mLearn

Advances in modern communications and information technology have helped to improve access to, and quality of, health care and education. These enhancements include a variety of World Wide Web-based and mobile learning platforms, such as eLearning, mLearning, and open education resources. This article highlights the innovative approaches that have fostered improved collaboration and coordination of global health efforts in otolaryngology.

BACKGROUND: mLearning is increasingly presented as an attractive novel educational strategy for medical and nursing education. Yet, evidence base for its effectiveness or factors which influence use, success, implementation or adoption are not clear. We aim to synthesise findings from qualitative studies to provide insight into the factors (barriers and facilitators) influencing adoption, implementation and use of mobile devices for learning in medical and nursing education. The review also aims to identify factors or actions which are considered to optimise the experience and satisfaction of educators and learners in using mobile technologies for medical and nursing education and to identify strategies for improving mLearning interventions for medical and nursing education...

Mobile applications (apps) to train health professionals is gaining momentum as the benefits of mobile learning (mLearning) are becoming apparent in complex clinical environments. However, most educational apps are generic, off-the-shelf pieces of software that do not take into consideration the unique needs of nursing students. The proposed study will apply a user-centred design process to create a tailored mobile app for nursing students to learn and apply clinical skills in practice. The app will be piloted and evaluated to understand how nursing students use mobile technology in clinical settings to support their learning and educational needs...

BACKGROUND: Mobile learning (mLearning) uses wireless networks and mobile devices to expand physician trainees' and healthcare providers' access to and exchange of medical information. Opportunities to increase implementation and expand use of mobile devices to support health care information access and delivery in Africa are vast, but the rapid growth of mLearning has caused project implementation to outpace objective measurement of impact. This study makes a contribution to the existing body of literature regarding mLearning implementation in Africa through its focus on the use of smart devices (tablets) in undergraduate medical education and medical students' perceptions of the effects on their learning environment...

BACKGROUND: In-service training of health workers plays a pivotal role in improving service quality. However, it is often expensive and requires providers to leave their posts. We developed and assessed a prototype mLearning system that used interactive voice response (IVR) and text messaging on simple mobile phones to provide in-service training without interrupting health services. IVR allows trainees to respond to audio recordings using their telephone keypad. METHODS: In 2013, the CapacityPlus project tested the mobile delivery of an 8-week refresher training course on management of contraceptive side effects and misconceptions to 20 public-sector nurses and midwives working in Mékhé and Tivaouane districts in the Thiès region of Senegal...

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) has been introduced as a way to provide direction, improve communication, reduce training time and improve work consistency. In healthcare, SOPs may be considered as a means that can fundamentally change the way healthcare is provided, affecting all types of healthcare stakeholders and improving healthcare decisions and patient safety. Nowadays, providing ehealth services is a necessity, even though some healthcare organizations are reluctant to fully use them. An online mobile training facility embedded within ehealth services may increase the likelihood of their adoption by healthcare professionals, who feel that, when needed, they are provided the necessary support for performing each task, as handheld devices and other mobile technologies are showing increased adoption rates...

Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) has been introduced as a solution that can fundamentally change the way healthcare is provided, affecting all types of healthcare stakeholders and improving healthcare decisions, patient outcomes, patient safety and efficiency. However, a relatively small proportion of healthcare organizations have implemented CPOE systems, due to its technological complexity and to its low acceptance rate by healthcare professionals who largely disregard the value of CPOE in efficient healthcare delivery...

With the growth of mobile health in recent years, learning through the use of mobile devices (mobile learning [mLearning]) has gained recognition as a potential method for increasing healthcare providers' access to medical information and resources in resource-limited settings. In partnership with the University of Botswana School of Medicine (SOM), we have been exploring the role of smartphone-based mLearning with resident (physicians in specialty training) education. The SOM, which admitted its first class of medical students and residents in 2009, is committed to providing high-level on-site educational resources for resident physicians, even when practicing in remote locations...

BACKGROUND: We present an innovative approach to healthcare worker (HCW) training using mobile phones as a personal learning environment.Twenty physicians used individual Smartphones (Nokia N95 and iPhone), each equipped with a portable solar charger. Doctors worked in urban and peri-urban HIV/AIDS clinics in Peru, where almost 70% of the nation's HIV patients in need are on treatment. A set of 3D learning scenarios simulating interactive clinical cases was developed and adapted to the Smartphones for a continuing medical education program lasting 3 months...