By: John Glover (MBA)
The healthcare system is not as stable as you might think it is. It’s the place people go to when they are the most vulnerable, but unfortunately the highest level of care is not always provided. A lot of it comes down to a lack of continuous education for clinicians across the board. Oftentimes healthcare employees are bogged down with a heavy to-do list and cannot prioritize growth and education because there is just not enough time in their days. Healthcare organizations as a whole also do not implement education and learning resources because of the extra costs. Perhaps the healthcare system can realign its values to put education as a pillar, so that patients can be taken care of to the highest degree.
This realignment is especially important in today’s climate. You might have seen this in the news, but this lack of education has taken the life of a loved one. An Alabama family is now without a father and a husband, after sources say his doctor allegedly removed the wrong organ during a surgical procedure. That family is currently taking legal action against the doctor, who has previously been reported to have made a similar mistake in 2023. This is a type of mistake that could have been avoided with the proper education and training. Because growth is not always a priority of the healthcare system, a family is now mourning someone they love. Education helps build trust, and unfortunately this bridge has been broken.
“This is a story that heavily relates to the importance of tracking more than just bare minimum compliance with credentialing and CME – we need to be measuring demonstrated competencies and alerting managers when a clinician has a decline in patient outcomes for early prevention and additional personalized training,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
The healthcare system is crumbling because education is not a priority. Instead of enforcing frontline workers to spend their shifts doing paperwork or other managerial tasks, they should be using their time to get up-to-date training. Whether it’s providing employees with materials they can read and study, offering more hands-on training and programming, or even investing in new technology to help them learn, there needs to be changes. Staying stagnant and hiding behind these real-life cases is only causing a bigger break in the foundation of the healthcare system.
Education does not stop with a degree. This misconception is one of the reasons this crack happened in the first place. It’s true that doctors and clinicians spend years learning and working towards their degree, but things advance and that means training needs to adapt. It’s not possible for employees to learn everything they need to know inside the classroom. That’s why enforcing monthly or even annual training is necessary, so that doctors are ready to take on whatever gets thrown their way.
“Just because they finish medical school doesn’t mean they have the competencies to be a great doctor. It just means they have the foundation to become a great doctor – but experience and lifelong training is how they become great. Our healthcare system today stops at the education certificate when we need to be measuring all the way to demonstrated skills competencies, not just the compliance check box,” Worthy says.
The return on investment when it comes to education and training is greater than you might think. Healthcare organizations might have to find extra funding or switch budgets around, but not only will it help their doctors avoid a lawsuit but it will ensure that patients are getting the type of care they deserve. Not investing in education is a mistake that will only cause the healthcare system to crumble even more.
The time to take action is now. The longer the healthcare system puts off making these changes, the more people are at risk. Doctors can reach their full potential if they have the resources and training to get them there. A degree is a stepping stone to saving lives, but it’s not the end all, be all. Education is the only way to protect patients and the healthcare system as a whole.
Published by: Martin De Juan
