Table 4 Themes, sub-categories and quotes from interview participants

Preconceptions of online learning (prior to iBeST)

Negative experience with online training

“I don’t learn that well, especially if it’s something that I haven’t done before, just reading from a computer screen.” #208

“…it is hard because you can’t really replace actually doing it, can you really, actually having it as a little role play or just questions and answer type things.” #257

Perceived learning style

"…you know, the environment we work in, we don’t sit at computers all day long and we’re used to the sort of talking part of it.” #258 (learning style suits face-to-face training)

Reflections on training experience with iBeST

Barriers to online learning

External: “…I ended up only being able to do it at home because we couldn’t get the Google Chrome here at work at all…” #197

Internal: “…in a physio department we have a patient for half an hour or an hour and you get up and, you don’t have to just sit and do one thing for 7 h and I think I’ve never worked at a computer for that length of time, so I think it just amazed me how uncomfortable it is sitting for long stretches of time.” #258

Facilitators to online learning

“I think because you are seeing patients in between it made you think about how you could actually apply what you’d just been reading” #257

Impact of the training with iBeST (after iBeST)

Participant reactions

“I think actually it was a much better variety than I thought. I didn’t think that we would see videos. I thought it would just be words and tests really, so I think it was actually very well done.” #337

“I don’t normally go home and do any work but I didn’t find it a problem going home and keeping going because it was interesting…” #257

Participant learning

“…because there's one thing to say this is where pain is, what are you going to do about it? Another to say, this is what you're going to do about it - and this is how you're going to roll it out to your patients… it was just put about in a very complete way with a package to carry over.” #226

“We talk about pacing in very general ways, whereas there was obviously quite specific guidelines on helping people to find their baseline and how to develop that on from their role than just generally saying don’t do everything on one go.” #257

“…I think the talking part of it was the important part…and I found that really difficult to do on my own to a computer.” #258

“I kind of don’t … maybe didn’t quite understand enough about today’s one about thinking.” #337

Participant behaviour

“I found I was able to, as you started to think about it more, it sort of made you ask questions… talking to patients you start just bringing some of the questioning methods…” #257

“…it has changed my practice - and I do talk to people differently, and try not to be so directive…” #226