It can provide healthcare professionals with an evidence-based approach to patient care
With digital infrastructure continually developing in the healthcare space in the country, there has been an accompanying need to train the healthcare workforce adequately. Digital training of healthcare professionals has become increasingly important in recent years as the world strives towards achieving sustainable development goals.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established in 2015 as a universal call to action to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity. One of the key components of achieving these goals is to ensure access to quality healthcare for all. To ensure this, healthcare professionals must be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to provide high-quality care.
Digital training of healthcare professionals can play a critical role in achieving the SDGs by increasing access to quality healthcare and promoting health equity. Online courses, e-learning platforms, and digital training tools can support healthcare professionals’ access to training and education regardless of their location or work schedule. This is important in rural areas where access to training resources may be limited.
Bridging the urban-rural gap in healthcare
Given the wide gap in healthcare infrastructure and service accessibility that exists between urban locations and the hinterland, digital training of healthcare professionals would help in narrowing the gap. The fact that the smaller towns and the countryside are not only deficient in supporting infrastructure but are also severely understaffed, needs a long-term resolution. Digital training would not only upgrade the skills of the existing under-trained and relatively inexperienced professionals but also add to the talent pool in smaller towns and villages. This in turn would improve the quality of care and patient outcomes in such places thereby fulfilling the principle of universal health coverage embedded in the SDGs.
Improving knowledge and practices on women and child health
Healthcare and related spheres have been one of the cornerstones of the UN-led initiative. Indeed, of the 17 SDGs, SDG 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for people of all age groups. As an extension, there has been an emphasis on achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and access to quality health care leaving no one left behind. Some of the other key health-related objectives that SDG 3 seeks to achieve include the reduction of maternal mortality, ending all preventable deaths under five years of age, fighting communicable diseases, reduction of NCD-led mortality and promoting mental health, among others.
Addressing emergency care gaps with life support training
Shortage of emergency care facilities and skilled personnel results in the loss of golden hour leading to the loss of lives in emergency cases involving accidents, heart attacks, cardiac arrests and strokes etc. Despite the availability of emergency care manpower and services in urban areas, the lack of well-trained personnel affects the quality of administering lifesaving treatment. Digital training can play a significant role in reducing the skill gap. Courses like Basic Life Support (BLS) comprising Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and related programs like Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) can prepare healthcare professionals at all levels.
Improving healthcare quality and accessibility
The lack of standardized healthcare practices hampers the objective of achieving SDGs which can lead to disparities in care and negative health outcomes. Digital training can provide healthcare professionals with a consistent, evidence-based approach to patient care. Digital training of healthcare professionals is an important step towards achieving the SDGs. Increasing access to quality healthcare education can play a critical role in achieving a more sustainable and equitable world. Investing in digital training programs for healthcare professionals can help to ensure that the SDGs are met and we are on track towards achieving our goals.
(The writer is Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, MedLern)
