Globally simulation-based training has been proven to demonstrate improved life-saving skills within and outside the hospital settings

Deepak Sharma, Co-founder and CEO, MedLern in an interaction with Kalyani Sharma explains about the technology used by his company for providing instructorless programs and highlights that globally simulation-based training has been proven to demonstrate improved life-saving skills within and outside the hospital settings. Learners demonstrate improved confidence and proficiency which eventually leads to an improvement in overall resuscitation quality and thousands of lives every day

Please tell us about the technology used for providing instructorless programs. How many programmes MedLern has launched till now in India?

Instructorless programs use a complete stack of modern technology innovations – these include sophisticated AI algorithms, IOT sensors and real-time analytics to ensure effective learning of not just theoretical knowledge but also proficiency in hands-on skills while performing a medical procedure. During practice and evaluation, the learner receives feedback on her skills that is unbiased and consistent ensuring a much higher quality of performance in real-life situations.

Compared to traditional methods, these programs can be delivered at a much lower time, cost and investment. MedLern has launched Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardio Vascular Life Support, and Pediatric Life Support programs so far which are all American Heart Association Certification programs. In the future we plan to provide a comprehensive range of simulation-based training on an as-a-service model which makes it viable for smaller providers, institutions and even individuals.

What are the future plans of the company in this direction? Any new partnerships in the pipeline?

We have already deep relationships and trusted partnerships with the world’s leading providers of research-based healthcare training. These include the American Heart Association, Laerdal, Royal College of Nursing, Emergency Nursing Association, BMJ and there are many others in pipeline.

We have plans to quip the entire healthcare ecosystem in India with affordable, accessible and scalable instructorless training across the spectrum of skills they need.

Can you throw some light on the improvements that have been observed in the medical facilities after the organisation/ hospital used these services?

Globally simulation-based training has been proven to demonstrate improved life-saving skills within and outside the hospital settings. Learners demonstrate improved confidence and proficiency which eventually leads to an improvement in overall resuscitation quality and thousands of lives every day.

In India Hospitals using the MedLern platform have shown a significant increase in being able to plan and execute the training, learning and development plans leading to an overall increase in productivity, employee engagement and compliance. For hospitals that have been on the platform longer, we are also experiencing improvement in quality and risk indicators including awareness of patient safety.

How do you see the scalability of instructureless online training programmes in India?

India has 6 M healthcare workers and each of them need to be trained regularly on BLS. This is also mandated by NABH as part of the accreditation process. Less than 2 per cent of these are able to receive the AHA certified training programs, primarily due to the lack of qualified instructors in the country, the time cost and logistics of organising these training, and rigorous control required to maintain the high standards in the manual mode of training.

In addition, millions of emergency responders, police personnel, schools, colleges, office workers, and community workers are the earliest to reach the scene of an incident and early CPR can save hundreds of thousands of lives if these personnel are confidently trained to deliver CPR. This is also mandated in several developed countries and is required in India as well.

Do you think healthcare professionals are comfortable using such technology?

We have seen rapid adoption of this technology as it adapts the learning path to the proficiency of the individual learner rather than treat all learners the same. In the skills session too, the feedback to the learner is multi-sensory precise and immediate so the learner can immediately respond with a modified approach and gain confidence in their skills.

The physical and user interface design is perfected to provide a very realistic look and feel of a real-life situation. Learners from all backgrounds demonstrate a higher degree of confidence and proficiency in 2 hours as compared to 2 days.

The ability to schedule one’s learning sessions at one’s convenience and flexibility is a big plus in a hectic, unpredictable environment like a hospital.