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In the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, continuous learning is essential for healthcare professionals to stay updated with the latest advancements and provide quality patient care. Continuing Medical Education (CME) plays a crucial role in ensuring lifelong learning and professional development. In this article, we will explore how innovative CME solutions are revolutionizing healthcare education and shaping the future of medical training.
The healthcare industry is experiencing significant growth globally, both in developing and developed regions. However, there is a growing shortage of skilled and well-trained healthcare professionals in many areas. In the competitive healthcare industry, clinical institutions strive to deliver high-quality care while maintaining budget constraints. Having a skilled and motivated staff that stays updated with the latest developments in techniques and technologies provides a significant competitive advantage.
Despite 75% of CEOs recognizing the importance of an educated and adaptable workforce, the lack of experienced staff persists. It is crucial to emphasize that education should not end once professionals enter their careers. With the continuous evolution of healthcare, best practices and technologies can change rapidly within a decade. Therefore, healthcare providers must regularly update their knowledge and skills to keep up with new techniques and technologies. Continuous education is not a luxury but a necessity for healthcare professionals committed to delivering high-quality patient care.
The traditional approach to medical training has several drawbacks. The cost of establishing and maintaining physical training centers is high, and it is challenging to meet the changing demands due to the constantly changing trends in disease treatments, medical technologies, and drugs. The era of pure classical classroom trainings is definitely over. Based on lectures, the traditional approach involves time away and means that not every staff member has access to the same learning content.
Online education solutions have emerged with the goal of managing the learning process and creating engaging environments that enhance learning capabilities. Online learning is personal and is accessed using smartphones, tablets, and laptops at your choice of time and place. Online courseware is designed and built to be engaging and interactive, using quality images, video, audio, and animation to help users comprehend and retain knowledge. Continuous education with e-learning can help keep learners’ interest and motivation up because the learning units can be enhanced with videos or interactive elements. These can be paused and continued later on; or repeated until the participant has fully grasped its essential. Latest evidence also suggests that e-learning is more efficient in most cases because learners gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes faster than through traditional instructor-based methods – translating into improved motivation and performance
Governments in various countries are taking initiatives to offer eLearning courses for healthcare professionals. For example, the US government operates the Healthy People eLearning website, which serves as an online educational resource to help students and health professionals meet the nation’s health goals. In the European Union, programs like Intervention Research on Health Literacy among Ageing Populations (IROHLA) focus on improving health literacy for older individuals. Additionally, ENS4Care aims to enhance e-skills for nurses and social care workers while providing evidence-based clinical guidelines for the implementation of eHealth services. These government-run eLearning programs contribute to the continuous professional development of healthcare professionals and promote the adoption of innovative practices in the industry.
Some of the main benefits of the internet-based CME include improved access, convenience, and flexibility, reduced travel expenses, and time. eLearning overcomes all these issues because doctors and other healthcare professionals can take courses at their own pace. Another advantage of eLearning is that students get a chance to preview courses before paying, which enables them to complete a whole class before submitting payment to receive certification. While these benefits apply to every kind of online education, they are especially relevant for medical professionals seeking continuing education. It has a positive impact on healthcare organizations by helping them be consistent with legal demands and new patient populations through highly educated staff. It reduces training budgets and costs, and makes human resources, recruiting, selection, and onboarding more manageable.
But classroom learning still has the highest share in S. Continuing Medical Education (CME) Market. It is preferred as face-to-face interaction with the students, and the professors are more appealing. However, online and blended learning is replacing traditional classroom training at an incredible pace.
For in-depth understanding on CME and applications please visit: Mastering CME: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements, Design, Marketing, and Future Trends in Healthcare Education
Continuing medical education (CME)
Continuing medical education (CME) solutions are widely accepted by physicians or non-physician professionals who want to keep up with the fast-changing technology and stay updated. In countries like Canada, a minimum of 400 points are a mandate for the physician’s study course, and therefore, a number of CME programs are being adopted to gain points.
