Misconceptions surrounding videoconferencing.
We carried out a study to assess the level of training required by hospital staff to operate a videoconferencing system. Fifty members of hospital staff, who had no previous videoconferencing experience, were studied. When using simple pictorial instructions, they took on average just under 6 min to connect successfully to a remote site. Male subjects connected faster (average 309 s) than female subjects (385 s; P < 0.01). Subjects of 40 years or younger connected faster (average 311 s) than those over 40 years (average 398 s; P < 0.02). Only three individuals (6%) required supplementary help via the telephone. Dedicated training may not be necessary when simple pictorial instructions are available to the operator.
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