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From the December 2001 Issue |
E-learning and the Enterprise The Eckerd Corporation brings continuing education to pharmacists nationwide with online learning.
Smart organizations—be they healthcare, retail, manufacturing or service—use the Internet to tackle business problems that otherwise might take years and cost millions to solve. Eckerd Corporation, a subsidiary of JC Penney Company and one of the nation’s largest retail drug store chains, is an example. Eckerd has combined the use of the application service provider (ASP) model with an impressive e-learning platform to enable its pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to fulfill continuing education requirements and thus maintain their state licenses and certifications. In February 2000, Eckerd teamed with Pittsburgh-based CECity.com Inc. for access to an ASP model e-learning platform, CE management services and libraries of content for online continuing education for Eckerd pharmacists. Based on the success of the pharmacists’ program, Eckerd extended e-learning access to its pharmacy technicians in September 2001. The rationale for Internet-based e-learning to deliver continuing medical education (CME), continuing education (CE) and required compliance training is obvious. And the demand is growing as more states mandate CME and CE as a requirement for professional licensure, relicensure and certification. E-learning is convenient for healthcare professionals since they can access course content at any time and from almost anywhere. Immediate feedback provided online streamlines the learning process, and the ability to get course completion certificates in real time reduces the pressure of licensure deadlines. Most important, e-learning can eliminate travel costs to conferences and decrease the time that employers and employees spend away from their jobs. Online CE Solution
A key factor in this shift was Eckerd’s vision of a curriculum for its associates that would be professionally rewarding, provide insight into an array of disease states and emerging therapies, and address state licensure requirements. Through an enterprise initiative, educational programming could be designed to support Eckerd patient care initiatives and national disease state awareness programs, and thereby drive corporate-wide knowledge sharing. The company also wanted to demonstrate commitment to the pharmacy profession and to its pharmacy associates. A state-of-the-art CE program would be a value-added tool for retention and recruitment of new pharmacists. Eckerd considered use of traditional CE formats, such as journal- or monograph-based educational activities and traditional distribution models, but felt these wouldn’t support a corporate-wide initiative. Eckerd wanted to give its associates the tools necessary to track and manage their continuing education through a single, central source. CECity established an Eckerd-branded portal based on its proprietary learning management system. It enables pharmacists to access their personal CE accounts either from home via the public Internet or from work via Eckerd’s corporate intranet. The Eckerd MyCECity Portal also provides access to healthcare news services and professional resource materials. Together CECity and Eckerd rolled out the program to Eckerd pharmacists in less than 45 days. They prepared brochures to explain to pharmacists how to access and use the portal, and customized the brochures with each pharmacist’s user account information. Eckerd pharmacists enroll online, confirm their pre-registration and select a personal password. When they access the portal again, the system automatically directs them to their personal accounts, which include state-specific information about CE requirements, a tool for measuring their progress compared to the time remaining in their licensure period, and a searchable catalog of elective online courses. When an enrolled pharmacist selects and completes an online course, the system immediately grades the course work and issues an electronic certificate of completion. An e-mail notification is sent to both the participant and the provider of accreditation. The software automatically updates the participant’s online transcript, which centralizes, tracks and summarizes all courses completed and CE credit hours earned. Participants can add credits earned offline and print a complete transcript for submittal to their state boards. CE Content For three years before this endeavor, CECity had been developing partnerships with thought leaders, content providers and accrediting organizations to assure high caliber content. Today, its library consists of hundreds of hours of accredited programming and hosts a large number of pharmacy accredited online CE activities. Providers accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) certify all pharmacy-related content. State boards of pharmacy nationwide accept ACPE-accredited activities for credit. In addition, CECity works with specialty providers to secure content that meets continuing education requirements for particular states, such as HIV/AIDS education approved by the state boards of pharmacy in Kentucky and Florida. CECity monitors the requirements of each state’s board of pharmacy and makes updated information available to Eckerd pharmacists through their personal accounts. Eckerd’s curriculum is developed by combining courses from the existing library of content with custom activities developed in cooperation with CECity’s content partners and Eckerd itself. Benefits and Outcomes The Eckerd portal has been in place for 15 months, and pharmacists at all 2,650 drug stores can now participate. Online participation has exceeded original expectations, with the majority of users logging on from home in the evening and on weekends. As of June 2001, pharmacists had accessed more than 18,000 courses online, and more than 8,500 certificates of completion have been issued. Over the typical two-year lifetime of an accredited CE activity, only about 5 percent of people offered specific CE actually complete the course and receive credit. For Eckerd, the completion rate topped 19 percent in 14 months. Eckerd pharmacists enjoy the convenience of online CE and appreciate the automated transcript feature that makes it easy to track their progress. One pharmacist commented: “I want to thank you for helping me attain my credits for the year. Thanks to Eckerd for offering this program.” Another said: “Kudos. This online program makes CE more fun for me, not to mention less time-consuming, especially with the immediate test results.” With the e-learning platform in place, new doors are open. As noted, the CE portal is now available for Eckerd’s pharmacy technicians. The company can also use the portal for other corporate training and may use it for compliance training programs required by HIPAA, OSHA and JCAHO. Eckerd is larger, and its operations more geographically dispersed, than the typical healthcare enterprise. Nevertheless, online CME and CE delivered via the ASP model is an effective way to deliver a consistent program of continuing education and is particularly useful for employees located in multiple sites. This strategy has allowed Eckerd to stay focused on managing its core business, while offering a branded program of continuing education that its associates perceive as a benefit. The Eckerd Educational Experience Healthcare organizations can profit from Eckerd’s experience by considering these e-learning suggestions. Comprehensive Program. Find a partner who can deliver comprehensive content in a robust platform that can scale with your organization, and has technical expertise and service to support an enterprise initiative. Content. Make sure course content is developed by recognized industry experts and thought leaders and will be accepted by licensure organizations. Course Design. Take into account the computer skill level of your employees and their available computer resources and bandwidth for Internet access. Content should be available in multiple formats so employees can select the option(s) that works best for them. CE Credits and Transcripts. Automated testing, course grading and immediate online certificates of course completion are critical features. Employees also value online transcript tools that enable them to document and track all of their credits completed online and offline. Support. Your employees deserve responsive customer service and prompt technical assistance when they need help. © 2001 Nelson Publishing, Inc |
By
Simone Karp, a registered
pharmacist and co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing of CECity.com Inc., Pittsburgh. Contact her at
Eckerd operates 2,650 drug stores in 20 states and employs 8,000 pharmacists and 8,900 pharmacy technicians. Eckerd was managing CE programming offered in different formats from a number of providers. Coordinating the intake, cataloging, inventory and distribution of CE to meet the needs of pharmacists was arduous and time consuming. Eckerd wanted an enterprise solution.