Pacific Open Learning Health Net is a non-profit organization founded in 2003, focusing on distance education for health professionals working in Pacific. Since 2004, it has provided free online courses for continuous professional development in various disciplines. These include self-directed, blended learning courses, led instructors and hybrids. The platform runs on free and open source software learning management systems. POLHN works with several university institutions and the Ministry of Health to develop online health-related courses guided by WHO publications and accept standard operating procedures. Since 2013, this platform looks more like a typical massively open online course (MOOC) platform.
Video Pacific Open Learning Health Net
​​â € <â €
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pacific Health Minister established POLHN in 2003 through funding provided by the Government of Japan. POLHN was established to address the needs of health professionals in the Pacific to access sustainable professional development opportunities (CPD) and current health information. POLHN meets this need through an e-learning network across fourteen Pacific Islands, regions and regions.
POLHN provides access to self-sponsored, self-sponsored courses, news, application forms and links to resources. The website is the main gateway for accessing courses, online resources, and health information. The website also contains information about POLHN, contact details for the learning center and POLHN Country Coordinator, and application form for the course.
It has partnerships with many organizations, allowing members to complete the certification program. There are also general courses that are not associated with any certification program, such as Patient Safety, Risk Communication, Diabetes, and Psycho-social Responses in Humanitarian Disasters. It takes between 20 and 60 hours to complete, with automatic activity and exam assessments.
Goal
POLHN hopes to support health workers to be motivated and confident, skilled and competent, technologically literate, and ready to respond to changes in their community's health needs. The goals included
- Improving access of health professionals to continuing professional development;
- Provide CPD for health workers in the Pacific.
- Building capacity among local and regional institutions.
- Build capacity between coordinator and focal point;
- Develop and deliver technical courses;
- Support learners through basic to advanced computer training;
- Acknowledge achievements through certificate presentation ceremonies, and incentives;
- Advocacy to strengthen the development of health workforce;
- Maintenance of learning center resources and equipment.
POLHN community
The POLHN platform facilitates learning through an interactive environment, where students can access information, communicate with students and teachers, and complete course modules and assessments. More than 20,000 health workers in various cadres, from 14 countries, regions and regions participating in online learning activities and blended POLHN. The Ministry of Health has appointed 40 state coordinators and focal points to manage POLHN activities within the country.
Maps Pacific Open Learning Health Net
Partnership approach
POLHN is a partnership between WHO and Pacific Ministries of Health. POLHN works with regional academic institutions; course providers; academic institutions and development partners to develop and provide sustainable education opportunities for health professionals in the Pacific. POLHN organizes different course categories:
- Mandiri
- Led by the instructor
- Mixed: work-based learning
- mentor-based learning
- Workshop workshop workshop
Partners POLHN included : Fiji National University of Fiji (FNU)
Fiji POLHN sponsors more than 100 health workers throughout the Pacific every year to take postgraduate programs in healthcare and public health management services through the FNU. Programs are available at the postgraduate, diploma and master certificate level and can be completed by healthcare professionals without leaving their community.
Sponsor sponsors POLHN in applied epidemiology, health research, health care management, and public health.
Pacific Paramedical Training Center (PPTC)
PPTC provides technical training and development assistance for clinical laboratories and blood transfusion services in the Pacific region. Most run training courses in Wellington but retain the flexibility to run the course in the state, short-term annex to the NZ medical laboratory and offer online courses through POLHN. They also have a quality management component (Regional External Quality Assurance Program). POLHN sponsors around 40 laboratory technicians to take the PPTC Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science.
The related diploma, which involves up to 8 courses over 2 years, including those in laboratory technology, biochemistry, blood bank technology, hematology, immunology, microbiology, and laboratory diagnosis of STIs.
Penn Foster Certification for Dental Assistants
The certification is awarded by Penn Foster Career School in collaboration with Pacific Basin Dental Association (PBDA) and WHO/POLHN. It involves 9 modules in 9 months (self-paced), with face-to-face validation skills through PBDA.
In 2016, the countries involved are American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands Republic
Lippincott: Online Care Center
Lippincott provides more than 1000 sustainable educational resources developed by nurses for nurses, POLHN helps by providing free access to cost-based courses.
Medscape (Education)
Medscape education provides CPD courses in more than 30 health specialties. The course is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.
Global Healthcare eLearning Center (GHEC)
POLHN connects with GHEC to allow health professionals in the Pacific to access more than 50 short courses in public health, developed by USAID specifically for health professionals working in low resource settings.
Secretariat at WHO Pacific Division
POLHN has developed a conventional relationship with fourteen of the twenty-two Pacific countries and regions and has established forty POLHN centers in the 14 countries. POLHN centers are usually located at or near the hospital or nursing school. Most learning centers are equipped with internet-connected computers, printers, scanners, and video projection equipment.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments