Biomedical subjects

Vernon R Curran

Publications and source records attributed to Vernon R Curran.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Factors influencing rural health care professionals' access to continuing professional education.

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to explore the perceived barriers and challenges to continuing professional education (CPE) access for Canadian health care professionals and to identify best practices for improving access to CPE. DESIGN: Key informant interviews and Web-based online surveys were conducted. PARTICIPANTS: Key informant interviews were conducted with national CPE accreditation bodies and health professional associations. An online survey was distributed to health professional education programs, as well as provincial professional associations, licensing and professional regulatory bodies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The perceived barriers and challenges to CPE access for Canadian health care professionals and best practices for improving access to CPE. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Geographic isolation and poor technological and telecommunications infrastructure were identified as key barriers to CPE delivery and access. Financial factors, such as funding to support travel or cost of attendance, were also identified as major challenges. Tele-education programming was identified as a best practice approach to improve CPE access, as were regional CPE activities and self-directed learning programs. Employer-sponsored initiatives, including staff coverage or locum support, remuneration for time off and paid travel expenses for CPE participation were also identified as best practice approaches.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2006

Tele-education.

Tele-education has been used for many years to deliver continuing education programmes to rural health-care professionals. The main modes are audio, video and computer. Audio technologies involve the transmission of the spoken word (voice) between learners and instructors, either synchronously or asynchronously. Examples of the former include audioconferencing and short-wave radio; examples of the latter include audiotape or audiocassette. Video for distance learning, like audio, can be used in either synchronous or asynchronous fashion. Videoconferencing, or interactive television, are considered synchronous because there is the opportunity for live visual and verbal interaction between instructors and learners. Asynchronous instructional video tools include slow-scan video, interactive videodiscs and videotapes. Computer-assisted learning or instruction can be defined as any learning that is mediated by a computer and which requires no direct interaction between the user and a human instructor in order to run. It is becoming increasingly common. Examples include: the Internet and World Wide Web, email, synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication applications and interactive multimedia applications on CD-ROM. Tele-education technologies have an important role to play in addressing the professional isolation which is experienced by rural and remote health-care professionals.

Audiovisual Aids↗

PubMed2005

Academic administrators' attitudes towards interprofessional education in Canadian schools of health professional education.

Interprofessional education is an approach to educating and training students and practitioners from different health professions to work in a collaborative manner in providing client and/or patient-centred care. The introduction and successful implementation of this educational approach is dependent on a variety of factors, including the attitudes of students, faculty, senior academic administrators (e.g., deans and directors) and practitioners. The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork and interprofessional education amongst academic administrators of post-secondary health professional education programs in Canada. A web-based questionnaire in English and French was distributed via e-mail messaging during January 2004 to academic administrators in Canada representing medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work, occupational therapy and physiotherapy post-secondary educational programs. Responses were sought on attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork and interprofessional education, as well as opinions regarding barriers to interprofessional education and subject areas that lend themselves to interprofessional education. In general, academic administrators responding to the survey hold overall positive attitudes towards interprofessional teamwork and interprofessional education practices, and the results indicate there were no significant differences between professions in relation to these attitudinal perspectives. The main barriers to interprofessional education were problems with scheduling/calendar, rigid curriculum, turf battles and lack of perceived value. The main pre-clinical subject areas which respondents believed would lend themselves to interprofessional education included community health/prevention, ethics, communications, critical appraisal, and epidemiology. The results of this study suggest that a favourable perception of both interprofessional teamwork and interprofessional education exists amongst academic administrators of Canadian health professional education programs. If this is the case, the post-secondary system in Canada is primed for the introduction of interprofessional education initiatives which support the development of client and patient-centred collaborative practice competencies.

Administrative Personnel↗

PubMed2005

Influence of an interprofessional HIV/AIDS education program on role perception, attitudes and teamwork skills of undergraduate health sciences students.

PURPOSE: An evaluation study of an undergraduate HIV/AIDS interprofessional education program for medical, nursing and pharmacy students was undertaken to assess changes in role perception, attitudes towards collaboration, self-reported teamwork skills and satisfaction with a shared learning experience. METHODS: A combined one group pretest-posttest and time-series study design was used. Several survey instruments and observation checklists were completed by students and tutors before, during and after the educational program. RESULTS: Students reported greater awareness of roles and the continuous exposure to interprofessional learning led to improved attitudes towards teamwork. Standardized patients were effective in fostering an experience of realism and motivating collaboration between students. CONCLUSION: A problem-based learning approach combined with standardized patients was effective in enhancing HIV/AIDS interprofessional role perception, enhancing attitudes towards collaboration and interprofessional approaches to HIV/AIDS care and fostering confidence in teamwork skills among pre-licensure health sciences students.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2005

A review of evaluation outcomes of web-based continuing medical education.

