Introduction
Good health care systems are essential in the prosperity of any population. The ability to access and afford quality health care systems is a pre-requisite in the building of a prosperous nation. Therefore, it is mandatory that professionals in the health care sector acquire the adequate skills and qualifications necessary to provide satisfactory health care services. Proper education and training are crucial aspects of effective health care delivery. Patient outcomes heavily rely on the amount of experience and expertise acquired by health care practitioners.
Importance of Education and Training in Health Care
Education provides the basic theoretical understanding health care provision. It involves gaining an in depth insight into the concepts and ideas that guide the provision of health care services. It enables learners to obtain an understanding about the key processes and requirements guiding existing health care delivery systems. Education is a source of knowledge and information that health professionals apply as a tool for enhancing the quality of health care. There is a large volume of fields and disciplines pertaining to the health care sector. Education and training play an instrumental role in determining the proficiency of health care professionals with the latest technologies and interventions. Training programs and policies also have crucial consequences for labor market concerns in the health care sector.
Importance of Measuring Competencies
It is essential to comprehend that the current health care service delivery systems may not adequately meet the current and future health concerns of the people. Health care services can be categorized according to the specific health care needs of the various sections of the population. For instance, the health care needs of children, young people and the old people are significantly different from each other. In addition, the biological and reproductive roles that women play expose them to different health risks as compared to those faced by their male counterparts. Identifying and measuring the competence levels of health care professions reveals their level of qualification, expertise and experience. It will allow the placement of health care professionals in the appropriate area of specialty.
Measuring competence levels ensures that only the right professionals attend to particular patients. It will reduce cases of patient negligence and thus improve their satisfaction with the quality of service. It increases the confidence of patients and clients visiting health care facility since they are ascertained that they are in safe hands. Measuring the levels of competence, the administrators of health care facilities can develop training programs that improve the competence of existing health employees. Training members of the existing hospital staff significantly reduces new staff recruitment costs. Instead of advertising to fill vacancies within the health facilities, the administration can embark on a training program that sharpens the ability of their staff in handling patients.
Tracking and Evaluating Effectiveness of Training
Training is the process of imparting practical skills to individuals. It is an on-going process that needs close monitoring and control. It implies that constant tracking is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness of the training process. For health care professionals, training involves acquiring new competencies that are tailored towards the provision of better health care services. The rate of adaptability is a major cause of concern in training programs. Trainers monitor the rate and extent to which the staff can apply new skills. The training process often begins with a review of the theoretical framework. The review provides a theoretical background that acts as a basis for skills passed during the training program. Existing theory suggests models that are applied in the process of identifying new skills and competencies. The selection of a theoretical model heavily varies according to specific health care needs. The models are based on assumptions that form the basis of their validity. Empirical testing ensures that only the effective skills incorporated into the training program. During the training, only tested skills are imparted to the trainees.
Evaluation takes place across the training program. It involves assessing and analyzing how health care professionals adjust to new capabilities. The determination of evaluation methods should be based on the objectives of the training process and also satisfy the demands of the various stakeholders in the health sector. Every health care facility has several stakeholders and not all individuals within the organization have the similar needs. An effective training evaluation process offers vital feedback on the success of the training programs. Through the designing of such a process, health care providers can retrieve the information required to facilitate better training program delivery through good organizational performance, thus, establishing opportunities for constant health care improvement.
Conclusion
In summation, education and training improves the quality of healthcare delivery by facilitating the acquisition of new competencies and skills. The challenges encountered by health care staff necessitate consistent improvement of their competencies and skills. Advanced education leads to more knowledge acquisition regarding new challenges. On the other hand, training sharpens the ability of health practitioners to face challenging health issues. Through advanced education and training, health care staff, can better the quality of health care services.
References
Hofmann, B. (2009). Health care costs (1st ed.). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Stavans, I. (2010). Health care (1st ed.). Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood.
Stavans, I. (2010). Health care (1st ed.). Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood.
