What will “good” look like for healthcare elearning in 2026? With AI tools creeping into practice, growing clinical complexity and rising digital assessment, you’re under pressure to deliver more learning in less time. In this webinar, the Deputy Director of NHS England’s Technology Enhanced Learning team, Dr Neil Ralph, and the Head of Content at the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Duncan McMillan, share what “good” looks like today – and what’s coming next.in future-ready elearning for healthcare.
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So here are three shifts that will shape how you design and commission online learning over the next few years.
AI in healthcare learning: From novelty to normal
- AI-powered tools such as coaching bots, quiz generators, reflective prompts and simulated interactions are already being used in healthcare education – they’re no longer speculative ‘future tech’.
- As computational costs fall and large language models become more sophisticated, AI-driven features are expected to become a mainstream part of learning systems within the next five years.
- Used well, AI can reduce the “grunt work” of content creation and exam question drafting so that scarce clinical expertise is focused on evaluating quality, providing feedback and making judgements.
- Without clear governance, there is a real risk of being flooded with shallow, AI-generated content that looks polished on the surface but is thin, inaccurate or poorly aligned to clinical practice.
Quality and relevance beat shiny features
- Both speakers emphasise that clinical quality and relevance to real roles matter more than the latest platform, device or interaction style.
- Expert-authored, evidence-based content that speaks directly to real clinical scenarios will outperform a slick but poorly designed interactive application every time.
- Trusted content from NHS England and the Medical Royal Colleges is valued because it is rigorously quality assured, regularly updated and clearly aligned to patient safety and professional standards.
- The ideal is high-quality content presented through an engaging, accessible user experience – but if you have to choose, start by investing in content quality and relevance before chasing advanced features.
Make learning feel like real work, not extra work
- Many clinicians experience elearning as an additional burden or tick-box task, rather than as part of the work they are expected and supported to do.
- Part of your role is cultural: protecting learning time in job plans, making development a visible priority for clinical leaders and framing learning as essential to safe care in complex systems.
- Part of it is design: creating learner-centric content that is easy to find, quick to consume and closely integrated into real workflows through just-in-time resources and micro-/nano-learning.
- Engagement improves when people understand why they are learning – the competencies they are developing, the changes in behaviour expected and the impact on patient outcomes – not simply that they must complete a mandatory module.
The full webinar explores these themes in more depth using real examples from NHS England and the Royal College of Anaesthetists to illustrate how you can apply them in your own organisation.
