’ awareness of challenges and opportunities of cross-border healthcare. Methods Using a mixed-methods approach, focus-group interviews (QUAL) were held with trainees (N = 16) and trainees (N = 13) completed a survey (QUAN) about their workshop experiences. The workshop was held three times for three different groups of trainees. Results Quantitative analysis (of surveys) demonstrated increased self-reported awareness of cross-border healthcare. All learning principles contributed to this awareness, however reflective learning slightly less. Qualitative analysis (of focus-group interviews) unearthed the following four themes: (1) Attention to cross-border healthcare fostered awareness of its complexity; (2) real-life examples stimulated recognition of challenges and opportunities; (3) discussions in interdisciplinary and international groups helped to see different perspectives; and (4) reflection made trainees think about their own role and perspective. Quantitative and qualitative data are strongly cohered. Conclusion According to participating trainees, a workshop with elements of contextual, collaborative and reflective learning did improve trainee awareness of cross-border healthcare. This study highlights that theoretical insights into learning can and should inform the design and evaluation of workshops.