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Keeping a Finger on the Pulse: The Newest Healthcare Continuing Education Trends
Learning is changing. Ten years ago, continuing education primarily consisted of sitting in a conference room or classroom to watch a lecture or a video—sometimes complemented by interactive activities. Often, healthcare professionals had to work through scheduling challenges to make time for a needed continuing education credit or necessary certification course.
As technology has entered the healthcare system and work schedules have become increasingly flexible, trends in continuing education have adapted. Today, healthcare professionals have the opportunity to not only take courses at their own pace and in their own time, but also attend courses in nontraditional venues.
Trends in continuing education
Whether you’re a healthcare professional, student in a medical field, first responder or administrator with a business focus, here are four continuing education trends that are transforming the learning landscape.
1. Online learning takes center stage
Online learning will no longer be relegated to the sidelines of continuing education programs, according to Canadian online learning specialist, Dr. Tony Bates of the North Research Institute. Instead, healthcare and business institutions alike will look to online learning as a primary source of employee training.
2. Learning enters the mobile realm
Blended learning programs that utilize online approaches, social media and mobile technology will step to the forefront, according to AMA Enterprise, a division of the American Management Association. This new approach will enable learners to challenge themselves and build their skills sets in highly flexible environments.
3. Individualized learning quickly becomes the norm
An individualized learning course enables groups of students to receive the same information and sort through it at their own pace and in their own time. As continuing education continues to transition online, more and more courses (including those offered by Health Ed Solutions) are designed to allow students maximum flexibility.
4. Field-based medical device training increases
A 2012 study conducted by Best Practices, LLC, found that 50 percent of medical device education groups suggested that field-based medical education staffing will increase by 10 percent or more in the next two years. In addition, the research group found that the device sector is spending millions of dollars to incorporate tablets and iPads into training programs. These types of devices are a good fit for medical device training because they enable trainers to quickly display animations and simulations.
Learning technologies and tactics will continue to evolve into the future, and healthcare professionals and first responders will be expected to keep up with the latest continuing education trends; 2013 developments are just the beginning.
About Health Ed Solutions
Health Ed Solutions (HES) helps healthcare professionals and first responders take advantage of the online learning trend by providing a variety of online certification courses. Self-paced modules enable learners to take courses at their own pace and in their own time. Courses include advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), basic life support (BLS) and a variety of other healthcare certifications.
Sources:
http://www.hr.com/en/app/blog/2012/12/seven-trends-to-influence-training-in-2013_hab6jdgo.html