Learning Management Systems (or LMS for short) is a software platform used by corporate businesses and educational institutions to manage, store, monitor and provide people with training and academic-related materials.
Essentially, it is a system that is designed to make the process of e-learning a bit easier and more beneficial for all the parties involved.
Over the last decade, the healthcare industry has embraced the potential of LMS to the point that many health practices, companies, hospitals, and technological providers now use them. This is predominantly to train doctors, nurses, and the people who sell and operate healthcare-related products and services.
There are plenty of very good software programmes available, so it’s worth taking the time to understand them and the value they can bring to your organisation.
If your company has been slow to adopt a healthcare LMS system, and is only just thinking about it, this post is for you.
We’ll provide you with a greater understanding of the potential of the platform and highlight three bad choices to avoid when selecting a suitable one for your needs.
What specifically is a Healthcare LMS?
As mentioned, a Healthcare Learning Management System is a digital application which helps healthcare providers to manage, deliver and measure relevant training programmes.
It is used by a wide range of healthcare providers across the UK, including private and public hospitals, disability care services and aged care facilities.
Its main purpose is to improve the process of professional development for those who work in these industries and streamline the management process involved in rolling out the training programmes.
How can a company use LMS within healthcare?
Within the healthcare industry, a company can use LMS to oversee the entire process of healthcare worker training. At the same time, they can also manage competency assessment and monitor the continuing professional development of staff.
Through the system, administrators can offer healthcare staff several different courses and modules that will enhance their skills and knowledge base in areas such as regulatory standards, obligations for healthcare compliance, and general best practices.
By accessing these modules via the learning management system, new healthcare workers can complete induction courses.
Congruently, established staff can become more rounded professionals, keep abreast of the latest evidence base, and receive any recommended and required training as and when new courses are conceived.
Pros and Cons of Healthcare LMS?
Like most software applications, there are pros and cons to a healthcare LMS. So, it would be good to familiarise yourself with them during your research.
One of the major benefits is that it streamlines the entire training process by giving organisations the power to centralise all learning materials. This, in turn, makes it much easier for healthcare professionals to access and complete all parts of their training.
Another positive is that an LMS can make it much easier to maintain compliance with state and medical healthcare regulations. It can also slash costs due to the fact that online training programmes tend to be cheaper to run than traditional face-to-face workshops.
On the downside, there are still many people who are not technologically savvy, so they might not be comfortable with online learning. Additionally, there can be a high initial outlay for setting up an LMS and some people might find digital training to be more impersonal in comparison to more traditional methods.
Features to Look for in a Healthcare LMS
When evaluating whether a healthcare LMS is suitable for your needs there are several features and functions you should look out for.
They can be characterised as follows:
Mobile Learning
By definition, healthcare professionals have very busy schedules and are always on the go. So, they might not always have time to sit in a face-to-face training session.
For this reason, the mobile learning capabilities of an LMS are critical as it allows them to conveniently access the training materials from any location, whether it be remote or on-site.
Interactive Content and Simulations
Not everyone responds well to a ‘classroom’ type learning environment, which is why any Healthcare LMS platform which supports simulations, videos, quizzes and other interactive content can be incredibly useful.
In addition to being a more effective and engaging way to train staff, it is also an important way to illustrate scenarios and practical skills that healthcare professionals may find themselves involved with.
Ability to Integration
The ability to integrate the LMS system with other elements of your tech stack, such as HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) and EHR (Electronic Health Records) is critical to the success of your training function.
Without it, you won’t be able to synchronise your data or manage your learner information as effectively.
Monitoring and Reporting
An LMS system worth its salt will have good functionality for monitoring and reporting on a wealth of training data.
This should involve understanding aspects such as which specific courses staff members have completed and what progress the learners are making on their training schedules.
In addition, it flags metrics that point to what areas of additional training staff might need.
3 Mistakes to avoid
When adopting and configuring a learning management system there are some common mistakes companies make that you will need to avoid.
Three of the main ones include failing to consider different training needs, not onboarding your staff properly to the new system and not incorporating employee feedback in relation to the new system.
In any workforce, a one-size-fits-all approach to training is never going to benefit everyone, simply because people learn at various paces and in different ways. Subsequently, you are likely to foster a limited development of skills among disengaged employees if you stick to one rigid method.
Likewise, some people don’t like change. So, if they are not properly introduced to the new LMS and advised of its benefits, they might struggle to be able to work it and therefore become frustrated by it.
Lastly, employee feedback is an invaluable resource that you should not ignore, so managers should make a point of setting up channels to garner their insights. Failure to do so can result in missed opportunities for tweaks and enhancements to make the LMS more user-friendly and cause continued frustration among staff.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, a healthcare LMS is a valuable tool that can significantly improve how staff in a hospital or medical facility broaden their knowledge and deliver the services people need.
Although there are plenty of healthcare LMSs available on the market, not all of them are created equally. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to research the best ones for your needs.
When you find it, you’ll also have to ensure you don’t fall into the trap of the three common mistakes. If you do that, your entire organisation stands to benefit exponentially.
FAQs
Here are some answers to frequently answered questions about healthcare LMS in the UK.
What does LMS stand for?
LMS, is an acronym for Learning Management System, which is a type of software application that allows organisations to design, manage, deliver, and report on relevant staff training programmes and courses.
What is a healthcare LMS?
In the field of healthcare, a learning management system is typically used by medical practices, hospitals, health technology companies and medical device companies. Its purpose is to educate healthcare professionals on aspects like best practices, compliance, standards, selling techniques, general guidelines and evolving technology.
What different types of Healthcare LMS are there?
There are several types of healthcare LMSs to choose from in the marketplace, each of which offers different capabilities and features. Some popular ones include Bridge, The Brainier LMS, KloudLearn and SkyPrep.
