Preparing the next generation of healthcare workers in the digital age

By John Danaher, MD, President, Elsevier Education
 
Sixty may well be the new forty, but that doesn’t change the fact that as we age we face more health challenges. 
Thanks to modern medicine, hips and knees can be readily replaced.  As Americans live longer though, many will have to cope with long-term health issues that dramatically affect quality of life and the need for medical services. 

Take diabetes for example. One in four Americans 65 and older has this debilitating disease; a prevalence expected to increase in the years ahead. The emotional toll and financial cost to patients and their families can be devastating. Ensuring we have a pipeline of clinically competent healthcare professionals to address the needs of those facing long-term care is crucial.
 
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare-related careers account for about half of the country’s fastest-growing occupations.  The reality though is that as a society and educational system, we are not coming close to educating the numbers needed to fill these critical roles. As educators, it will be crucial to have a greater emphasis on integrating technology in education to enhance student retention, improve learning outcomes and to ensure our graduates have the necessary skills to be successful in the workplace.  If we are to meet both the demand for future healthcare providers and ensure successful employment for our graduates, we need to provide students with the tools that will help them develop the required skills.  
At Elsevier Education, we believe the right platform, tools and interactive resources can drive positive outcomes and keep students on track for success. It is therefore critical for higher education institutions to:

• Invest in interactive educational technologies that support instructors, students and college administrators;
• Work to engage digitally savvy students through highly interactive content they can access and review at their own pace;
• Help instructors simultaneously monitor how students are grasping key concepts, allowing early intervention with the adaptive content and corresponding analytics; 
• Increase student engagement and help instructors pinpoint areas of confusion, and
• Familiarize students with the technology they will need to operate and utilize to be successful in the outpatient and inpatient setting.

By 2040, nearly 22 percent of our population will be 65 years or older.   This demographic will need a broad array of healthcare services and interventions. Integrating innovative new technologies in education will help prepare the professionals of the future to successfully manage these medical demands and ensure the wellness and functionality of our aging population.