CONTINUING EDUCATION IN HEALTH VIA DISTANCE LEARNING
STRATEGIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACTS ON CLINICAL PRACTICE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18450781Keywords:
Continuing education in health, Distance education, Virtual learning environments, Clinical practice, Digital health, Collaborative learningAbstract
ABSTRACT: Continuing Education in Health (CEH) is a structuring axis for the qualification of the Unified Health System (SUS), by articulating learning with the daily work routine and critical reflection on practices. The expansion of Digital Information and Communication Technologies (DICT) and virtual learning environments (VLE) has favored the consolidation of Distance Education (DE) as a central strategy to enable CEH on a large scale, especially in contexts of territorial inequality and service overload. This study conducted a narrative literature review with the objective of critically analyzing how DE has been used to operationalize CEH for health workers and what impacts are described in clinical practice. The SciELO, PubMed, LILACS, ERIC, and Google Scholar databases were consulted, including articles in Portuguese, English, and Spanish published between 2018 and 2025, addressing CEH mediated by digital resources and its implications for training and care. The analysis, based on Bardin, was organized into three axes: (1) strategies and methodologies of CEH via DE; (2) impacts on training and care practice; and (3) challenges and perspectives for strengthening digital EPS. The findings indicate that distance education expands access to qualification, promotes collaborative learning, supports interprofessional practices, and contributes to the reorganization of work processes. However, its effectiveness depends on adequate technological infrastructure, institutional support, pedagogical training of tutors, recognition of work hours in employment contracts, and digital inclusion policies. It is concluded that EPS mediated by distance education, when planned critically, participatively, and aligned with the needs of the services, constitutes a strategic instrument for improving the quality of care and strengthening the SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System).
Keywords: Continuing education in health, Distance education, Virtual learning environments, Clinical practice, Digital health, Collaborative learning.
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