Integrating Knowledge bases into Training Environments

Changing training is as much a part of the process of improving health care as is the implementation of technology. In many respects it can have more of an effect since influencing the upcoming generation of workers early, before they become set in the ways of the existing methods, will ease and promote transitions to new and more efficient tools and work process. This is a longer term strategy but one that will have a more persistent effect.

So the news that "Career Step" is integrating the BenchMark KB (Knowledge Base) into their training package for clinical documentation specialists bodes well for increased standardization and the provision of technical support tools to help with the process of verification of facts, clinical terminology, names of drugs and other elements of clinical documents.

The resulting output of trained clinical documentation knowledge workers (some 10,000 expected to be enrolled this coming year) will be fully fluent in using these resources and many others and be catapulted into the workforce equipped and more importantly experienced in using the latest tools for improved efficiency and accuracy of clinical documentation.

There is no doubt that new tools and technologies are going to change the way we practice and deliver health care. Providing access and incorporating this into training programs is a big step to moving our health care system forward along the path of improved, more efficient delivery of safer more cost effective medicine.