E-learning Solutions in the Healthcare Sector: Creating Knowledge and Enlightenment

Regulatory bodies closely scrutinize the healthcare sector to ensure that every organization is working within the guidelines of the industry. Compliance trainings are put in place so that every employee understands the guidelines. In addition, various internal and external Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) trainings also need to be conducted regularly to educate employees and increase productivity across the organization. With increasing number of employees, who are often geographically spread-out, the task of continual training becomes difficult with a traditional approach.

Our proprietary WiZDOM Web LMS has been implemented across a number of healthcare organizations to create a seamless process of training, adept at handling multiple courses, within given timelines.

• The LMS automates the entire process of training, right from assigning courses, tracking progress, generating reports to recommending further courses. It keeps track of courses that are to be refreshed or updated, and assigns them accordingly.
• Most new-age LMSs are built to support flexible number of learners. This allows larger as well as smaller organizations to implement it for their training needs.
• Regulatory guidelines keep changing for the Healthcare Sector and updating study material in paper-format is a costly and time-consuming proposition. With a LMS-based solution, courses can be built using rapid-authoring tools, which leave room for changes and revisions as per the need of the organization – all the while maintaining strict timelines.
• The LMS also provides tests and assessments to ensure that the learner had indeed benefitted from the course. Further, reports from these assessments are recorded for various audit purposes, proving that the courses have indeed been well-assimilated across the organization.
• Add-ons like automated email reminders and SMSs are also available with most new-age LMSs. These features are especially useful for training in this sector, as most of the courses are time-bound and non-compliance can cause serious repercussions.
• Also, any new system in a healthcare organization has to comply with certain industry norms – including the learning platform. Also, since other systems within the organization – like the HRMS – comply with the norms, the LMS too has to follow in order to be seamlessly integrated with them. For instance, for a healthcare organization, we made sure that our WiZDOM LMS was compliant with 21 CFR Part 11 and IQ/OQ/PQ validations, so that it could be seamlessly integrated into the organization. This made sure that the technology platform was following the necessary norms of the industry and could be utilized across the organization for continuous training.

On the other end of the spectrum are the patients — who are the ‘consumers’ of the Healthcare Sector. For them, information is the key in making the right choice of healthcare options. Social learning through technology is the most popular way of gaining information today. Can the strength of social learning be used to educate patients on healthcare? The answer is affirmative. G-Cube developed an interactive learning module for a medical website, created by a leading specialist in India.  The website is a social forum for patients to search information on specialized medical procedures. Available free-of-cost, the course successfully imparted information, as well as made the learner feel comfortable with the complexity of medical procedures.

• Deciding on a medical procedure is a discerning task for any patient. So, the first concern for G-Cube as developer was that the language, tone and graphics should all converge to make the learner feel comfortable and at ease.
• Audio played an important role in the course and voice-overs ran through the entire course duration. The inclusion of a male as well as a female voice helped both genders to feel comfortable with the course.
• Frequent summaries and charts appeared from time to time to simplify the information and to make sure that it was available in a way that laymen could understand.
• Short videos were also included to explain complex medical procedures and to help the learners to visually internalize the information.
• In addition to providing information, the course also provided support to the patients by sharing coping mechanisms.
• For doctors, it made sure that the patient came better prepared to the consultation. The course was also a source of refresher to what had been explained during consultation, saving valuable time of both the doctor as well as the patient.

With newer technologies in the field of medicine, healthcare is becoming more sophisticated as well as affordable. Only two hindrances – lack of information and existing misconceptions – stand in the way of patients choosing the best healthcare option available. This e-course is a proof of the concept that by bridging the gap with knowledge we can benefit the patient as well as the doctor. With the help of technology, doctors and healthcare professionals can reach out better to their patients and create new standards of patient satisfaction.