Problem Context: The genetics department in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center needed to create a training for a study under a federal grant. The study would randomly select hundreds of clinicians to take a training designed to help them with earlier detection and identification of genetic root causes in patient diseases to determine whether the training intervention had a statistically significant effect on health outcomes. The main challenge had to do with the extremely high difficulty level of the subject matter and being able to understand the concepts enough to intelligently take the learner through the program.
Solution: After thorough needs analysis, an e-Learning module was proposed. The module would have multiple scenarios with multiple branching pathways to reflect the realistic decision points clinicians would take. Effects of choices would be highlighted, such as certain diagnostic decisions that would be a “fool’s errand” and waste valuable time and resources, including explanations for why the decision was or wasn’t a pathway worth pursuing. The end product was an e-Learning module resembling a PC desktop with multiple files, starting with the initial medical case study. Once opened, a series of background triggers and variables would “unlock” more files and folders on the desktop. For example, when the learner first examines the case study, they may choose to perform a physical exam on the patient. If they do, once they exit that window, a new folder will appear on the desktop: Physical Exam Results, to review and cross-reference with other areas of the module. Background variables were utilized to create a non-punitive scoring system to show how many steps it took for the clinician to reach the correct diagnosis, wherein the fewer the steps and fewer the dead-ends, the better.
Result: The project was successfully delivered by the deadline, and came in under-budget. Collaboration with CCHMC, including with their marketing and branding teams as needed, was vital for its completion. The greatest victory from this project as it relates to my professional development comes from its greatest challenge: working with SMEs who had no experience working with an instructional designer, and managing them effectively to adequately convey what has been the most complicated subject matter most instructional designers – myself included – have ever dealt with. The contrast of these two extremes created many unique challenges and creative solutions, such as developing a templated flowchart for SMEs.
