Mandatory Training Modules Deserve a Harder Look

A JAMA Viewpoint argues that 4 million physician-hours spent on compliance modules each year warrants institutional reassessment.

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US physicians spend an estimated four million hours annually on mandatory online training modules, costing approximately $800 million in lost productivity.
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Current training formats often lack interactivity and do not align with adult learning principles, limiting their effectiveness in changing clinician behavior.
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A systematic review found little evidence that repetitive annual training improves clinical behavior or outcomes, questioning the value of current methods.
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Gottlieb emphasizes the need for health systems to audit training requirements and redesign them to enhance engagement and learning effectiveness.
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Redesigning training to include interactive formats and specialty-tailored content could improve outcomes, but requires prioritization from organizations.

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