A new Institute for Advancing Science (IAS) has opened in the UK where health care professionals (HCPs) are receiving expert training on medical technologies from Boston Scientific to improve patient care.
For today’s busy HCPs access to quality, modular, and continuous learning programmes are critical to maintaining their medical skills to use the latest medical technologies and apply advanced care practices for better patient outcomes.
The £1 million IAS, includes a wet lab where HCPs practise safe implant techniques in physical and virtual clinical simulations. Innovative imaging and diagnostic tools simulate realistic clinical situations to deepen knowledge on how medical devices treat different diseases. Using remote technologies, HCPs will also benefit by learning from other experienced peers to foster collaboration in their networks.
Key spaces in the 407m² IAS encompass an 80-seater auditorium and four meeting rooms. The IAS is a key component of the company’s medical education offering, EDUCARE, which aims to educate HCPs about our devices and therapies through customised training.
“Providing education and support for the safe and effective use of our devices enables health care professionals to provide patients with the best standards of care”, said Erika Alfieri, EDUCARE director for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Boston Scientific. “With the opening of the new Institute for Advancing Science in the UK, we are increasing the reach and ease of access to our training programs and strengthening our commitment to education for clinicians.”
In the UK, the healthcare system faces many pressures, including rising patient demands, funding shortfalls, and high attrition rates due to heavy workloads and staff shortages.1
Reforming how staff work by focusing on improving productivity and developing skills to take advantage of new technology is one of the top priorities, according to the NHS’ Long-Term Workforce Plan2, which lays out a roadmap to address recruitment and retention challenges. Annually, the NHS spends around £10 billion on medical technology, including cardiac pacemakers and medical imaging equipment such as X-ray machines.2 Greater medtech usage, as outlined in the government’s strategy, offers the opportunity to free up clinicians’ time to advance patient care.
Over the last decade, Boston Scientific has focused on delivering medical education for clinicians, creating local teams of experts who provide training at the IAS. The IAS, located in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire just outside of London, is the latest addition to the professional education network in EMEA. Other IAS centres are in Madrid, Dusseldorf, Milan, Voisins, Warsaw, Istanbul, and Johannesburg.
For more information about our medical education and training courses for HCPs visit https://www.bostonscientific.com/en-EU/education.html
References:
1 – Closing the gap: Key areas for action on the health and care workforce | Nuffield Trust
2 – New strategy to boost NHS access to innovative medical technology – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
