7 Useful Tips to Choose the Right Learning Management Systems tor the Healthcare Industry

Are you looking to increase patient satisfaction? Do you want to decrease the high turnover rates in key roles of your hospital? If so, you probably need to look for an effective learning management system (LMS)tailored for the healthcare industry.

The current healthcare industry is very fast paced. The continuous introduction of new health management techniques and evolving industry standards is a call for practitioners to upskill their competencies and deliver the best possible care. Failing to do so will put you at risk of compliance violations and you won’t be able to serve your patients with quality care.

Hence, you need to invest in an environment that fosters learning on-the-go. Such an implementation will not just keep your business practices effective and compliant, but will also prepare your employees for future objectives.

If your plan is to increase your financial performance and improve the patient experience simultaneously, you must choose an LMS that helps in balancing the need to control staffing costs, caters to your data reporting needs and fulfills other compliance tasks.

But, how do you choose among thousands of options available in the market? Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Assess Your Training Needs

First and most importantly, you need to assess what your training needs actually are. If you are not clear about what needs to be taught, what skills need to be introduced in the training session or what current market trends need focus, then you are not ready to invest in an LMS. You must study the emerging healthcare market and note what complexities your organization is facing. You must also be aware of both current and future topics, such as the importance of personal reflection and continuing professional development (CPD) in healthcare, managing a unique set of healthcare compliance requirements, nurse revalidation and the need for portability of qualifications.

2. User Interface

The LMS you choose should be very easy for the end-user to navigate so that it can improve the efficiency of training programs. Look for an LMS that offers a simple user interface, as your users will feel comfortable using it and motivated to learn more through the LMS.

In addition to the visual appeal, you must also consider how your users will interact with it. If the user is able to interact efficiently with the LMS, he or she will access the learning content easily and will be more compliant in undertaking the training. If the opposite happens, the LMS can actually create a barrier in the training process, and your training results will be lower.

To make sure your users will engage, keep a strict eye on the design of the interface. Easy accessibility to learning materials, automatic options for suggestiong additional learning programs depending on the competencies and preferences of the learner, and other related features will create an engaging learning environment.

3. Tailor-Made LMS

You need to make sure that the LMS you choose is up to date on required skills, certifications, competency and performance. But be aware that even if an LMS is updated with the latest technologies, certifications or performance it may still not be the right fit for you. It is critical to look for a learning management system that can be easily customized to meet your unique needs. Experts recommend that apart from just the look and feel, the LMS should also be tailor-made to match the complex hierarchies in your organization. The workflows and the integration of other systems in LMS should also be customizable.

4. Scalability

Scalability is an important factor to be kept in mind while choosing an LMS. As healthcare organizations can be massive in size, the LMS must have the ability to scale, no matter how many learners join the training program. Scaling should not compromise training efficiency in any manner and should be able to sustain proper integration with the organizations and their systems using it.

5. Integration

As mentioned above, the integration of LMS with the healthcare organizations and their systems is very important. For instance, the learning management system must be able to integrate with medical as well as patient databases. It is worth paying close attention to APIs and other technologies which enable integration. You can also look for third-party integrations which will allow the training or learning to be used across different departments.

6. Reporting and Analytics

The reporting and analytics feature of the LMS should be very strong. It should offer alerts for competency issues and training, plus it should also give you the facility of real-time audits. The next generation LMS you choose should not just comply with HIPPA and 21 CFR Part 11 regulation, but also be very pro-active. It should make use of predictive analytics to highlight potential compliance issues and determine skills shortage or talent gap based on evaluating data sets.

7. Training Delivery

Last but not least, you must assess the ability of the learning management system to deliver learning or training materials in different formats. The learning materials should be readily available in text, audio, video, PDF and PPT format. Further, mobile learning is an important feature that should be present in your LMS. Through mobile functionality, the users will be able to access the training material from anywhere at any time. In today’s fast-paced world, you’ll want to be assured that your employees are gaining the benefit of training on-the-go.

Every healthcare organization is different with different training and development needs for employees. The process of choosing an LMS should be undertaken only after a thorough inspection of your needs and the features discussed above. The more your LMS provides autonomy to the users to upskill their knowledge and skill sets and meets your specific organizational needs, the more your business will gain the power to achieve futuristic goals. You’ll want to choose wisely!!

Characteristics of a healthcare learning management system that makes it a Learning Powerhouse

• Real-Time Access

  An LMS for healthcare captures the care experience so that it can be used to guide and support the users for care improvement. It can be used easily by anyone anywhere anytime. This flexibility improves the success rates of course completion and enhances the learning space for users.

• Efficient tracking and management

  A healthcare learning management system allows the organizations to track various statistics like prices, costs, safety, care, and other data for care improvement. This opens doors to improved facilities and improved decisions by professionals. Besides keeping records of patients, it also helps in tracking healthcare professionals and assessing their capabilities.

• Inclusive and Engaging Learning Culture

  LMS for healthcare fosters a learning culture that involves all the professionals from all the locations of the organization to come together and learn. Learners are encouraged to help each other out in case of doubts and queries using chat panels and discussion forums. It offers a dedicated space for healthcare professionals to discuss issues and come up with better solutions. Learning becomes an integration of teamwork and collaboration.

• Compliance Training

  Adhering to regulations and standards is essential in the healthcare sector to eliminate unnecessary risks. Compliance training at regular intervals helps in strengthening the workforce and fostering a culture of compliant behavior. An efficient healthcare learning management system provides a secure and centralized platform for hosting automated compliance training.

• Regular Feedback for Continuous Improvement

  Holistic learning is a blend of best teaching methods and regular feedback to recognize weaknesses and offer opportunities to improve. A healthcare learning management system helps in evaluating each learner's capabilities, tracking their progress, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and giving them feedback. This opens room for continuous learning and improvement.

• Quick and Easy Upgrades

  With new research studies and technological advancements, it becomes imperative for the healthcare sector to stay up-to-date with the latest data and information. This calls for upgrading their training material as well. With online healthcare learning management systems, it becomes super easy for organizations to modify their training material without delaying the training process.

• Maintains Consistency

  Since healthcare learning management systems are usually one-time investments that can be used over and over again, organizations can easily maintain the standard quality of training at all levels. With regular classroom teaching, the learning experiences can alter because of the trainers' knowledge, insufficient material, and other factors. However, an LMS eliminates such factors and offers a secure and stable platform for consistent teaching.