The healthcare industry is constantly evolving. Many advancements allow better patient care every day. In such a rapidly evolving environment, employees must always be updated with the latest changes and developments. This is why staff training in the healthcare industry is crucial.
Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare organisations had to innovate to maintain high-quality care, even with remote operations. They quickly adapted to the new environment and acquired new skills to provide the best care possible in such a challenging time.
This is also the experience of Zorgbedrijf. This article will examine how digital learning can benefit the healthcare industry by highlighting its importance and advantages. It will then explore the case study of Zorgbedrijf and how the company successfully integrated a digital learning approach with MobieTrain.
Empowering Your Staff with Digital Learning: why is it important?
Ensuring structured training for each employee in the healthcare sector benefits your business in numerous ways. A study from Relias’ showed that 40% of businesses that introduced staff training saw an increase in their staff’s performances.
As the healthcare industry continuously advances, it is safe to say that staff should be equipped with the latest knowledge. However, providing the best care to patients can be challenging when adequate training is lacking.
Research from British Business Bank shows that ensuring proper training for your staff can have a strong impact on your business’ success. When employees lack proper preparation, patient satisfaction can decrease. It can also lead to increased mistakes and higher risks to patient safety. As the healthcare sector is a people-centred industry, staff must be provided with up-to-date knowledge to prepare them for every possible situation, as mistakes can have fatal consequences.
Especially in a sector like healthcare, where the use of temporary employees is common, maintaining high-standard training will improve the patient experience and increase employee satisfaction.
In addition, a good customer experience leads to positive reviews and word of mouth. Repugen‘s study shows that 73% of patients look at reviews before deciding which healthcare provider to choose. Undoubtedly, having a network of satisfied clients can lead to greater success rates in gathering new clients, helping new patients and acquiring new employees.
A common trait among businesses with less than 10% employee turnover is their strong emphasis on training and development. A general misconception is that digital L&D (Learning and Development) is time-consuming and costly.
However, it has become a flexible and affordable activity that could be your business’s secret weapon.
Transforming The Healthcare Sector Through Digital Learning
Let’s explore the main benefits of learning and training in the healthcare sector:
- Patient satisfaction: well-trained staff knowledgeable about available services instil confidence in patients, encouraging them to listen and trust their care. This fosters a positive working environment where patients rely on the employees’ expertise. It leads to improved health outcomes and enhances the overall facility experience.
- Increase efficiency and productivity: when training is easily accessible to employees, staff members become more proficient in handling critical situations. This reduces reliance on colleagues and minimises uncertainty in crucial moments. This advantage benefits not only patients but also empowers employees to increase productivity.
- Reduce risks: when your staff is well-prepared to address various potential outcomes, it mitigates the risk of uncertainty and reduces the likelihood of errors. Conversely, insufficient training increases the possibility of mistakes and exposes your organization to legal risks.
- Higher staff retention: investing in staff training can attract top-notch talent. Providing opportunities for employees to learn and develop improves internal morale and increases the likelihood of attracting and retaining exceptional candidates.
- Higher staff engagement: A confident and competent staff instils a sense of assurance in their roles, leading to increased motivation and active engagement in business decisions. Their ability to positively impact patients and the company enhances their job satisfaction.
According to research by Skills for Care, 87% of businesses integrating L&D into their strategy witnessed a boost in staff commitment. Additionally, highly skilled employees can offer valuable feedback for improvements. - Create brand ambassadors: a well-trained staff enhances your company’s reputation beyond its immediate sphere. They ensure that external individuals are informed about your brand’s full services. Moreover, satisfied employees become effective brand ambassadors, advocating for your facility and driving business growth.
Transitioning From Offline To Digital Training: Elevating Staff Training
Providing comprehensive training to new and current employees leads to knowledgeable staff. This ensures that employees are fully aware of your company’s services and possess the necessary skills to perform effectively. Additionally, it enables seasonal staff to feel integrated into the company by providing regular updates to enhance the effectiveness of their roles.
However, introducing solely offline training can entail several drawbacks. It may demand more time and financial resources from both the organisation and employees to acquire all necessary skills. Additionally, it can disrupt daily tasks and diminish staff effectiveness.
Given the demanding nature of healthcare work, dedicating several hours to traditional training sessions can detract from patient care. Digital learning tools prove more efficient in this situation.
Digital learning tools offer a rapid and convenient approach to learning. They empower healthcare professionals to access information anytime and anywhere, even in remote areas. This enables them to address challenging situations autonomously, without constant supervision. Consequently, individuals become more self-assured in their daily tasks and operations while keeping up with new guidelines. Overall, digital learning offers flexibility that offline learning cannot match.
A study from Access has shown that digital learning requires 60% less of your staff’s time. This is because digital courses can be accessed anywhere and completed at one’s own pace. Such on-demand training enables employees to concentrate on applying acquired knowledge directly to patients. Moreover, it minimises disruptions to patient interactions, as staff can seek real-time support from AI chatbot assistants. Check out what Mobie, our new AI Chatbot, can do.
Another perk of digital learning is that it allows different methods. Whether individuals prefer video content, quizzes, or flashcards. Personalisation lies at the core of digital learning, allowing each individual to tailor their learning experience. Many digital learning tools provide gamification and immersive learning, making training sessions more engaging.
The Case Study of Zorgbedrijf: The Introduction Of Digital Learning
Zorgbedrijf is a prominent healthcare provider offering home services, elderly care, and service centres across Belgium. With 3,700 employees, supplemented by seasonal workers, the company is dedicated to delivering top-notch healthcare services throughout the country.
During the pandemic’s beginning, Zorgbedrijf encountered difficulties in engaging their employees, particularly those working remotely at various elderly service centres. To address this, the company strategically decided to equip each employee with smartphones to facilitate communication. In February 2023, after implementing smartphones within the company, Zorgbedrijf introduced MobieTrain to enhance digital learning alongside in-person training to increase continuous engagement.
“The main reason why we choose Mobietrain is because it is user friendly. Our employees are not always high skilled, so Mobietrain is very easy to use for them. They just have to click and choose a course. It’s also because their courses are based on micro learning and gamification. I believe it is a good match for us and our employees.”
– Kelly Eelen, Advisor Training and Development at Zorgbedrijf
MobieTrain helped Zorgbedrijf re-establish communication with all employees and ensure comprehensive training for each staff member during onboarding or ongoing development.
The company initiated the integration of MobieTrain as a crucial component of the onboarding process. It is followed by several courses throughout the year for all employees. While these courses are mandatory, they motivate employees to strive for continual improvement each day.
“Our staff experiences MobieTrain as a fun and engaging learning method. It not only challenges them as they aim to outperform their colleagues, but the quick and concise nature of the courses also serves as a source of motivation for them.”
– Kelly Eelen, Advisor Training and Development at Zorgbedrijf
With approximately 500 new employees joining annually, Zorgbedrijf conducts bi-weekly onboarding sessions for newcomers.
They provide them with smartphones equipped with access to learning courses. This approach accelerates the training process, ensuring comprehensive knowledge transfer without missing crucial information. Microlearning proves effective for Zorgbedrijf, enabling employees to access training materials anytime and anywhere, facilitating their ability to stay updated on new guidelines and courses.
Want to find out more? Check out how MobieTrain can elevate your business here.
