E-learning platform to train medical officers in teen-friendly practices
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 7
In a bid to help medical officers learn adolescent-friendly practices and services for around 1.2 million adolescents, an e-learning platform developed by the state unit of the National Health Mission, in collaboration with Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child and Pathfinder International, was launched here today under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram.
The initiative has been implemented under the Technical Assistance Mechanism supported by the HRP department of the World Health Organisation, Geneva.
The training platform was designed by leveraging technology to provide learning content that is adaptive and user-friendly within digital learning environment.
The maximum duration of the course is three months, and medical officers will be certified on completion.
The conceptualisation of the e-learning platform commenced in December 2022, with a strong emphasis on collaborative design.
A co-design workshop brought together key stakeholders from the state government and partner organisations. The collaborative setting facilitated decisions regarding the platform’s scope, architecture and design approach.
The overarching goal was to create an interactive and immersive learning experience tailored to the specific needs of the target audience.
To ensure user-centricity, a pilot version of the platform, comprising 20 per cent of the planned content, was developed and subsequently reviewed by medical officers nominated by state government. This feedback allowed for insights into user engagement and overall user experience, informing necessary refinements and ensuring the platform’s alignment with real-world user needs.
“The rationale of the e-learning platform is engaging medical officers in continuous learning and keeping up with the evolving guidelines, especially those operating in hard-to-reach areas,” said NHM Mission Director Priyanka Verma.
The development of the alpha version of the e-learning platform was launched in October 2023. “The alpha version, encompassing the platform’s complete functionality and content, was shared with a new cohort of medical officers for rigorous testing and validation. Their insights proved instrumental in finalising user experience, paving the way for its finalisation and rollout. The final version of the platform was approved by the state government in April 2024 and taken into implementation” she added.
A school-based Adolescent Health Survey was also released at the event.
