NHS Fife launches its new Heart Disease e-learning course developed by Learning Nexus
Heart disease manifests itself in many different ways. Looking after a patient with heart disease therefore requires a broad knowledge base. Health care professionals often have sound knowledge in one area but not in others. Having easy access to an educational tool would allow knowledge and skills to be enhanced, so further professional development is therefore important. To address this challenge, NHS Fife has developed an e-learning resource with Learning Nexus Ltd.
The e-learning project was initiated by David Kerr, Head of Learning & Development at NHS Fife, and managed by Lynne Garvey, Heart Disease Managed Clinical Network Coordinator, with a dedicated team of subject experts. The network is managed by one of NHS Fife's Consultant Cardiologists, Dr Mark Francis, who has provided leadership and support throughout the process.
Learning Nexus places a particular emphasis on aligning the build to what the end user would want. The modules were built using an NHS Fife house style, and they are user-friendly, interactive and provide regular assessment throughout the learning. The e-learning resource, was launched in mid-January 2013.
Mick Woodall, Design and Production Manager at Learning Nexus, said, "Without the close collaboration between Lynne Garvey,the heart disease specialist team and myself, the successful completion of this project would not have been possible. It has been a pleasure working with them and I hope we can do so again in the future".
The course, which is made up of five modules, enables clinical staff to learn and assess their knowledge about heart disease, from preventative interventions to end-of-life care. The decision to use an e-learning resource rather than deliver the learning through a classroom based approach was based upon the need to provide a self-paced, accessible, flexible and cost-effective solution. The Heart Disease course will cost approximately £4 per clinical staff member, which clearly provides value for money.
David Kerr, Head of Learning & Development at NHS Fife said, "We are delighted to be adding this fundamental course to our library of e-learning content. This cost-effective solution and resource will help us to fulfil an important training need across various job roles within NHS Fife and potentially throughout Scotland".