6 Benefits of using eLearning to supplement your on-site EHR Training

Electronic Health Records, such as those developed by Net Health, require quality training to be able to make a full and beneficial implementation of its intended function, and this can be effectively achieved through a blended learning environment. Blended learning is the combination of traditional instructor-led training along with eLearning, or electronic learning, such as training videos, interactive simulations, and recorded webinars. Each has their own advantages, but a blended solution allows the trainees to take advantage of eLearning’s flexibility and convenience while supplementing the benefits of an instructor-led training experience.

With the complexities and regulations of modern day Electronic Health Records, it's imperative to ensure that your clinical and billing staff be properly trained on your new EHR. Your staff will be challenged enough with learning the new software themselves; eventually, they will have the responsibility of training the rest of the staff, as well as new employees in the future. “Remember, after the initial training, the clinic is left to try to train new employees. Many necessary steps are later missed because lack of time and users passing on their limited knowledge”, says Gene Howell, CEO of Reliant Medical Center at LAX.

Here, we’ve put together 6 benefits of using eLearning to effectively supplement the on-site training you may have received from your EHR vendor.

Convenience:  The ability to reach your employees regardless of where they are is vitally important. Elearning is web based, so training can be done anywhere, and the fact that you are not forced to learn in a fixed location for training goes a long way to reduce the expense and hassle of travelling. More importantly, eLearning can be done on the employee’s schedule, not the clinic’s.

Higher Retention: Instructor-led training is one of the most popular training techniques to present a lot of information to employees. One of the downsides to this method is that it’s typically not interactive or engaging. Elearning offers the ability to create interactive simulations which can help keep your staff engaged during training, thus making them an active learner rather than a passive learner. Since eLearning can include scored quizzes, your staff will stay engaged longer in order to improve their scores, and certifying your staff on their new EHR to further incentivize them is an added bonus. Elearning is known for offering real benefits for the trainee’s development, and performance is typically better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction.

Up-to-Date Content: Training with the use of multimedia tutorials and interactive training offers a practical solution by using the courses developed and maintained by your EHR vendor, all while ensuring that the content is updated as functions in the EHR change. If your staff needs a refresher course on a topic, they will have continued access to the content and resources to brush up.

Pre-Training Super Users: There’s no reason to wait until your EHR vendor’s trainers arrive at your facility to begin the training process. EHR vendors can provide your Super Users with an online welcome package complete with eLearning modules to help them understand the basics of their new EHR. This way, your assigned Super Users are familiar with what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and any new workflows - even before the EHR trainers arrive onsite.

Consistency: Too much of the success of instructor-led training depends on the effectiveness and knowledge of the trainer. With eLearning, you can be assured that your clinical and billing staff will be learning the same content each time. It’s beneficial in reducing errors and will help reduce issues further down the road with reporting, e-prescribing, and e-billing.

Above and Beyond Help: Your new EHR’s help files typically only describe the functionality of the system, and outlines what the system can do. It is used for reference only and intentionally non-specific. Training (including eLearning) describes how to best use the software with respect to your facility’s business process and workflow to best achieve optimal results. It’s impossible to rely solely on the Help function to gain a thorough understanding on how to use your new EHR.

Now that you understand some of the benefits of using a blended learning approach to implementing your new EHR, be sure to explore some of the online resources your EHR vendor has to offer.

This post was originally published for Net Health.