Much is said (and written) about compliance training in the financial sector. One reason for that is the sheer disruption – on a global scale (remember the 2009 financial crisis?) – that noncompliance can bring to the world. Well, in many ways, compliance in the healthcare environment is an even greater imperative. The consequences of noncompliance can be catastrophic, and sometimes even fatal!

The need for continuous quality improvement

Aging global demographics means healthcare has one of the fastest-growing price tags associated with it. According to official figures, the US spent an average of $10,586 per capita in 2018 – the highest among any OECD country.

compliance training in healthcare and healthcare spendings

And with that enhanced spending comes improvements in the approach to delivering healthcare services, and greater scrutiny of healthcare professionals to be compliant. Health sciences include a rapidly expanding body of knowledge today, which means even seasoned professionals must continually hone their skills to keep up with new developments so they can be on the right side of the compliance equation. Healthcare watchdogs continually legislate and monitor service delivery standards, Quality Assurance (QA) measures and Performance Improvement (PI) metrics. This means doctors, physicians, surgeons and support staff now require training to deliver to those higher standards.

For instance, Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) has a requirement for collecting additional QA and PI data from front-line healthcare service providers. There’s renewed sensitivity around patient personal information and privacy, which means healthcare staff must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The new processes, methodologies, and requirements need to be incorporated into new training content.

The way professionals performed certain procedures in the past, or the underlying techniques and technologies behind the devices and tools used in healthcare delivery also change frequently. To ensure compliance with newer best practices, these changes need updates to existing training materials, as well as the development of newer content.

While the drive to enforce quality improvement processes is commendable, it can lead to information overload. Some healthcare professionals might even feel overwhelmed with the new and heightened standards, which often results in disengagement during training. Instructional designers must keep all these factors in mind when producing highly engaging instructional content.

When desires clash with requirements

Most healthcare professionals are looking for avenues to broaden their skills. With new and exciting techniques and technologies unveiled daily, every healthcare delivery professional’s desire is to be on the cutting-edge of practicing those new procedures. However, often, those desires can clash with real-world requirements.

Healthcare practice comes with a fair share of legal, professional, civil, criminal and personal liability. The real-world of mandates and legislation therefore often requires doctors, nurses, healthcare device operators, surgeons and support staff to undergo certain courses of ongoing training. Stringent licensing protocols and strict policy and procedure enforcement compel these professionals to attend certain training – even if they don’t desire to do so.

In an environment where personal learning desires clash with practical (mandated) training requirements, it’s challenging to engage and solicit learner participation in training. When the heart is not in it, it’s difficult for trainers to demand full engagement of the learner. Never the less, instructional designers must overcome this challenge in order to achieve their instructional objectives.

Breathing interest into dry subject matter

The online Cambridge dictionary describes “dry” as follows:

“Dry – adjective: Boring…not interesting”

While healthcare professionals might be very interested in what they learn, the long and unfamiliar terms, the intricate details and overly technical subject matter, can quickly lead to disengagement – especially for those newly exposed to the material. Add to that the countless policies, procedures and best practices that each healthcare institution mandates for their staff, and the scores of statutes, rules, and regulations that govern healthcare delivery, and it’s no surprise that some subject matter can morph into the realm of “boring”.

It is in this environment that administrators and HR managers at healthcare institutions frequently call upon Instructional designers to take drier content and breathe more engagement into it. So, how can trainers accomplish this objective? Here are some strategies and best practices that you should consider:

  • Don’t shy away from the technical “stuff”

When faced with less than enthusiastic learners, it’s tempting to take complex healthcare subjects, “water” them down and then deliver it to an audience. Don’t!

Instead, work with cross-functional teams of doctors, nurses, and anesthetists to clearly define and explain the subject matter. Where possible, call out technical concepts and vocabulary early in the content, and do it frequently – to familiarize your audience with them. Illustrate new and complex concepts using diagrams and graphs instead of simple text.

  • Go beyond PowerPoint

While medical technology is making strides, healthcare training techniques have also evolved beyond PowerPoint and Prezi. The use of electronic flashcards and online quizzing tools, such as Quizlet, can very easily be incorporated into a teaching program to make healthcare training more fun and engaging.

Unlike static tools, like PowerPoint, you can use these tools to introduce new terms to healthcare professionals, help them spell and write them correctly, and engage them through timed matching games to foster fun and engagement. Some tools even allow you to create unique written tests to measure the effectiveness of your teaching at every step.

To familiarize new entrants into the field, the Healthcare Compliance Association (HCCA) produces a number of highly engaging but short healthcare compliance DVDs that can easily be incorporated into your curriculum.

  • Leverage simulation tools

It is often very tough to create content to explain a breakthrough medical procedure. It is even more challenging to try to highlight the use of a new tool or device to a room full of physicians and medical techs – using just slides and graphics. Thankfully, Instructional designers can lean on simulated software solutions.

A case in point is The Atritech WATCHMAN® Simulation tool developed by KDG to help diverse audiences understand and appreciate how a complex new left atrial appendage (LAA) device functions. You can better teach such subject matter using real-time simulation in an interactive, immersive environment. Simulation not only brings “boring” to live, but it also fosters engagement, even in the most disengaged of learners.

  • Relate your subject matter to real-life scenarios

A great way to accomplish your instructional objectives is to create content that’s based around real-world scenarios. For instance, BreakAway, Ltd., a developer of scenario and games-based training content for the healthcare industry, uses one of its tools to cast learners in the role of a virtual ER doctor doing a 4-hour shift.

Tools such as Vital Signs Emergency Department can take healthcare learners out of the lecture room and instantaneously transform them into familiar elements where they will ultimately practice what you are training them for. By relating your content to their real-life experiences, through simulated scenarios and gaming, they’ll more eagerly engage with you/your content.