By Steve Deverall, Co-founder and CEO of InfuseMed
Originally published in Medical Device News Magazine.
Helping clinicians move from product knowledge to confident, appropriate use
Bringing a medical device to market is only part of the journey. Even with regulatory clearance, strong clinical evidence, and placement in the right accounts, the people expected to use the technology still need to understand where it fits, recognize the right clinical cues, and know what to do when it matters.
That is where clinical education becomes an important part of adoption.
In a recent article published by Medical Device News Magazine, InfuseMed CEO and co-founder Steve Deverall explores how better training can help close the gap between learning about a device and being prepared to use it in practice. Infomedd News
Moving Beyond Training Completion
Traditional training metrics often focus on participation. Did someone attend the session? Complete the module? Pass the quiz?
Those measures have value, but they do not necessarily tell us whether a learner can perform the task later without guidance.
For medical device education, a more useful question is:
What can the learner actually do after the training is over?
At InfuseMed, we often think about that progression through a simple framework:
SEE → TRY → DO
SEE
Learners first need a clear mental model of the procedure, device, anatomy, or workflow. Animation, video, 3D visualization, and expert instruction can help make complex or hidden information easier to understand.
TRY
Next comes guided practice. Learners make decisions, work through the sequence, interact with the tools, and receive feedback in a setting where they can repeat the experience and learn from mistakes.
DO
Finally, learners should be able to perform the relevant task without prompts. Depending on the procedure and level of risk, that may include simulation as well as hands-on assessment and supervised clinical experience.
The technology itself is not the goal. The goal is helping learners build the knowledge, familiarity, and skills they need to perform appropriately in the real world.
Make Hands-On Training More Valuable
Digital learning does not have to replace in-person education.
In many cases, its greatest value is helping learners arrive better prepared for the limited time they have with equipment, patients, and clinical experts.
One InfuseMed client needed to prepare more device specialists while making better use of limited hands-on training time. Digital simulations and supporting materials allowed learners to become familiar with routine workflows and equipment before arriving on site.
That meant valuable in-person time could focus on the skills that truly required direct practice and expert feedback.
Afterward, learners could return to the digital tools to reinforce what they had learned.
The result was not less hands-on education. It was more focused hands-on education.
Match the Technology to the Learning Need
Not every training challenge needs VR.
Sometimes an animation is enough. Other situations may benefit from interactive software, simulation, 360 video, extended reality, or physical training.
The format should follow the learning objective.
If learners need to understand a mechanism, visualization may be enough. If they need to recognize clinical cues, make decisions, or practice a sequence repeatedly, a more interactive experience may be appropriate.
The question should always be:
What does the learner need to be able to do?
Then the training experience can be designed around that behavior.
Measure What Happens After Training
Completion data tells us who participated.
Behavioral data can tell us much more.
Depending on the training objective, teams may look at whether learners:
- Retain critical knowledge over time
- Require fewer prompts with repeated practice
- Complete important tasks independently
- Recognize relevant clinical cues
- Reach defined readiness milestones sooner
- Need less repeat training or field support
Those measures should ideally be established before the training is built so the experience and assessment are aligned with the desired outcome.
Clinical Education as Part of Adoption
Training alone does not determine whether a medical device succeeds. Evidence, reimbursement, workflow fit, organizational support, purchasing decisions, and many other factors influence adoption.
Clinical education affects another important piece of the equation: whether the people expected to use the technology are prepared to integrate it appropriately into their work.
When education is designed around performance instead of participation, it can help move learners from simply knowing about a technology to being better prepared to use it.
Read Steve Deverall’s Full Article
Steve explores the complete SEE → TRY → DO framework, the role of simulation and deliberate practice, and ways medtech companies can connect education to readiness and adoption in his article for Medical Device News Magazine.
Read “How Clinical Education Shapes Medical Device Adoption” →
Read the full article in Medical Device News Magazine
