Massive open online course for Brazilian healthcare providers working with substance use disorders: curriculum design

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal and technical skills are required for the care of people living with substance use disorders. Considering the applicability and usability of online courses as continuing professional education initiatives, this study aimed to describe the content design process of an introductory-level healthcare-centered Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). METHODS: The content of the course was informed through needs assessment, by using three sources: (a) narrative literature review, (b) Delphi health experts panel consensus, and (c) focus groups conducted with people living with substance use disorders. The data from the empirical research phases were analyzed through qualitative Thematic Analysis. RESULTS: The product of this research project is the introductory-level Massive Open Online Course “Healthcare: Developing Relational Skills for the Assistance of People Living with Substance Use Disorders” which approaches health communication and empathetic relational professional skills as a means of reducing stigmatization of people living with substance use disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Diverse strategies for designing distance education initiatives have to consider different views on the subject being approached in such courses. The product presented in this paper has the potential to be an educational tool for topics traditionally not addressed in Brazilian continuing education and can be used as a model to the design of online courses directed to the development of work-related skills for the healthcare professions.