Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today that it’s launching a outcomes-based training program in Europe, the Middle East & Africa that aims to reach 500,000 healthcare providers over the next 5 years.
It’s part of the push toward “value-based healthcare” for the world’s largest pure-play medical device maker, which chairman & CEO Omar Ishrak has championed for years. The new program, Medtronic Impact, goes beyond traditional training on products and procedures, the Fridley, Minn.-based company said.
“Medtronic Impact is a significant investment that sets an entirely new standard for professional development in the medical technology industry,” EMEA president Rob ten Hoedt said in prepared remarks. “Its new, extensive curriculum will not only equip [healthcare providers] to access training that is relevant to their clinical skills development, but it will also build a wider range of non-clinical capabilities as we move increasingly towards a VBHC environment.
“We are going to go from pure technical training to a much more integrated care approach allowing health professionals to think about what has happened before and what is happening after their intervention with the patient,” ten Hoedt said.
The program is also collaborating with providers to create specialized training programs focused on outcomes, Medtronic said. Participants so far include Barcelona Campus of Catalonia, Spain; Strasbourg, France’s IRCAD; Sunskill Laboratory at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University; and the Dundee Institute for Healthcare Simulation at the University of Dundee in Scotland.
“Collaborations with world-class healthcare institutions will enable us to radically transform how we design and deliver training and education. We firmly believe that the collective efforts of the network we’re cultivating will create more value and positively impact outcomes that matter to patients,” added learning & innovation senior director Mike Roby.
Medtronic Impact also aims to use “newly-developed, online immersive education experiences” with a personalized web portal, virtual classrooms, augmented reality and remote case observation, the company said.
