The State of E-Learning in the Medical Device Industry

1. Introduction

With the population increase and the ever-aging population becoming more prevalent on the whole, it seems that the state of growth in the medical industry is at boom levels. With this being said; the innate necessity for e-learning has become crucial to the expansion, and learning strategies bring both understanding and ease in terms of knowledge and the sharing of it, within its vast framework of operation.

The use of applications that service this need is helping to achieve greater expansion, thus becoming the wealth and forefront of the medical industry as it grows ever wider in its ability to guide and share must-know information on a global scale.

The pivotal points include the discussion and implementation of new e-learning solutions, the development of next-generation technologies, the importance of blending approaches and compliance (together), and developing an e-learning strategy that is workable and viable for companies to sustain this growth and lead successfully, pushing further forward, and well into the future.

The essence of maintaining great health means that activity within the field needs to be reoccurring within the realms that support it, and so that this flow and means of learning can take place easily and effectively for the individuals who need it.

The strategies and means offered by progressive companies who offer solutions at a fundamental level can gift a solution to the sales, compliance, and time-to-market in a clinical and a commercial sense. In addition, they may also take viable part within the capacity required within the medical industry as a unit framework entirety.

The use of online solutions that are viable means that costs can be reduced and the results of sharing information effectively can be vastly improved with added quickness and effectiveness. Economically, this impacts the entire industry, by saving time, money, and resources that would usually utilize other means of knowledge sharing as a basis, which are less cost and time effective.

The next generation of e-learning is here. The medical device industry can garner increased strategy implementation with the use of this fundamental technology on the whole, and may look and work well into future representations by utilizing this strategy as a core and vital necessity.

2. New eLearning Solutions

Delivering knowledge effectively and with efficiency is a solution that enables the deliverance of knowledge through purposeful e-sharing. Sales executives, corporate employees, clinical trial employees, and physicians can benefit as the knowledge sharing continues and expands via the use of these state-of-the-art technologies. The time saved and the resources needed are small, enabling the speed and adaptation to become a well-driven, purposeful methodology, and a succinct viable option in terms of the most workable solution offered in the climate as of right now.

Online Access Convenience

The convenience of access via the internet is necessary for these solutions to be maintained. The use of handheld devices, PCs, MP3 players, tablets, and other equipment can be used to access the solutions being given. E-learning enables the incorporation of ease of access at any hour of the day, and this learning type can also be given in bite-sized pieces, complementing the face-to-face or classroom knowledge sharing archetypes that have been seen in the past, and historically.

Many leaders in the industry are following this powerful and beneficial trend which allows technological learning to occur online. The rapid growth of the industry means that the information needs to be shared more quickly to keep up with demand, especially in industries which are technological in their own right. It also enables companies the leverage they seek to hand out vital information within the industry as a whole. This includes any guidelines given from a legal standpoint or within the company’s own realm of jurisdiction that need to be shared collectively, or even publicly.

A great technological solution will always enable its users to:

1. Share videos with the general public.
2. Allow for discretion within private groups and give chat functionality.
3. Engage teams and reduce the need for meetings and missed phone calls.
4. Allow for personal and genuine ways to communicate at any hour of the day.

A professional company who provides a service will give ease of choice in terms of:

1. The minimum quantity of users at any given time.
2. The maximum number of videos allowed to be shared.
3. Access methods available which are safe and effective.
4. The type of support given by the company providing the technology.
5. The type of consultancy needed within their scope of planning.
6. The features they want to include and incorporate within the technology being used.

Current technology will always allow users to streamline information and share capabilities which will funnel and expand its own growth, catering and impacting the industry with a stronghold of progression and technological advantage like we’ve never seen before. Thus, allowing for excellence and innovation to be achieved with the power of an instant e-learning strategy for powerful engagement purposes. The kind that is well-supported and malleable in terms of creative ability and ease within its own creative specifications.

Great technology to aid and support e-learning will always give solutions to: share knowledge, connect workforce, support bite-sized videos, entail analytics, incorporate powerful searches, allow notifications, support creation of content, and ensure global usage as necessities within the scope of the technological functioning itself.

