< Back to Case Studies

Below are some of our training strategies.

Pros and cons of training modalities other than classroom training

  • Web Based Training (Tutorials)

    Pros: This is a useful way for the students to familiarize themselves with the software. By being lead through the software and told how to click, they can perform key operations in a controlled environment. Web-based training is a great exposition of the software, but it won’t prepare the students for all of the possibilities that they will encounter when actually using the software.
    Cons: Web-based training does not let students try to use the software as they would in the “real” world. They are lead from screen to screen by rote, and fed continual messages about each detail on each screen. Web-based training doesn’t allow the student to try different actions on the software and participate in the world of the software. They will not receive error messages or land on wrong screens and then have to navigate their way back to where they should be.
  • One-on-One classes

    Pros: One-on-One classes are intensively personal, and can address every concern of the end-user. It also allows the instructor to identify more nuances of the student’s needs and modify the instruction to this.
    Cons: One-on-One training is very time consuming and can become quite un-economical. Also, some students actually do better in the classroom where they can learn from other people’s questions.
  • On the job training

    Pros: the students are “learning by doing”. This approach works well with some adult students, especially those open to new experiences and with an easy-going attitude.
    Cons: Not everyone or every job can accommodate the large number of errors that must be made in the real environment to actually learn software in this way. Many students prefer to have a grasp of the basics from a more didactic approach before they attempt using a new product.
  • Demonstration

    Pros: Students can join the demonstration or leave as they need. Students can listen in and hear other people’s questions without exposing their own level understanding. This flexible form of instruction allows for more accommodation of the students schedules.
    Cons: Demonstrations are demonstrations. They are to show the capabilities of a product, but not necessarily teach someone how to use the product. Demonstrations to larger groups cannot accommodate a lot of questions from the audience.
  • Drop-in classes

    Pros: Students can drop by the class and ask specific questions or play around on the computers to re-acquaint themselves with areas of the software. Some students prefer to learn new software by playing around on the computer themselves, and then asking an instructor a few key questions, rather than taking a more didactic approach. Drop-in classes are especially useful during software activations.
    Cons: Students often mistake drop-in classes for One-on-one classes. A drop-in class functions more like a study session with instructor led discussion optional, depending on the needs of who "Drops in".

Strategies for training groups with differing needs and abilities

In adult education one size does not fit all.

CCT offers a number of options to accommodate the various needs of any large EMR implementation. Most importantly, we work with the hospital management and various departments to ensure that the material and form of presentation are best suited to each training group. This is how we work with the hospital to ensure that classroom training is tailored to the individual needs of various departments. In several instances, CCT has provided hospitals with a curriculum developer to help in this area. We also provide:

  • Other forms of adult education (see section 1 above)
  • Incentives (see section 6 below)

Computer based automated training tools for self-paced learning

CCT works with several partnership consultancies that can design computer based automated training tools for self paced learning. In the past, we have used web-based tutorials that could be used for self-paced learning (generally provided by the software vendor) and Mousercise programs available over the internet.

Business Process Redesign (BPR) Integration

Business Process Redesign (BPR) is fundamental to software implementations. It is often said that implementing an Electronic Medical Record System (EMR) is fundamentally an exercise in change management. CCT Solutions works with the hospital and the entire implementation team to help.

BPR should be addressed during the training-of-the-trainer sessions before the CCT instructors begin training the hospital staff. What we have found useful, is for the hospital to provide a flowchart of the hospital staff’s activities, with the areas that change because of the software implementation highlighted (see Flowchart for an example). This way the trainers are aware of the main changes that the staff will be facing. The hospital should also provide the instructors on answers to the most common questions that they foresee.

It is important for the hospital to consider exactly which areas of BPR they want addressed in the classroom, and which areas they want addressed outside of the classroom and through the hospital department managers.

This way, the CCT instructors are clear about which BPR answers they are expected to answer in the classroom, and what the proper answer is. The instructors are also clear about which types of BPR answers they should not answer in the classroom and who the student should be referred to. When faced with a BPR question that the instructor is unsure about, The CCT instructor checks back with their Team Lead/hospital liaison to ensure that the student is referred to the proper authority.

Proficiency

We measure proficiency by giving the students a proficiency examination at the end of their class. They must pass this proficiency examination to claim credit for the class. They then use the certificate generated by passing a proficiency examination score to claim credit with their hospital supervisor. The proficiency examinations can be made in conjunction with hospital management, the software vendor and any participating implementation consultancies.

Incentivization

CME and credits are always an incentive to participate in training sessions. We have several other recommendations:

  • Lunch and Tea Time Sessions
  • Remote Training sessions. We have provided traveling training sessions to various locations to accommodate the busiest voluntary physicians.

CCT have a number of training strategies to suit your IT training needs.