How Can Digital Learning Tools be Used to Promote Resilience in Healthcare?

Abstract

Technology impacts almost every aspect of our lives and has become an important part of healthcare services. The most important reason for introducing technological advancements in healthcare is to enhance or maintain the high quality of care. Digital learning tools (e.g. digital guides, webinars, and dialogue forums) have the potential to increase flexibility and adaptability in healthcare which are important features of resilience in healthcare. In the current chapter, we discuss how digital learning tools can be used to promote resilience in healthcare by using examples from two research projects; one in which a digital guide to support managers in their quality improvement work is designed, tested, and evaluated (the SAFE-LEAD project), and one aiming to develop future digital learning tools for collaborative learning to facilitate resilience in healthcare (the Resilience in Healthcare project). We argue that for digital learning tools to have the potential to promote resilience in healthcare, they should stimulate individual and collective reflections and discussions. Furthermore, the tools must be found relevant by the target audience and have the capacity to create collaborative learning and reflections between relevant stakeholders within and outside healthcare organisations, about current quality and safety practice, challenges and needs for adaptations and improvement efforts. By stimulating collaborative learning, reflections, and adaptive capacity, digital learning tools have the potential to promote resilience in healthcare, and thereby increasing healthcare quality.