The Solution to Share Knowledge

Allowing learners to be content creators and accelerate learning within their industry and expertise becomes viable. This technology, therefore, exceeds in enabling users to enjoy the facilitation of education to occur anywhere and at any time.

The Solution to Connect Workforce

Technology that is workable, connecting employees who are in the field with the office. Ease of use is practical and digital. No more time needed going back and forth between 3D localities for the purposes of learning or sharing data or messages.

The Solution to Support Bite-Sized Videos

Supporting microlearning with short video clips that are professional and educational is a fundamental part of viable technology solutions. These smaller clips allow for information to be easily incorporated, anticipated, and understood by the receiver.

The Solution to Entail Analytics

Allowing users to make smarter decisions based on video data and keyword usage. Key features combining relevant words and topic choices are available to users as the industry standard within the technology being offered.

The Solution to Incorporate Powerful Searches

The technology will allow users to key in thoughts and conversations to seek out the information as required. This criterion enables data to be found securely and easily, and is time-saving and highly effective in its nature.

The Solution to Allow Notifications

Instant notifications means that people stay connected and time can be used to the advantage of a team. Locality becomes unimpeded and only an internet connection and a device are required for the technology to be viable.

The Solution of Support Creation

The definitive allowance of a creation of video content, which enables public integration and no advertising bombardment to push in. The choice to send and receive the topics deemed necessary by companies and/or individuals within the group. Public sharing can also be utilized when necessary.

The Solution of Ensuring Global Usage

Global usage is achieved, thus enabling the knowledge sharing to occur on any device and within any location around the world. Data sharing becomes instant and is attainable globally or locally, as required, and is delivered independently of the receiver’s whereabouts.

3. Development of Next-Generation Technologies

The current technology is clear, coherent, and cleverly consistent in its nature. This viability means that new companies who decide to take advantage of the revolutionary technologies available now will have the capacity to see increased sales, enhanced growth, and success in training, allowing for ample knowledge sharing. This means that they may become leaders within the field of the medical device industry that they strive to succeed within.

The current trend of internet usage and device utilization has shown the imperative nature of futuristic acceptance in many other professional fields, such as education, as a given example. The act that this technology is available within the medical industry is paving the way for future generations to come and is at the forefront of creating sustainable, time-saving, effective strategies that are conducive to the structured framework within the field’s overall orientation.

E-learning can be defined as follows: The innate delivery of a learning program, education program, or training which occurs via electronic means. It includes the involvement of an electronic device or computer to provide learning material, provide training, or send educational content to another user or party.

The Education Industry Embraces E-Learning

Developmentally, these next-generation technologies are already being used in education subject areas for school students wanting to increase their knowledge of higher education guidelines, including pre-college students and post-graduate students as well. These current applications allow for instant testing for the specifications the students are studying for.

The well-backed education company HLT (Higher Learning Technologies) located in the US are one of the pioneers in creating applications for students to test themselves on examination questions. These tests have been made and are molded, relating to varying fields of perpetuation within each scope of learning.

The founder of HLT (Alec Whitters) states that, in terms of entrepreneurial incorporation, the e-learning strategy is able to “…create the optimal culture for the twenty-first century startup. …” He also gives mention to the functionality and capability of such e-learning applications. Stating, “It’s bringing autonomy, master, and purpose into the  workplace.” HLT was recognised on the podium for these credits in recent years for its applications in e-learning, and for the work it has achieved within the field of education as a whole:

•  Two-time Mobile App of the Year Winner
• New Startup of the Year
• Innovation of the Year

For the medical industry, the terms and demand are as big (if not bigger) when compared to the education funnel model, and this can be seen as a clear indicator with regard to the pharmaceutical industry as a sample methodology framework, and now within the medical device industry as an additional industry funnel.