There are many types of health care workers who are required to complete a set amount of CME per calendar year. Pharmacists, Clinicians, Doctors, Nurses, Physician Assistants, Patient Care Associates, Public Health Planners. Not only that, medical professionals are looking for courses with support from the Accreditation Council For Continuing Medical Education, or ACCME, to use the accredited CME credits for professional development and continuing education requirements.
Preference Towards Short Time CME Courses
Time is a challenging factor for physicians across the globe. Allocation of more time on other CME programs will further pressure their schedule. Physicians around the world prefer shorter educational activities required to manage their patients. Most young physicians prefer concise (i.e., < 15 minutes) online, text-based activities and interactive clinical decision-making resources.
Physicians are the most critical assets for any healthcare system. Thus, there is a need for a structured process for continuous training, exposure, learning, and improvement to continue applying their skills and knowledge correctly. Vendors can use this as an opportunity to thrive in the healthcare education market
CME trends
One of the key advancements in CME is the shift towards personalized learning. Traditional one-size-fits-all approaches are being replaced with tailored educational experiences. Innovative CME platforms leverage data-driven insights to understand individual learning needs and preferences. By offering personalized content, adaptive learning algorithms, and tailored assessments, healthcare professionals can enhance their knowledge in specific areas, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Technology has significantly transformed healthcare education, and CME is no exception. Cutting-edge technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and simulation-based learning are being integrated into CME programs. These immersive technologies provide realistic training environments, enabling healthcare professionals to practice complex procedures, decision-making, and patient interactions in a safe and controlled setting. Technology-enabled learning enhances engagement, knowledge retention, and skills development.
Innovative CME solutions incorporate gamification elements to make the learning experience more interactive and engaging. Gamification techniques, such as leaderboards, badges, and challenges, motivate healthcare professionals to actively participate in their learning journey. Interactive modules, case studies, and virtual patient simulations simulate real-life scenarios, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By transforming education into an enjoyable experience, gamification enhances knowledge acquisition and promotes continuous engagement.
Mobile technology has revolutionized the way we access information, and CME is becoming increasingly mobile-friendly. Mobile learning apps and platforms provide healthcare professionals with convenient access to educational content anytime, anywhere. These apps offer bite-sized modules, allowing professionals to learn on-the-go, during breaks, or while commuting. Mobile learning also facilitates collaboration, enabling professionals to connect with peers, share insights, and engage in discussions, fostering a community of learning.
Data analytics is transforming the evaluation and impact assessment of CME programs. Advanced analytics tools provide detailed metrics on learner performance, participation rates, and knowledge gaps. By analyzing this data, educators can gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of their programs, identify areas for improvement, and tailor future content to meet learner needs. Data-driven insights help optimize educational strategies, ensuring CME programs remain relevant and impactful.
Next-Generation Simulation Technology For CME
Changes in medical practice that limit class hours and patient availability, increased diagnostic, management possibilities, and technological advances have contributed to the increasing use of simulation techniques in medical education.
The field of healthcare simulation has greatly benefited from advancing technologies, especially regarding the use of extended reality (XR). This term includes all immersive technologies that “extend” the traditional learning experience through immersive interactions. Together, mixed reality (MR) simulation, virtual reality (VR) simulation, and augmented reality (AR) simulation have presented new innovative ways for learners and professionals to be immersed in training scenarios and thereby increase their knowledge and skills.
Ultimately, XR learning is made possible through a number of mediums, including applications, headsets, online scenarios, and more. MR, VR, and AR, XR devices (including the Valve Index, HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Rift S, and Oculus Quest 2), can all be used to employ a variety of software and training techniques to provide lifelike training environments for learners to supplement physical simulation education in healthcare.
Simulation technology as an educational tool is revolutionizing medical education, including the acquisition and maintenance of skills and knowledge, integrating technology into a comprehensive clinical curriculum that includes certification and recertification, and adopting proficiency and awareness, practical and competent improvement, and measurement of results. Thus, it will drive demand in the Continuing Medical Education Market in the US in the forecast period
Market Growth
Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the healthcare education solutions market which was USD 8276.1 million in 2021, would rocket up to USD 14870.44 million by 2029, and is expected to undergo a CAGR of 7.60% during the forecast period 2022 to 2029. One of the main drivers of the Healthcare Education Solutions Market is the need to address challenges in the healthcare industry through effective medical training.
