A Novel Approach to Improving Wound Outcomes through an Evidence-Based Learning Management System

Declining budgets and healthcare dollars have had an impact on the education of bedside clinicians. Fewer dollars have resulted in fewer educators and less time in the classroom for the recipients.  This limited access to wound care education programs for the bedside clinician has had a direct impact on patient care and ultimately clinical outcomes. Healthcare institutions are increasingly turning toward technology to facilitate ongoing educational challenges. Traditionally, hospitals and organizations have provided educational opportunities during new hire orientation programs, skills fairs, conferences and Grand Round lectures to name a few. Designing and implementing an evidence-based, interactive, wound care clinical education library allows facilities a wide-range of educational opportunities that would not be available with traditional methodologies.  Access to electronic education can be maximized via a novel use of a Learning Management System (LMS). A learning management system serves as a warehouse for content as well as a system to track utilization and document comprehension of content.   The direct result of this type of education may positively impact the patient, clinician and facility in a number of ways.
This study evaluates the impact and improvement in knowledge and wound outcomes from providing distance learning opportunities regarding wound care, specifically designed for the bedside clinician. Evaluation and comparison of pre-test knowledge, post-test knowledge and facility wound outcome measures will be evaluated. Clinicians will complete the programs either during work hours or in their free time in the comfort of their own homes.
Critical evaluation of the benefits of providing an evidenced-based, clinically-relevant, interactive, clinical education LMS with a focus on wound care via a web-based program will be presented.