This is mainly due to the significance of time, which is a huge commodity in terms of the research, developmental processes, and marketing structures within the field. The quickness, efficacy, and the price of any medical device being offered are substantially important in a business sense capacity, just like a drug would be when looking at the pharmaceutical industry.

So, in terms of functionality, the e-learning method becomes incredibly viable and resourceful to aid in these already mentioned categories (research, development, and marketing) within the scope of any particular manufacturing process. This is especially true with regard to the time-to-market that is always affected within any production of a medicine or a device. Sustainability, therefore, is of crucial importance in the ongoing processing of scalability and workability for ongoing success.

Millions of dollars can be saved with regard to less resources being spent in time and education requirements, and that is crucial for business scalability and viability so that the achievement of continued success can be fruitful and expansive.

Viability and Cost-Saving in Distinct Areas

Research may also be done with the added knowledge-sharing functionality. Instant content can be retrieved and sent in an instant, allowing a team of researchers or scientists to be on the same page where the information being shared is required Knowledge.

In this manner, developmental processes can be quick, effective, and the e-learning strategy can also enable employees to stay in their locality, negating the need for face to-face to be used, more often than is required. This saves time and money. Marketing structures will also be given the opportunity to become remarkable. Sales representatives will be able to send and retrieve crucial content within their corporation and also more publicly, to aid their customers, such as physicians or practitioners who need the information more instantly and/or progressively.

4. Blended learning approaches and compliance

The FDA has Clinical Practice Guidelines which outline protocols and principle guidelines within its programming. Thus, allowing the fundamentals of those mandatory guidelines to be shared more easily within groups which can mean a quicker goal being met in terms of application processes, approval, and time-to-market. Pharmaceutical companies and the medical device industry (in general terms) can utilize e-learning solutions to delegate and pass the necessary compliances in a legal, scientific, safety, and regulatory capacity. The FDA Code must and can be adhered to far more easily with these application enablers that allow for instant accessing.

Historical Blending

Earlier versions of e-learning were blended with a more traditional approach to the learning program. These focused more on physical, classroom-based lessons from where much of the data was gathered from. The content was long sequences of text with a corresponding amount of point and click quizzes at the end of each section. Back in 1996, Badrul Hua Khan saw the potential for web-based education. Since then, he has authored numerous books on the subject, with his first in 2001 which was titled, “WebBased Training.”

Blended Learning Saves Time and Money

As stated by the Florida Institute of Technology on the site orrodl.org in 2002, IBM estimated that around forty percent of its early classroom costs for training was spent on travel. Using blended solutions enables companies to cut down on the extended costs, while allowing more time for studying, working, and progressing, rather than traveling. A reduction in lost man hours makes it much more beneficial for companies; as productivity can be increased by nearly half (as the statistics emulate in their percentage). As a result, IBM saved $200 million while still offering five times the levels of training compared to before they had implemented this strategy.

The Mobile Revolution

The age of mobile computing is here, and now all previous figures have been surpassed. eWeek.com said back in the middle of 2017 that: the number of users of mobile devices had passed the 5 billion mark from information which was released by GSMA Intelligence. These figures are said to increase dramatically, so the opportunity for blended learning is only going to become easier with the reach stretching and surpassing far beyond any country borders.

Regulation and Blended Learning with FDA Compliance

The FDA requires all drug manufacturers and medical device manufacturers to train their employees. All this is with regard to fundamental procedures and record keeping practices as standards. The e-learning applications give a technological advantage and can complement and become entwined with the blended learning that will record all activities. These include the ones which have been conducted by every employee, in multiple fields of relation and adaptations within the medical field that they are placed within. They will also need to show the level of understanding each participant is at. FDA investigators periodically check training records to make sure each company has in place an adequate training program that meets their guidelines. Ultimately, this means that e-learning can become part and parcel to this necessity as a viable and effective use of knowledge sharing, and for compliance learning within the fundamental requirement scope which is given.