Growth in this market is primarily driven by the technological advancements in the healthcare industry, rapid growth in the online education and e-learning sector, and the presence of stringent regulatory mandates related to CME programs. However, lack of face to face interaction and unreliable infrastructure cause barrier to the market growth. Increased competitiveness and an increased number of healthcare professionals in various counties force physicians to pursue CME programs to stay competitive. This factor is driving demand in CME Market in the US
COVID-19 has positively impacted the CME programs; there is increased demand for the CME programs for the latest technology and infectious diseases provided online. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the globe have enforced social distancing and lockdown measures, which disrupted the normal lifestyle of people. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the course of education, forcing educational institutes to conduct classes online. Working professionals also had to abruptly shift to working from home. A number of events, workshops, and conferences were postponed or canceled. As a result, the adoption of electronic education (E-education) platforms such as digital conferences, webinars, medical blogs, and social media increased. According to studies, online learning services providers are expected to experience a surge in the number of new enrolments, and this trend is expected to continue till the end of 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in remote patient contact consulting or telemedicine, which is a new normal for physicians and is now studied by most students online. According to data from software analytics company Pendo, the usage of telemedicine increased by 63% in the third week of March 2020. Students on hospital rotations completed virtual clerkships and clinical skill assessments and participated in newly created online electives.
E-learning delivery method
The E-learning delivery method will witness an absolute growth of more than 70% in the forecast period. Increased internet coverage and the evolution of gadgets have helped the education system adapt to new media to attract students.
Some of the main benefits of the internet-based CME include improved access, convenience, and flexibility, reduced travel expenses, and time. But classroom learning still has the highest share in S. Continuing Medical Education (CME) Market. It is preferred as face-to-face interaction with the students, and the professors are more appealing.
Many group activities help discuss and solve cases, thus providing better brainstorming and knowledge transfer sessions
The need to address issues in the healthcare business through effective medical training is one of the primary factors driving growth in the healthcare education solutions market. With the evolving technology in the global healthcare business, physicians must be well-versed in new patient-care approaches in order to make better decisions, even in critical situations, and to assure patient and staff satisfaction. Because medical practitioners’ abilities have such a direct impact on patients’ health, adequate medical education and training is critical. As a result, healthcare education solutions are needed to help HCPs improve their competency, solve healthcare gaps in specific segments of the global healthcare industry, and translate innovations into practice in order to improve overall patient care quality.
However, the high costs of generating e-learning content will be a major barrier to the healthcare education solutions market.
Restrains: Unreliable infrastructure in most developing countries
Several developing countries do not have reliable internet connection and electricity supply. To be able to complete the courses online, there is a need to have a reliable internet connection to surf the content online or to download the content. Individuals also need to have reliable electrical connections to operate electronic devices. Some of the developing countries in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa do not have reliable infrastructure, which limits the ability of the students to access online education. Though unreliable internet and electricity connection represents significant restraints for online education providers, increasing initiatives by governments in these countries to enhance digital infrastructure is expected to help online education providers to provide more services to students in the coming years. Moreover, eLearning has hampered medical courses as it provides only theoretical knowledge and lacks practical or real-life understanding. All these factors are expected to restrain the growth of the healthcare education market
Opportunities: Increasing adoption of adaptive learning
Adaptive learning is an educational system that modifies the content based on the performance of the user. The adaptive learning system makes use of AI to modify the content. AI helps online education providers to provide more personalized courses to their customers. Users opting for online courses have different backgrounds, different levels of proficiency in the subject, and different levels of aptitude. To match the pace of the course with each participant is difficult in the traditional system; however, with the help of adaptive learning, online course providers can provide content that is more appropriate to students. Adaptive learning represents a significant opportunity for digital education providers in the coming years
The global healthcare education market has been categorized on the basis of four major regional segments, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. In 2019, the Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest market share of 39.7%. However, the North American market is projected to register the highest CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period, primarily due to the initiatives taken by industry players and regional governments towards increasing the number of medical schools and the advancing healthcare sector.
