How to Create Learning Programs for Healthcare Employees

Learning programs provide an avenue for healthcare organizations to help employees improve their skills and deepen their industry knowledge. Custom learning experiences yield more educated workforces, which produce optimized workflows, innovative treatment approaches, improved care delivery, and, ultimately, better patient outcomes.

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This article reviews effective strategies for learning program creation.

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1. Assess learning program benefits

Health organizations must offer goal-oriented content to launch effective learning programs. Learning programs’ benefits from a foundation for high engagement with your content.

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‍Staff development is essential for healthcare organizations to address:

• Industry innovations. From predictive analytics to machine learning, employees must familiarize themselves with technological advancements to make the most of recent health tool innovations. 
• Healthcare compliance. Recent and proposed updates to HIPAA regulations necessitate updated training for health professionals, including practical examples of how such changes impact their day-to-day roles. 
• Continuing medical education (CME). Learning programs enable health professionals to maintain and enhance their industry knowledge in accordance with state laws regarding their areas of focus. 
• Employee engagement. Employees prefer working somewhere that offers chances to grow, meaning that career development opportunities, like learning programs, lead to greater employee engagement.

Assess your learning program needs, using these insights to inform your organization’s content and course decisions. If your organization’s employees already participate in external learning programs, determine what content they prefer and how you can offer similar learning opportunities.

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2. Choose content and learning methods

As mentioned above, your learning program goals should guide the type of content offered by your organization. For instance, to help employees keep up with rapidly evolving industry technology, offer courses on AI tools, new medical techniques, and upcoming drug testing.

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Additionally, choose between different learning methods, such as:

• Instructor-led training. Lectures, presentations, discussions, and demonstrations are best for demonstrating principles that are difficult to convey through other methods. For example, a demonstration of administering an IV is more effective than written instructions.
• E-learning. Online learning modules contain pre-recorded lectures and presentations to accommodate different schedules and remote employees. They may also incorporate quizzes or other assessments for a more engaging learning experience.
• Mentorship and peer learning. One-on-one training allows students to work closely with mentors. This learning method is best for sharing specific practice management workflows, troubleshooting analytics software hiccups, and receiving personalized advice on career development.

Incorporate several learning methods as you develop your program to promote critical thinking and long-term retention across different audiences.

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3. Select tools for your learning program

Just as your organization invests in tools like care management software to improve intervention strategies, you should also be open-minded toward solutions that improve your learning programs. In particular, a dedicated learning management system (LMS) can host your courses and content while facilitating learner engagement activities.

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A top LMS (like MyQuest) offers these functionalities:

• Simple onboarding
• Real-time progress tracking
• Action-based learning
• Gamification tools
• Content library
• Training creation support
• Compliance support
• Detailed analytics

Additionally, leading LMS platforms offer mobile learning functionalities, making learning more convenient for employees.

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4. Promote your learning program to your employees

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Encourage employees to participate in your learning program by:

• Highlighting the benefits for employees. Outline your learning program’s benefits to entice employees to participate. Once they see the value of your program, they’ll be more likely to enroll in them.
• Sending communications about your program. Directly reach out to employees who are likely to participate, and provide continuous updates when new courses or modules become available.
• Adding incentives to your learning program. Offer incentives for participation, such as gifts or reward points.

Additionally, take steps to foster a culture of continuous learning and collaboration within your organization. Integrate learning into daily work, providing easy access to learning resources, and encouraging cross-department collaboration. Make sure employees feel comfortable asking questions and seeking help.

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5. Gauge effectiveness and make adjustments

As a health professional, you rely on data and analytics to facilitate quality care across the care continuum. According to leading analytics software provider Arcadia, that’s the point of collecting information—turning data points into usable assets. The same can be said for key metrics surrounding your learning program.

To gauge your program’s effectiveness, watch out for these key metrics:

• Course enrollment rates
• Course completion rates
• Non-completion rates
• Average time spent on courses
• Average assessment scores
• Pre and post-training assessment scores
• Most and least completed courses

Additionally, send out periodic surveys to get employees’ feedback on your learning program. Ask participants what they find most beneficial and what they feel could be improved. And don’t be afraid to ask non-participants why they don’t leverage your learning programs. Consolidate the feedback you receive and make appropriate adjustments to make learning more accessible and effective.

With a robust healthcare learning program, you’ll empower employees to boost their skills, continue their medical education, and adapt to a quickly changing industry. Then, they can bring that knowledge back to your organization, resulting in a positive feedback loop that only improves patient outcomes.

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Author: Mike Doane is the Director of Content Marketing at Arcadia, a data platform for leading healthcare organizations, where he owns inbound marketing strategy, editorial, and content channels, and leads a talented team of writers, content producers, and marketers. Mike holds a B.A. in Classics from the University of Maryland.