Creating Effective Training Programs

In some instances, training programs are limited in size and are unable to scale if the company expands or if the extent of the data is limited. This would require an expensive overhaul for content to be updated, manually. When a company tries to train everyone from the same data pool, it can become difficult and the results can mean that no one is being trained efficiently, especially if new creation is disallowed or expensive. The new technology allows for the creation of data, so it is flowed to garner success and change where learning is concerned.

With the use of mobile applications as placement holder tools, this training can be geared to each individual’s needs and content can be updated live, as required. Employees will receive material which is relevant, and the companies will be well on their way to fulfilling the FDA requirements as defined in document 21 CFR 211.25 (CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21). In this way, the company is using its strategy effectively, the employee can receive and share data easily, and the compliance is also incorporated to be advantageous for legal purposes, overall.

5. Developing an e-learning strategy

Organizations within the medical industry need vital support so that their teams can remain connected, up-to-date, educated, and stay leaders within their field of expertise. E-learning provides promise for organizations which need to share knowledge within their scope via instant messaging which includes video content and purposeful instructions, messaging services, and data sharing as placeholders.

Strategy Importance

A strategy for data and professional connection is a powerful addition to any structure with regard to educating, making sales, knowledge sharing, or keeping a team of professionals armed with collaborative ideas and fundamental information. However, a strategy of purposeful means is necessary so that the technology being provided can be utilized in the capability it was built to strive for, and within its scope of efficacy and safety/security as a necessity.

The privacy nature of sharing must be at the forefront of such technologies, and in its ability to cope with multiple users for a distinct and necessary framework. A true e-learning technology will include strategies that make the user feel safe, supported, and in control of their serviceable needs. The importance of being able to contact the company who made the technology is paramount as is the ease of use for the given technology being serviced by that company.

Advanced strategies in business and within the medical industry as a whole has been linked to increases in success. For the most part, the effectiveness of any business relies on its ability to access, share, retrieve, understand, and create information within its scope of expertise.

Applications for E-learning

Why Webanywhere?

Webanywhere is an e-learning company based in the UK. Founded in 2003, they first began to provide complete learning solutions to organizations worldwide, being well renowned for their work and support within the medical industry. Since that time, their operations have expanded to the US, UK, and into Europe as the expansion progression drove the high demand for their services.

They presently employ over 150 employees and have diversified to support over 3 million end-users around the entire globe. Their major clientele includes healthcare providers, businesses, not-for-profit associations, and various other companies, including government bodies within the industry. The addition of fundamental Learning Management Systems (LMS), Virtual Learning Environments (VLE), state-of-the-art online learning platforms, and interactive apps for education and training are just some of the professional services provided by Webanywhere.

Their latest application can be perused here. This application is a fundamental strategy enabling end-users to create, share, retrieve and communicate their e-learning information within a corporate or scientific climate. The application is well-supported by the team who allow users the choice to choose their terms of use within the given technology. The application is cost effective, professional, efficient, and private, enabling e-sharing within a team of professionals and their industry field.

Webanywhere have worked with leading medical device companies including Medtronic and Texas Instruments, and these companies hold great stead within the industry, unlocking the ability for future generations to continue expanding their growth, collaborating information systems, and bringing the future generations into the next part of the twenty-first century and beyond.

To learn more about how Webanywhere can help you or your company take full advantage of learning technologies and e-learning solutions. info@webanywhere.com

US residents call 866-713-0496 UK residents call 01535 604026 or visit our website.

6. Conclusion

The state of the medical industry is exploding with growth. The entire industry is ever expanding to be one of the biggest in the global climate as we know it. The companies within its entirety can now finally have the pivotal technology to enhance, advance, complement, succeed, increase, expand, and aid the e-learning process within their ranks of that said business.

The companies who lead into the future will definitely be using advanced technologies to speed up their time-to-market capacity, exceed current structures, and allow for increased and cost-effective e-learning.

A strategy which is safe, quick, and easy to use in the current framework is now here and ready for supported use. With regard to business leadership, the scope of strategies is at the forefront of success when such technological advantages are maintained in their viability. The medical device industry has never seen such advantageous change that is so inspiring and competent in nature. The future is here.