Training in digital competencies for health professionals: systematic mapping (2015-2019)

Abstract

Digital competencies are one of the main transversal competencies of the XXI century. By means of systematic mapping, international published papers and research on digital skills training were critically evaluated, generating a process that helps us to recognize information about health professionals and the type of educational technology used in training. With this in mind, we employed the systematic mapping method using the WoS and Scopus databases between 2015 and 2019 in English and Spanish, specifically focused on research articles. The five competencies of the European Framework of Digital Competence were used to analyze the articles, and the works were classified according to the educational technology used. Inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria were applied. Two hundred and forty-eight articles were selected for the study. Most focused on the information literacy dimension (168) and used digital educational technology. In total, 27 papers were concerned with competence in communication, 19 with safety, and 12 with problem-solving. Only 8% of the papers were conducted in the context of health institutions, and 68% were based in an academic context. Articles related to the social field were found that dealt with aspects directly linked to health and safety. The publications on digital competencies used in the field of health mostly addressed the dimension of information competence, with a focus on the design and implementation of training activities in the management of information sources, instructional standards, curriculum design, and the competencies of the health librarian as an instructor.