The Digital Future of Learning & Development in Healthcare
(Source: National Cancer Institute on Unsplash)
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After a challenging year in the healthcare field, health systems and healthcare organizations are beginning to develop their strategies for the future of learning and development in the sector. Although remote and internet-based learning were already taking precedence before the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, L&D programs have only become more digitized because of social distancing and safety requirements.
There is also a growing need to provide individualized and prescriptive learning plans to staff. With the right solutions and strategies, healthcare organizations could potentially provide employees with shorter bursts of more effective and digitized education, thereby reducing interruptions in day-to-day work.
Here are a few ways healthcare organizations can prepare their L&D activities for the challenges of tomorrow.
Health Systems Must Establish L&D Leadership
According to a survey by workforce development solution company HealthStream, there is no dominant structure within many healthcare organizations that is leading learning and development initiatives. Instead, 12.7% of L&D functions are led by HR. Meanwhile, 46.7% are led by a combination of learning and education professionals, HR, and nursing leaders.
Although HR, education professionals, and nursing leadership have an interest in the development of staff, it can be challenging to manage change when there are multiple functions within the organization with stakes in new initiatives. To launch the next phase of learning and development, healthcare organizations could benefit by consolidating leadership of these initiatives within a single function. A central authority for L&D can delegate activities to other participants, make key decisions on technology deployments, and more effectively plan the organization's next steps in L&D.
Associates, Instructors, and Caregivers Must be Trained for Digital Interactions
Because of the digitalization of health systems, many healthcare organizations find themselves in the precarious position of having to train staff for digital roles that don't exist yet. Healthcare providers are increasingly engaging with patients online and through connected devices. After many hospitals and clinics switched to virtual consultations during COVID-19, this is quickly becoming a standard form of interaction between patients and caregivers.
Instructors must be able to prepare staff for new forms of digital interactions as well as interactions conducted in traditional clinical settings. This may require lessons in new virtual healthcare solutions, compliance standards, and patient education roles.
This is also true of consultative and administrative functions. Patients and customers who need to engage with a healthcare organization are now more likely to engage online.
According to Harvard Medical School, "As we strive to achieve meaningful and effective patient engagement, it is also important to recognize that in addition to technology, cultural change is required. To be effective, patient engagement requires physicians and other clinical professionals to take on new roles as educators, coaches, and partners with patients in collaborative care."
Soft Skills Must Continue to be Emphasized in Digital Learning
Even as learning and development become more digitized, healthcare organizations must take care to keep humans in the process. This is especially important in the development of soft skills among staff, which will be integral if there is a shift toward digital interactions with patients.
New professional development systems must also include programs for the development of communication skills, critical thinking, and collaboration, especially over digital media. Although patients and healthcare providers might be physically apart in some instances, developing soft skills can help establish relationships between them bound by trust.
In-Person Training Still Has Its Place
Digital solutions may make learning and career advancement more accessible, but it's rarely a replacement for in-person training. Healthcare organizations must decide what role in-person training plays in their L&D plans, so they can guarantee opportunities for career advancement to every employee.
One way to better incorporate in-person training into the system is to encourage a culture of collaborative learning. Encourage team members to share valuable knowledge as they perform day-to-day tasks. This, combined with valuable content and a digital learning platform that's accessible to staff 24/7, can provide employees with a full range of opportunities to develop their skills.
Find Out What's Next for L&D in Healthcare
After the events of 2020, healthcare systems and supporting organizations must take steps to digitalize and centralize their learning and development programs, so they can meet the needs of tomorrow's patients. Formats like internet-based learning are increasingly popular for educating healthcare professionals, but they must be tempered with traditional strategies that serve the learning styles of everyone in the organization.
To find out what's next for learning and development in the healthcare sector, don't miss the next HR Healthcare virtual event, happening online from May 11th to May 12th, 2021. Reserve your spot at the virtual event today.