The knowledge gained from professional institutions may become outdated due to innovations and technological advancement. Training boosts the knowledge of employees by providing them with modern approaches to current challenges. Employees’ training might not last due to poor planning and inadequate content that does not resonate with healthcare needs. Therefore, managers have a responsibility to ensure that continuous training is prioritized to update the existing knowledge and address the identified gaps. An effective training program with a curriculum cycle, including the evaluation process, is necessary to address the dynamic challenges in the healthcare sector.
Notably, the continuous medical education (CME) should keep the healthcare providers informed on how to manage health problems. For instance, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) has established regulations for the provision of accredited CME program in the healthcare sector. Alkhazim, Althubaiti, Al-Ateeg, Alkhwaiter, and AlNasser (2015) explain that King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, the largest referral hospital in the country and accredited by SCFHS, implements CME program as part of its commitment to the provision of quality healthcare services to the people. The technological advancement, innovation in health practices, and processes that lead to earlier diseases detection and management call for an enhanced CME program (Kitto et al., 2015). SCFHS has accredited professional bodies to provide electronic CME to selected healthcare service providers, including referral hospitals, the ministry of health hospitals, and regulatory bodies among others (Alkhazim et al., 2015). The CME program ensures effective capacity building for employees in the medical sector and enhances improved quality and efficiency in the healthcare processes.
Furthermore, the role of training at work helps in enhancing quality and efficiency in the service delivery. For training to last, managers should ensure that they conduct a situational analysis of the work process and identify the operational limitations in employees’ knowledge and the support systems, such as the equipment. Hence, continuous training schedules should be developed to cover the identified areas for effective implementation.
References
Alkhazim, M. A., Althubaiti, A., Al-Ateeg, H., Alkhwaiter, M., & AlNasser, M. M. (2015). Delivering effective continuous medical education in Saudi Arabia: Some critical issues. Health Professions Education, 1(1), 43-49.
Kitto, S., Goldman, J., Etchells, E., Silver, I., Peller, J., Sargeant, J … Bell, M. (2015). Quality improvement, patient safety, and continuing education: A qualitative study of the current boundaries and opportunities for collaboration between these domains. Academic Medicine, 90(2), 240-245.