The futility of Training Modules in Health Care—and of management consultants. JAMA

The futility of mandatory yearly video training modules. 

Mandatory Training Modules in Health Care—Time to Reassess. 2026

"physicians receive...annual notices listing required training modules to be completed [on topics] such as privacy, cybersecurity, workplace conduct, infection control, and safety...passive information transfer may have limited effect on real-world practice...Completion of a compliance activity does not necessarily demonstrate knowledge acquisition, competence, or behavior change...It is difficult to imagine subjecting resident physicians to the same unmodified slide deck for a decade without revision...When the primary institutional objective is documentation of completion rather than meaningful learning, clinicians may reasonably prioritize efficiency over engagement." JAMA

And this article, pointing out that absolutely no difference in outcome results from the billions of dollars ($16 million per hospital) spent on management consultants. 

Changes in Nonprofit Hospitals’ Finances, Operations, and Quality of Care After Using Management Consultants. 2026

"Nonprofit hospitals that hired management consultants paid an average of $15.7 million for their services...Despite this substantial investment, analyses of hospitals’ financial performance, operational decisions, and claims-based patient outcomes revealed little evidence of substantial, statistically significant, or systematic improvements attributable to consulting engagements...Nonprofit hospitals expend substantial resources on management consultants, but there was no evidence of meaningful changes in hospital finances, operations, or quality of care."JAMA