4 Insights on Utilizing Online CME Event Content with Your LMS

The pandemic has greatly impacted the way that today’s live and in-person CME events take place. More than 64% of events were postponed in 2020 alone, while others were canceled altogether or moved online, leaving medical conferences, seminars, and other events in a state of uncertainty. Your question is now: “What do we do next?”

You’ve already been offering your online CME courses using your learning management system (LMS). Why not consider it for your virtual CME events?

When it comes to virtual CME event content, the more quickly and efficiently you can roll out your content using your LMS, the more successful the educational experience will be for your learners.

Online CME content events can provide several benefits. They enable your learners to remain compliant with pandemic-based travel restrictions, and once these are lifted, they can actually reduce the geographical barriers for attending meetings. When it comes to recovering lost revenue from your canceled live events, using your LMS for virtual CME events works to alleviate the stress that can wreak havoc on your budget.

Using your LMS for your online CME event content is the smartest way to still plan your event, even with the pandemic’s challenges. Here, we provide four insights into utilizing your online CME content with your LMS.

1. Using Your LMS for Virtual Medical Meetings

Live meetings have always been popular venues for learners. They provide opportunities to gain the most recent information in one’s field in order to provide and maintain high-quality patient care. Learners can also obtain the necessary CME credits and have the chance to network with colleagues.

However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of the live meeting has been turned upside down. Events have been postponed or canceled altogether, resulting in revenue losses for many organizations. Many of these long-time-in-the-planning events are prime sources of revenue.

Dr. Luc Rubinger and his colleagues from Canada and the UK found that virtual conferences with an online platform can offer more than an alternative to traditional in-person events. They can provide continuing education and collaboration, and virtual meetings can enable healthcare associations and universities to expand their outreach to a wider stage.

It is possible to recreate the live meeting when travel is restricted or not cost-effective. You can transition to virtual meetings when you use your LMS, particularly when you have the ability to bring high-quality live video to your learners. Video conferencing is a powerful tool for producing various events, providing a viable and convenient replacement for in-person meetings.

2. Offering Learner Engagement

CME event audiences want to receive value from an online CME event, including the ability to network with colleagues.

While you’re planning the event content, keep the following in mind regarding your learners’ engagement:

• Will they be inspired by keynote speakers and learning sessions?
• Can they build valuable relationships with their colleagues?
• Will they receive actionable information?

No one wants to stare at a computer screen for an hour or more at a time. Split long sessions into short, digestible ones. Provide opportunities for your audiences to network and interact with each other in forums and discussion groups. Further engage learners using low-cost tools such as PollEverywhere and Kahoot.

3. Using Recorded Live Virtual Meetings

One of the LMS benefits of using recorded live virtual meetings for your online CME is the number of attendees that you can support. Using tools such as Zoom, Webex, GoToWebinar, YouTube, and others, you can utilize your LMS to produce video conferencing for events ranging from webinars, podcasts, small classes, and advisory boards to steering committees, large conferences, annual meetings, and symposia. Recordings can also be produced in advance with live Q&A sessions.

4. Providing Virtual Events That Are Available Anytime

Online CME events demonstrate clear benefits. Virtual in-person meetings and discussions can be viewed at any time of the day, providing more flexibility than face-to-face meeting schedules. Healthcare professionals tend to find traveling time-consuming and expensive due to increasing conference fees and it necessitating time away from their practices. Using your LMS with video conferencing allows an audience to attend events that are available anytime and anywhere, whether via desktop PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Utilize Your Event CME Content with EthosCE

EthosCE provides a viable and convenient replacement for in-person meetings. It enables you to transition and pivot from the past registration process to the new virtual format.

The pandemic has impacted live events that have been planned for many months. For more than a decade, the live event tools built into EthosCE have been used by over eighty-five clients to host thousands of online CME events that range from single- to multi-day meetings and conferences throughout the United States and Canada. EthosCE’s best practices for providing virtual CME have enabled it to be used by some of the largest providers in the nation.

At EthosCE, we understand the challenges of staying up to date and compliant with ACCME changes. We know how critical it is to get things done right the first time when it comes to team-based education and success.

To learn how EthosCE can enhance the continuing education of your healthcare teams, schedule a free 1-on-1 demo with one of our specialists today!