3 Hidden Benefits of Using a Learning Management System

Prioritizing and tracking continued learning amidst patient care and required documentation can be a real challenge for administrators. To solve this issue, many healthcare organizations and practices have turned to learning management systems (LMS).

An LMS makes continuing education and required employee training more efficient for everyone involved. Those who are tasked with assigning modules to providers have an easy-to-use management system and providers have an intuitive portal that makes getting CEUs and meeting requirements easy.

Aside from ease of use, an LMS has many other benefits too — some of which you may not be aware of.

Organizational Efficiency

One of the greatest benefits of an LMS is being able to access and view the status of all of the following from a single dashboard:

• Continued education
• Compliance training
• HR onboarding documentation
• Learner certifications and progress
• Customizable forms and offline courses

The reduction of needless emails and the centralized location for the content is one reason an LMS is so appealing.¹

Consistent Care

Besides efficiency, an LMS offers a standardized experience for users, leading to systematized clinical excellence. Clinicians accessing modules through an LMS will have the same user experience, and in many cases are accessing the same content. From a learning perspective, this is great news for making sure that healthcare professionals are “all on the same page” when it comes to introducing new ideas into their workflow.

The integration of regulatory compliance training also means clinicians are all up to speed on current best practice to help their organization mitigate risk and avoid any costly HIPAA audits.

Whether you’re using an LMS for recertification training, continued learning, or updates for regulatory measures, the use of an LMS guarantees that everyone is able to access the content they need.

Adherence to Assignments

The use of an LMS has been shown to enhance course completion.³ Healthcare professionals are more likely to complete their continuing education requirements if they can do so in a way that’s convenient, user-friendly, and ideally — enjoyable!

LMS that have sleek, modern designs, utilize a variety of text-based, image, and video components, and provide actionable and thought-provoking content that providers can actually use increases its value.⁴ Plus, many offer the ability to create triggered notifications so employees are reminded of their work left to do. That, in turn, increases the likelihood that they’ll complete the modules and comply with future requirements.

Flexible and Mobile Access

Because an LMS exists as a constant, healthcare providers are able to access it anytime, and often from more than one location. Those that are web-hosted, or app-based, are accessible at any time on a variety of devices.

From the clinician perspective, the flexibility and mobility mean that learning is at one’s own pace and convenience.² Sessions usually don’t have to be completed in one sitting, either. Progress can be saved and the module picked up at another time — even on a different device.

Integrated Tracking and Reporting

An LMS often comes with tracking and reporting features built right in. There’s no need to try to crunch the numbers yourself because it’s done for you. And that data isn’t static: as healthcare providers or employees move through their CEU modules, regulatory compliance training, or assigned corporate tutorials, their progress can be tracked in real time.

Reports can be run to show who has modules still left to complete, how many modules are only halfway done, and showcase the completion rates of those who are particularly on top of their CEUs or training. This information isn’t just available on the backend, either. Users can keep track of their progress and set up reminders so that even when they get busy, they won’t forget about the modules they have left to complete.

Learning management systems are a great utilization of healthcare technology, and when they’re implemented properly they can be an invaluable resource for healthcare systems and providers alike.