North America will account for 32% of the market’s growth. In North America, the United States and Canada are the most important markets for healthcare education solutions. The market in this region will grow at a slower rate than the markets in Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific.
Industry
The vendors in the CME market are start-up educational companies, branded medical schools, NGOs, physician associations, Insurance companies. In addition to this, the military institutions also provide CME programs to physicians
Some of the prominent players operating in the healthcare education market are SAP (Germany), Adobe (US), Infor (US), Oracle (US), HealthStream (US), HealthcareSource (US), Elsevier (Netherlands), Articulate (US), PeopleFluent (US), ADP (US), GE Healthcare (US), Trivantis Corporation (US), Cerner (US), Koninklijke Phillips (Netherlands), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), Coursera (US), and IBM (US).
3M Corp, B. Braun SE, Becton Dickinson and Co., Boston Scientific Corp., Bruker Corp., Canon Inc., Cardinal Health Inc., Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, FUJIFILM Holdings Corp., General Electric Co., Johnson and Johnson,
Koninklijke Philips NV, Medtronic Plc, Olympus Corp., PerkinElmer Inc., Sectra AB, Siemens AG, Smith and Nephew plc, Stryker Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc.
CME courses are provided by AcademicCME, AffinityCE, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, AMA Ed Hub, American College of Cardiology, American Medical Seminars, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), Antidote Education Company, Ao North America, Aspirus, AXIS Medical Education, allad Health, Baptist Health South Florida, Baylor College of Medicine, BorderRAC, Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), Brody School of Medicine East Carolina University, Bryan Health, Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences, The Center for Forensic Psychiatry, The Carlat CME Institute, Cine-Med, CME Outfitters
CME Procedures, Continuing Education Company, COPIC Insurance Company, Curi Current Reviews, EB Medicine, Essential CME, EXCEL CME, Florida Psychiatric Society, Forefront Collaborative, Great Valley Publishing Company, Georgia Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, Greeley Company,Haymarket Medical Education, HonorHealth, Indiana University School of Medicine, Kenes Group, Lowell General Hospital MagMutual, The MEDICAL MUTUAL Liability Insurance Society Of Maryland, Medicus, Med Learning Group Med-IQ, MedScape, MLMIC Insurance Company, NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company, Oakstone CME
Opus Medicus, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, PESI Healthcare Relias, Research to Practice, Rockpointe Corporation, Stanford Medicine, Salus Global, The Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Tower Health, UpToDate, University of North Dakota, University of California, Irvine, World Class CME
Recent Developments
- In 2020, eLearning Brothers acquired Trivantis Corporation to enhance its market presence and create a unique learning ecosystem with all the solutions offered.
- In 2020, Koch Industries acquired Infor for USD 13 billion. Infor will operate as a standalone subsidiary of Koch Industries and will continue to work through the company’s New York headquarters.
- In 2018, Adobe Captivate Prime was launched in the African market by Adobe’s partner distributor, Dax Data.
- In 2018, Fortis Hospital (Bengaluru), in collaboration with Philips India, launched an echocardiography training center focused on helping doctors learn more about echocardiography.
- Mednax Creqs has launched a new cloud-based continuing education platform. This unique and improved online portal is designed to help physicians, advanced practice providers, and other medical professionals across the US to earn AMA PRA Category 1 credits and nursing contact hours
Conclusion:
Innovative CME solutions are revolutionizing healthcare education by embracing personalized learning, leveraging technology, incorporating gamification, embracing mobile learning, and harnessing data-driven insights. These advancements are shaping the future of medical training, enhancing knowledge acquisition, and improving patient outcomes. As healthcare professionals continue to embrace these innovative solutions, they empower themselves with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide exceptional care in an ever-changing healthcare landscape. By revolutionizing healthcare education through innovative CME solutions, we are taking a significant step towards a brighter and more proficient healthcare future.
References and Resources also include:
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/healthcare-education-solution-market-257938351.html
