FAQs

Below you will find some answers to frequently asked questions about the 'Alcohol Identification and Brief Advice' eLearning course.

Please note that the course is currently being reviewed and we will endeavour to update it based on the feedback we have received.

If you have other questions please contact us at: info@alcohollearningcentre.org.uk and we will respond to you as soon as we can.

Questions and Answers

Q. Can I do the course more than once?

A. Yes. You can do the course as many times as you want to.

Q. Do I have to start the course at the beginning?

A. No. You can start and finish the course wherever you want. Some people will start by doing the final course assessment first and then dip into the sections of the course they feel they need to do to increase their knowledge.

Q. How can I save my last learning page so that I can return to my learning later?

A. You can't. You will need to make a note of where you are up to and then you can re-start your course at that point.

Q. Can I obtain a record of achievement (certificate) if I complete the course?

A. Yes. If you complete the Session Summary at the end of the course you can fill in your details and print a record of achievement which will have your name and final assessment score percentage on it.

Q. Are you developing other eLearning courses for staff who are not working in Primary Care?

A. Yes. The DH has commissioned two other course pathways in acute Hospital Settings and Community Pharmacy. These will be available here soon.

Q. How can I measure the competence of staff completing the course?

A. The course is intended as a 'vehicle towards competence'. It provides one method of learning about IBA along with many others such as face to face teaching and role play. Completion of the course does not in itself indicate competence. Competence would need to be measured using other appropriate methods to evaluate learning and its impact on the delivery of services.

Q. Can I monitor how many of my employees are completing the course and what scores they are getting?

A. There is no facility to monitor this within the course itself. You will need to establish local systems for evaluating the learning and competence of your employees. For example, you could get learners to complete the course and then blend this eLearning with some face to face training and IBA role play. You would need to create your own benchmarking systems for evaluating competency within your organisation.

Q. Is the course suitable for non-clinical staff?

A. That depends on who they are and what prior knowledge they have. The course was developed to have broad appeal to those working in Primary Care settings. The first three sections of the course provide a good overview of alcohol facts and the importance of delivering IBA which provides useful context before moving on to look at the Identification and Brief Advice tools and their uses.

Q. I have some questions about the measurements and risks used in the course. What should I do?

A. You can use our discussion boards to post your questions and receive responses from other experts working in the NHS. This encourages debate and provides clarity about some of the issues.