Continuing Professional Development at Two Rural Hospitals in Ecuador

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Medical Informatics
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is crucial for healthcare quality, yet infrequent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), especially in rural areas.
• E-learning offers a scalable solution to bridge this gap, making CPD more accessible to diverse healthcare personnel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a hospital-based e-learning CPD program for clinical and non-clinical staff in a country without mandatory CPD activities.
• To evaluate the program's initial 10-month impact as a pilot quality improvement initiative.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Chamilo online platform to deliver e-learning modules to eight distinct employee groups.
• Implemented a 70% passing score requirement with two re-attempt opportunities and feedback on incorrect answers.

Main Results:

• Achieved 100% participation, with all employees meeting the passing threshold after one or two attempts.
• Positive employee feedback highlighted the value of e-learning for continuing education, though some perceived it as mandatory.

Conclusions:

• E-learning CPD is a vital emerging tool for enhancing healthcare quality in LMICs, particularly in underserved regions.
• This pilot program provides a foundation for developing Spanish-language e-learning CPD, fostering regional collaboration and potentially influencing national standards.