Actelion Pharmaceuticals Training Module a case study

dystrick design, Inc. developed a newly created training module designed to provide Actelion Pharmaceuticals US, Inc sales force with the fundamentals of cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology that will lay the groundwork for an understanding of the mechanisms that cause Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

The Client
Actelion Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company, with its corporate headquarters in Allschwil/Basel, Switzerland. Actelion's first drug Tracleer® has been approved as a therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Actelion markets Tracleer® through its own subsidiaries in key markets worldwide, including the United States (based in South San Francisco), the European Union as well as Canada and Switzerland. Actelion, founded in late 1997, is a leading player in innovative science related to the endothelium - the single layer of cells separating every blood vessel from the blood stream.

The Challenge
Actelion, a leader in innovative science, wanted to create a training CD-ROM for their US Sales Force, that would effectively teach fundamental cardiology concepts. The nature of the CD-ROM medium is primarily visual & linguistic; however, the presentations and activities were designed to appeal to the broad range of different learners, as well as different types of visual learners.

Making testing a learning aid, the training CD-ROM provided individualized signposts to the material with which the employee appears to be having trouble. The employee is able to go easily to the exact knowledge area in which he/she has not exhibited understanding and conduct a review or do an additional activity. The user can also generate a set of “smart study cards” that show the material that testing has indicated is difficult.

Intelligent tutoring, the intelligent tutoring approach makes dystrick’s tutorial a tool the learner uses to work an individual path through the material, as compared to the “talking book” approach of many online and CD-ROM tutorials that presents a linear set of facts, regardless what is understood or retained. The information is saved for three purposes: (1) directing the learner to areas that need his/her review (2) identification to Actelion US Training executives of areas of difficulty in learners’ retention (3) staff progress and knowledge status.

The Solution
dystrick helped Actelion develop a CD-ROM learning module that will effectively teach fundamental cardiology concepts to Actelion employees. The module provides a template for future effective learning modules and includes an update plan that keeps additional costs to a minimum. This particular module conveyed several layers of information, including:

    1. basic cardiac anatomy and function that assumes no prior medical training
    2. information that meets the “direct knowledge needs” of Actelion employees, i.e., cardiopulmonary concepts that allow         understanding of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and the function of endothelin & TRACLEER
    3. familiarity with a learning interface and a variety of interactive teaching techniques that can be applied to more complex         concepts in later training modules, speeding learning by shortening Actelion employee learning curves for the interface,         navigation, and heuristic approaches.

The Success:

    • Created an effective learning environment for Actelion employees
    • Increased product knowledge among employees
    • Increase in product revenue due to a better product understanding
    • Provided a template for future effective learning modules