INTRODUCTION: The Internet and worldwide web have expanded opportunities for the provision of a flexible, convenient and interactive form of continuing medical education (CME). Larger numbers of doctors are accessing and using the Internet to locate and seek medical information. It has been suggested that a significant proportion of this usage is directly related to questions that arise from patient care. A variety of Internet technologies are being used to provide both asynchronous and synchronous forms of web-based CME. Various models for designing and facilitating web-based CME learning have also been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature and characteristics of the web-based CME evaluative outcomes reported in the peer-reviewed literature. METHODS: A search of Medline was undertaken and the level of evaluative outcomes reported was categorised using Kirkpatrick's model for levels of summative evaluation. RESULTS: The results of this analysis revealed that the majority of evaluative research on web-based CME is based on participant satisfaction data. There was limited research demonstrating performance change in clinical practices and there were no studies reported in the literature that demonstrated that web-based CME was effective in influencing patient or health outcomes. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest an important need to examine in greater detail the nature and characteristics of those web-based learning technologies, environments and systems which are most effective in enhancing practice change and ultimately impacting patient and health outcomes. This is particularly important as the Internet grows in popularity as a medium for knowledge transfer.

Education, Medical, Continuing↗

PubMed2005

The nature of the interaction between participants and facilitators in online asynchronous continuing medical education learning environments.

BACKGROUND: MDcme.ca offers an online asynchronous continuing medical education (CME) environment for family physicians. The nature of participation in online CME using computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) discussion systems and the characteristics of interaction between participants and facilitators is not well understood. PURPOSE: To examine the association between participant and facilitator participation in online asynchronous CME learning environments. METHODS: We analyzed registration and participation data including participant and facilitator postings to an asynchronous CMC discussion system for CME programs offered through MDcme.ca using frequency counts. Pearson r correlation was used to assess the association between numbers of participants and participant postings, facilitator postings and participant postings, and the number of discussion items accessed and participant postings. RESULTS: MDcme.ca offered 25 programs to 327 registrants, of whom 180 actually participated by accessing course materials and online discussion postings. Pearson r correlations showed a significant association between the number of participants and the number of postings, the number of facilitator postings and the number of participant postings, and the mean number of discussion items accessed by participants and the overall number of participant postings. DISCUSSION: Both the number of facilitator postings and the number of discussion items accessed by participants appeared to be important determinants of the amount of interaction that will occur in asynchronous online CME. Curriculum planners and facilitators of asynchronous CME need to be aware of the importance of fostering interactive, stimulating discussions if the potential of asynchronous learning for physicians is to reach its potential in supporting higher levels of critical, reflective, practice-based learning.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2005

A comparison of face-to-face versus remote assessment of neonatal resuscitation skills.

The neonatal resuscitation skills of 30 third-year medical students were assessed in real time by a face-to-face examiner in the same room as the student, and by a remote examiner located in a separate room using the ANAKIN system. The ANAKIN system combines an instrumented manikin simulator, computer-based assessment and high-bandwidth videoconferencing. The students were assessed while performing a neonatal resuscitation megacode using the ANAKIN system. Students were satisfied with the ANAKIN system as an assessment system and were not intimidated by its use. However, the correlation between the face-to-face and remote examiner's mean total performance assessment scores was 0.27, which was not significant (P=0.14). The results indicated variation between the examiners' performance scores in a number of key technical skill areas. The findings from this study have implications for the use of technology-mediated systems in assessing resuscitation skills. Examiner orientation is critical for individuals using such systems. These persons must be comfortable and confident in using the technology. Interface and design features of the system need to be carefully scrutinized and tested.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMed2004

Evaluation of the effect of a computerized training simulator (ANAKIN) on the retention of neonatal resuscitation skills.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal resuscitation knowledge and skills deteriorate after initial training. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized simulator system (ANAKIN) as a means for boosting neonatal resuscitation knowledge, skills, and self-reported confidence beliefs. METHOD: A randomized pretest-posttest control group study design involving 60 3rd-year medical students. At a 4-month, post-training interval, experimental group was exposed to ANAKIN and control group to a training video. Both groups assessed at an 8-month, post-neonatal resuscitation training interval. RESULTS: Knowledge level for both groups decreased significantly at 4- and 8-month, post-training intervals despite booster exposure. Confidence level for both study groups increased significantly following booster exposure. However, no significant difference between study group skill levels at 8 months and no significant relation between neonatal resuscitation knowledge, confidence, or skills. CONCLUSION: Computerized simulator system was as effective as video for maintaining resuscitation skills of medical students, and students were very satisfied with experience of remote computer simulation training.

Adult↗