POLHN

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Pacific Open Learning Health Net (POLHN) (pol-uh n) is a non-profit established in 2003, focused on distance education for health professionals working in Pacific. Since 2004, it has provided free online courses for continuing professional development in a wide range of disciplines. These include self-directed, blended learning, instructor-led and hybrid courses. The platform runs on free and open-source software learning management system. POLHN works with several universities institutions and Ministries of Health to develop online health related courses guided by WHO publications and accepted standard operating procedure. Since 2013 the platform looks more like a typical massive open online course (MOOC) platform.

Video POLHN

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Pacific Ministers of Health established the POLHN in 2003 through funding provided by the Government of Japan. POLHN was established to address a need of health professionals in the Pacific to access continued professional development (CPD) opportunities and up-to-date health information. POLHN fulfills these needs through an e-learning network across fourteen Pacific Island Countries, areas and territories.

POLHN provides access to sponsored and self-paced courses, news, application forms, and links to resources. The website is the main gateway to accessing courses, online resources, and health information. The website also contains information about POLHN, contact details for learning centres and POLHN Country Coordinators, and application forms for courses.

It has partnerships with many organizations, allowing members to complete certification programs. There are also general courses unrelated to any certification program, such as Patient Safety, Risk Communications, Diabetes, and Psycho-social Response in Humanitarian Disasters. These take between 20 and 60 hours to complete, with automatic assessment of activities and exams.

Goals

POLHN hopes to support health workers to be motivated and confident, up-skilled and competent, technologically literate, and equipped to respond to the changing health needs of their communities. Its goals include

Improving health professionals' access to continuing professional development;
Providing CPD for health workers in the Pacific.
Building capacity among local and regional institutions.

Building capacities among coordinators and focal points;
Developing and delivering technical courses;
Supporting learners through basic to advanced computer training;
Recognising achievements through certificate presentation ceremonies, and awarding incentives;
Advocacy to strengthen health workforce development;
Maintenance of learning centre resources and equipment.

POLHN's 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. Over 20,000 health workers across various cadres, from 14 countries, areas and territories who participate in POLHN's online and blended learning activities. Ministries of Health has appointed 40+ country coordinators and focal points to manage POLHN in-country activities.

Maps POLHN

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 develops and provides continuing education opportunities to health professionals in the Pacific. POLHN hosts different course categories:

Self-paced
Instructor-led
Blended: work-based learning
Mentor-based teaching
Face-to-face on-site workshops

POLHN partners include:

Fiji National University (FNU)

POLHN annually sponsors over 100 health professionals across the Pacific to take postgraduate courses in public health and health services management through FNU. Programs are available at postgraduate certificate, diploma and masters levels and can be completed by health workers without leaving their communities.

POLHN sponsors certificates in applied epidemiology, health research, health service management, and public health.

Pacific Paramedical Training Centre (PPTC)

The PPTC provides technical training and development assistance to clinical laboratories and blood transfusion services of the Pacific region. Mostly runs training courses in Wellington but retains flexibility to run in-country courses, short-term attachments to NZ medical labs and offers on-line courses through POLHN. They also have a quality management component (Regional External Quality Assurance Programme). POLHN sponsors around 40 laboratory technicians to take PPTC's Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science.

Related diplomas, involving up to 8 courses over 2 years, include ones in laboratory technology, biochemistry, blood bank technology, hematology, immunology, microbiology, and laboratory diagnosis of STIs.

Penn Foster Certification for Dental Assistants

Certification awarded by Penn Foster Career School in collaboration with Pacific Basin Dental Association (PBDA) and WHO/POLHN. This involves 9 modules in 9 months (self-paced), with face-to-face validation of skills via PBDA.

As of 2016, the countries involved are American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Marshall Islands

Lippincott: The Online Nursing Center

Lippincott provides over 1000 continuing education resources developed by nurses for nurses, POLHN assists by providing free access to fee-based courses.

Medscape (Education)

Medscape education provides CPD courses in over 30 health specialities. The courses are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

Global Health eLearning Center (GHEC)

POLHN links with GHEC in order for health professionals in the Pacific to access over 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 areas and has established forty POLHN centres in 14 of those countries. The POLHN centres are usually located in or near hospitals or nursing schools. Most of the learning centres are equipped with internet connected computers, printers, scanners and video projection equipment.