Remote technology has proven its value in a variety of industries to the extent that today, many businesses have completely changed their way of communicating with each other, with remote technology at the core of their day-to-day interactions. 

MedTech is no different, and every day, more and more business units are finding their value in embracing remote technology. Internal training and education in MedTech is a great example of how remote technology can increase the overall value of a company’s offering and purpose while keeping both their customers and the internal corporate demands in line. 

Taking Training and Education To the Next Level

Revolutionizing New Product Training

MedTech reps need to constantly train and be trained on how to use the medical devices which they will be selling. Now, they can connect remotely to each other and provide training on their new devices. 

An expert can share their knowledge and skills while conducting live, on-demand virtual training sessions for a large group when a new medical device is ready for release or whenever extra training is needed. This is beneficial because it allows us to upscale limited in-person sessions easily into one-to-many sessions. 

These live sessions allow the expert to demonstrate best practices and provide information in real-time while giving several angles of the procedure, including an I-see-what-you-see from the smart glasses. In the meantime, the remote attendees can communicate with the expert, asking questions through audio connections or chat features, just as if standing in the OR in person. 

A Cost-Effective Way of Training

The virtual format offered by remote technology, not only gives the trainee a better visual of the procedure but is also more cost-effective compared to traditional training methods. Rather than bringing junior reps into the OR where the space is limited, as well as the view, junior reps can watch remotely live procedures involving medical devices, narrated by an experienced rep, from virtually anywhere in the world and at a fraction of the price.  

Using remote assistance services is especially useful in situations where gathering a group of medical device reps together in one location is impractical due to costs and time. For example, imagine a senior rep in Belgium needing to demonstrate a procedure to junior reps in other parts of Europe. With remote technology, it’s possible to complement in-person training with remote learning.

At the same time, medical device companies can use the technology to lower training costs and be more time efficient. When connecting remotely, geographical barriers become obsolete, this also results in the unification of knowledge and standardization of professional education globally.​ 

Peer-to-Peer Training: Gain Experience at an Accelerated Pace

Using remote technology, the trainer –E.g. a senior rep or a product specialist– can sit at their desk in front of a computer screen watching and interacting with their junior colleague in the OR. At the same time, the junior rep in the room gains a sense of independence. However, help is still on hand should it be needed. 

Not only can more sales reps receive more personalized and on-demand live support, but by adding remote support to conventional in-person sessions, they can speed up proficiency by increasing the frequency of training. And not only that, trainees can now receive training from the most skilled expert, rather than from the one that happens to be geographically close to them. This opens a completely new window for leveraging the best talents in large corporations, elevating the overall quality of staff and ultimately the service provided to the end customer.

This is a key point for MedTech companies that want to keep up their service level with the junior reps, especially because of the increasingly stricter rules and regulations when it comes to entering the OR. Surgeons and OR staff have enough on their plate when getting ready for the next surgery, this means they need to count on the right and best expertise if allowing somebody from the industry to accompany them. These circumstances lead them to be more reluctant to let junior reps in the OR unless they can prove high expertise.

Global Benefits In Training And Education

Standardize & Democratize Knowledge Globally

Another challenge faced by global MedTech companies is the difficulty of unifying knowledge and understanding across dispersed sales teams. Remote solutions are one way to provide standardized professional education to sales reps operating in any part of the world. 

Using remote assistance services that provide users with smart glasses and an interactive digital platform, trainees have the benefit of getting improved visibility over the training session. With the right devices set up in the OR itself, they not only see what the surgeon sees but also can get training from an experienced rep at the same time. In short, attendees get a greatly improved view of the OR seeing things they might otherwise miss when attending training in person. 

Allow Upskilling With Preceptorship & Case Observations

From the perspective of a training rep, the interactive element facilitates important conversations and the sharing of knowledge and skills. Before a live training takes place, the trainer can introduce the session to participants, providing a level of interactivity before, during, and after the procedure. 

Moreover, with remote technology, experienced reps might have a larger audience than when they conduct in-person sessions. At the same time, learners can also benefit from being removed from the stress of in-person training. Whether at home or within another room in the hospital or office building, students can focus more easily on learning.

And for those that couldn’t assist with the live session? Also not a problem anymore. Remote technology allows for excellent recording and documentation of training sessions, enabling companies to store their best sessions and make them available through digital libraries to the entire organization.  

A Future Curriculum to Stay Competitive

Introducing remote technology represents a marked shift and a significant step out of the traditional model of training, while also building variety into their training curriculum.

Bridging physical distances between leading medical device experts and their peers and junior reps has the potential to democratize education in the industry, but is also an unstoppable trend that is already taking place. As digital transformation is taking over in all areas of the healthcare industry, leaving remote technologies out of long-term business strategies will turn into a risk rather than an opportunity, if not embraced on time. Today, it’s a matter of staying competitive to ensure that training programs for MedTech sales reps continue to incorporate a mixture of both remote and in-person educational events.

The introduction of remote technology presents numerous educational opportunities. For example, we’ve seen cases where Rods&Cones panOR, a 360ª webcam device, has been set up over the surgical tools, so viewers can see which instrument is being used and when. It’s fair to say that no matter what the training involves, Rod&Cones is a single kit with multiple use cases. Better-trained reps can only mean greater customer contact and better patient outcomes. 

Interested to see the educational benefits of Rod&Cones? Book a free demo.