Designing and testing a solution to fill ART knowledge gaps at primary healthcare level: WhatsApp-based microlearning.

A pragmatic, mixed-methods, parallel-group cluster-randomised study design to design, test and evaluate the effect of WhatsApp group-based HIV training on nurses’ and community health workers’ knowledge in predominantly rural clinics in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The secondary aims were to assess uptake, acceptability, and feasibility of the intervention; and to explore and describe the changes in prescribing, comparing the intervention group to the control group.The study aimed to collect data at all four levels of Kirkpatrick’s Training evaluation – results, behaviour, learning and reaction (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016). Data was collected using online questionnaires at baseline, immediately after the training intervention and three months after; data from the WhatsApp group interactions; focus groups; and retrospective folder reviews.The training was conducted ‘live’ in WhatsApp groups: 10–15-minute, case-based microlearning lessons within the routine lunch break. Learning points were based on the National HIV guidelines.