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conferenceseries
.com
Volume 8, Issue 4 (Suppl)
J Health Med Inform, an open access journal
ISSN: 2157-7420
Medical Informatics 2017
August 31- 01 September, 2017
August 31- 01 September, 2017 | Prague, Czech Republic
5
th
International Conference on
Medical Informatics & Telemedicine
J Health Med Informat 2017, 8:4 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2157-7420-C1-019
DIGITAL NATIVES, PERSONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND THE IMPACT ON THE
DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE
Phillip L. Davidson
a
a
University of Phoenix, USA
F
ifty years ago, medical information was practically all hardcopy – written on paper --making the transfer of medical
information and patient updates tedious and frequently incomplete. In today’s digital world, most healthcare systems have
switched (or plan on switching) to digital medical records, which provide real-time updates and greater accuracy. Along with
this rapidly changing digital medical information environment, younger generations, such as Gen-Y (Millennials), and Gen
Z (Post-Millennials) are quickly finding their place in healthcare. Having grown up without knowledge of the pre-digital age,
these healthcare workers learn differently. Referred to as “Digital Natives,” or “Data Natives,” these younger people will shape
the future of healthcare delivery. The introduction of Personal Learning Environments in Education was in response to how
these younger students learn. With greater skills and knowledge of web 2.0 applications, including social networking and
online collaboration, the digital natives work together to accomplish their shared goals. As they enter the healthcare market,
Personal Learning Environments are finding its place in the training of healthcare professionals. Not only does this enhance
the overall learning of these students, but these digital natives are beginning to learn how to conceptualize and visualize big
data and may be able to develop the skills and tools needed to apply this knowledge to the enhanced delivery of healthcare in
the real world. Discussion and considerations of supporting Personal Learning Environments in healthcare training are made
with the hope of preparing the “digital immigrants” for what is coming.