Evaluation of Interactive Television Continuing Education Programs for Health-Care Professionals

Abstract

Although many reports have evaluated interactive technology in distance learning. there is a lack of reports focused on utilizing interactive television to meet adult continuing education needs of professionals. This study describes the evaluation of live two-way interactive television (ITV) continuing education programs for health-care professionals. The programs were evaluated using adult learning characteristics as the evaluative framework. Data collection consisted of surveys, interviews, and participant observation. Results indicate that these continuing education programs delivered through interactive television technology met the adult learning requirements of the healthcare professionals who participated. The overwhelming majority of those in the sample indicated the interactivity of the system enhanced their learning and they would be likely to attend future professional education programs offered via ITV.A critical issue for health-care professionals in rural areas is the difficulty they have in receiving continuing education (CE). The advent of teleconferencing and interactive television offers significant opportunities for delivering continuing education programs to health-care professionals. Two-way live interactive television (ITV) can serve professionals' needs for up-to-date information and can 260 / BYERS, HILGENBERG AND RHODES deliver educational programs to professionals in the geographical locations where they live and work. Although home study programs and satellite teleconferences can meet some learning needs, an interactive approach often facilitates learning for certain topics. Live interactive television can enhance learning through promoting active involvement and providing immediate feedback to learners.Although interactive television provides opportunities for continuing education, quality program design and implementation are essential if the potential of the medium is to be realized. