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Delivering online courses involves more than your subject expertise. Course infrastructure depends on intuitive user experience, security controls, and reliable data management. You might also be an expert in these things, but if not, there’s a solution.
A CME course hosting provider facilitates course creation, giving you the tools to focus solely on your course content while the provider handles the backend. Your learners can get CME credits online with dynamic, convenient learning that facilitates data management for administration.
A CME course hosting provider that balances the needs of you, your learners, and the administration ensures that your learners can earn the professional development certifications they need online. Here’s how to find a system to facilitate your learners’ online CME credits.
Focus on Details
The first piece of making sure your learners get CME credits online lies in the details of your course platform. A structure that removes the typical obstacles to online learning ensures that your learners sign up, complete the credits, and come back the next time.
The right course infrastructure should provide options for uploading multiple media types to keep learners engaged, such as PDFs, videos, and live discussions. In addition, offering course management and customization throughout the term provides vital support.
The course should also ease recordkeeping. Provide done-for-you reports for both learners and the administration. The latter can build certifications and customize credits and their expirations to suit the needs of services. Auto-fill certificate fields like name or date to remove huge hassles.
The structure should reinforce learning by automating follow-ups to reduce learner attrition. Learners won’t forget to complete assignments or accidentally allow certifications to expire. These reminders keep them on target.
Further, one of the biggest frustrations that learners face with anything offered online is poor self-service. Learners must be able to sign up and pay through straightforward e-commerce principles, i.e., without jumping through hoops. Allow them to print certificates and view records any time they need them, and this will remove frustration.
Request a Platform Demo
The biggest roadblock or benefit for learners pursuing online credits is your course platform. After you’ve narrowed down your options, you want to see the course platform in action to know if it will work for you.
- Check compatibility and features: Ask about the learner-centered features you’ll have at your disposal.
- Consider it from the learner perspective: A demo should allow you to explore the course as a learner, providing insight for structure and engagement.
- Consider it from an administration perspective: Administration cannot support online learning that requires a massive investment of time and resources. Instead, find features that facilitate back-office records.
When exploring the demo course from a learner’s perspective, ask yourself what systems are in place to get learners to the course and signed up: How are they encouraged to complete the requirements, and what final steps will ensure that learners have a good experience with completing CME credits online?
Think of the Future
Even though the technology is supposed to facilitate receiving CME credits online, the reality of course delivery is what will ensure success. Planning a course is an exercise in the long view. Ask yourself these questions to be sure your courses will land.
Will you host this course regularly?
There are two types of basic CME. Some courses are designed to introduce new ideas or innovative solutions. Others are ongoing training courses designed to refresh one’s knowledge of existing ideas.
Understanding the types of courses and what combinations are offered will allow you to balance both the need for cutting-edge information and refresher courses that improve patient care.
Do you need customization?
Everyone needs customization (it’s now the standard). The answer to this question is, “What kind?” Healthcare facilities should be able to customize a course to meet the needs of staff and create a positive career growth for learners. Gaining CME credits online could be a significant boost to your employee retention.
Who is your audience now and in the future?
As your practice or facility grows, your CME offerings must scale with you. Consider your audience as you’re putting together the credit options. No matter what course they’re taking, incorporating empathy as a skill within CME will always serve your staff well, now and in the future.
How often do you need to update information in the course?
Little is worse than an outdated course foisted on learners trying to take charge of their career development. Whether your course is mostly evergreen or you’ll need frequent updates, ensure that the infrastructure can keep up.
Enable Online CME and Choose Robust Infrastructure
Online CME is one of the most significant pieces of professional development that organizations can offer. Learners want (and expect) access to continuing education without the barriers of in-person courses or the headaches of traditional online learning.
Choosing a provider is a combination of features, how those features play out in your particular field, and the ability for those features to adapt and/or scale. Once you’ve found a provider that can put control of your course back into your hands, that partnership could be the critical component of a robust online CME system that works.
To learn how EthosCE can enhance the continuing education of your medical professionals, request a free 1-on-1 demo with one of our specialists today!
