Bettercare Learning Programmes

About the project

Bettercare provides free online coursebooks for healthcare professionals, especially nurses, midwives, and community healthcare workers. Our books are designed for peer learning in self-organised study groups. They use a clear, step-by-step approach and simple language. Printed copies are available for sale, too.

Bettercare books make high-quality, affordable, and up-to-date training possible in every facility, regardless of its history, resources, or geographical location.

Our methodology, developed originally by the Perinatal Education Trust and implemented since 1989, has been proven in controlled studies to improve knowledge, skills, and patient-care practices – for a fraction of the cost of traditional training programmes.

Bettercare offers over 25 free online coursebooks addressing critical healthcare issues. They are used across the healthcare field:

• Government institutions endorse Bettercare books for official training (one provincial government makes it a requirement for advanced midwifery.)
• Medical schools and nursing colleges prescribe Bettercare books for students.
• Private and public hospitals use Bettercare books to train their staff.
• Individuals use Bettercare books to improve their understanding.

Traditional training methods have these problems:

• Traditional training is too expensive and takes staff away from their patients.
• Many learning materials are not appropriate for the places we work, especially in low-resource settings.

Bettercare addresses these. We believe:

• Peer-learning is the best learning: it is more motivating and effective to learn among trusted colleagues, at your own pace.
• Health professionals care deeply about their own development, and can be inspired and empowered to learn on their own.
• Health professionals need material that is appropriate to the places they live and work, especially in low-resource settings.

Bettercare learning programmes are flexible and mobile. They can be structured to suit each organisation’s needs. Bettercare also provides a book to guide group facilitators.

Bettercare is mobile because you can read our books for free on a phone. And if you buy the printed book you can do the course offline. This allows qualified healthcare professionals to study at their own pace and without having to attend expensive conferences or distant training facilities.

Bettercare equips and empowers healthcare professionals to manage their own time and learning, regardless of their geographical location or resources.