Top 5 Uses of an LMS in Medical Education


top ideas_lms in medical educationIt’s not fair to be born in the 70s! I am appalled at the vivid images beeping into life on my computer screen. How did they make Foramen Magnum and its viscera look so simple? How is it possible to show detailed striations of the Nasalis and the venous drainage through the Maxilla. I am disgusted! eLearning has made medical study seem so simple. How? One simple answer: no more imagination.

The colors in the text fleshed with a layer of description, was all I had, to understand the location and anatomy of the Larynx (voice box).  Now I want to scream myself hoarse! Where were these brilliant renderings when I was twenty? At thirty-six, I now understand Neurology way better than I did when I barely passed my viva! I cannot begin to explain the epic journey of an internal camera through the human body! When students struggled to imagine and believe abstract concepts in the typical “sink or swim style” classes, the same counterparts of today complain of tongue twister medical jargon! How ungrateful! You can almost feel the myocardium rhythms on the screen. Talk about a movie “coming to life”!

Every time I look at a new infomercial on a product or a surgical procedure, I fall in love with my field again!

I hate to admit, but, kudos to the e-learning technologies and the use of learning management systems in the field of medical education. In my years of experience in the medical industry, I have seen learning management systems grow from standalone courses to internetworking tools between doctors and scientists. Now even between patients and health care providers. How has the use of a learning management system improved the lives of service providers and consumers alike?

Seriously, where were you before?

Top 5 Uses Οf A Healthcare Learning Management System

1. 3D images of internal organs

Before the alimentary canal (digestive system) becomes the reason for your uneasiness, think of the interns. From movies like ER to the classroom of medical freshmen, these images have made it possible for us to visualize internal systems in action. Avid medical students can now use SaaS tools to create their own diagrams and images. Practices like these provide for deeper and richer understanding of the morphology of a system. A gazillion thanks to software developers for re-creating life-like images of an alcoholic liver. Pathology at its best!

Champagne anyone?

2. Cultural Sensitivity Courses

Language and culture sensitive learning has been one of the first priorities fulfilled by a learning management system. Watch the video above. Notice the demand for translations and cultural trainings by nurses and health practitioners. This is especially useful for Public Health Administrators and several other medical professionals who serve a multi-ethnic group. A good example here is about a male doctor travelling to the Middle East to work at a local hospital. Cultural sensitivity courses (plugged in an LMS) can offer lessons protocols for treating the conservative culture with veiled ladies.

3. Blogging and Internetworking with Experts (Online Medical Journals)

The online medical fraternity has grown exponentially with social media. The availability of e-learning resources has made content development for courses even easier. Medical professionals strive to keep up to pace with latest licensing and professional development certificates. Exam Master provides a plethora of exam questions that create better exam takers.  Journals and periodicals like “Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC’s) MedEdPortal, a repository for curriculum and assessment materials organized around core competencies in medical education and populated with up-to-date, peer-reviewed teaching and assessment materials.” (The Impact of E-Learning in Medical Education Ruiz, Jorge G. MD; Mintzer, Michael J. MD; Leipzig, Rosanne M. MD, PhD). Research also indicate a positive response to e-learning in terms of achievement and motivation.

medical education supporting elearning

Source: The Impact of E-Learning in Medical Education:

 4. Pharmaceutical Product Education

The latest OTC (over-the-counter) drug on treating heart burn would not make it to the market mainstream, were it not for an illustrative video. Advertisers now understand the power of visuals in medical products. Visuals that orchestrate an ailing person receiving a miracle drug that works methodically in the body and heals completely, convince viewers that the drug is the right choice. Apart from improving sales, short infomercials inform on the use and abuse, fatal dose and drug interaction. This information is printed on pamphlets that come with the drug, but seldom read. There is an appealing element about an e-learning environment, sending pleasure signals akin to entertainment that motivates viewers to stay well-informed. 

5. Preventive Care Courses

Prevention is the best cure. We hear that all the time. eLearning campuses are sprouting in almost every hospital and clinic that have continuing credit based courses for all medical professional (including biohazard disposers!). For example, palliative care programs in health care centers, is a relatively new patient care discipline. It offers tips to care for dying relatives and how to co-op after their death. Pregnancy is another popular condition closely studied by expectant parents. Smokers and alcoholics can also expect to get intimate support through courses and a close support system of learners. Sharing experiences in an LMS on diet and diabetes is also common. Patients suffering from obesity and cardiovascular diseases can receive daily inspiration to stay on their prescribed program towards weight loss. Patient-learners manipulate with online calculators to determine their weight and body mass index changes.Geriatrics and Gerontology  is a fast growing field on caring for the aging society. Notice the ease at which courses are available for empowerment.  Websites on these topics host a variety of research and best practices for staying fit and longevity in the golden age.

Conclusion

More websites are trying to prove their worth and credibility by hosting renowned celebrity doctors and scientists as bloggers and communities of practice builders. Such systems complete their message with an LMS integration. Here they share and sell their expertise in the form of appealing layman conscious courses. LMS in the medical education offers an authenticating plug. It is like a buffer that connects the learner with the learning materials and the mentor. With video, audio, images and simulation tools available in most LMS, learners are parching to know more about their bodies and ways to keep themselves healthy.

With eLearning, the doctors seem just a few key strokes away.

Did I just post my latest blog on e-learning tools for holistic health care?

Seriously, where were you before?

 


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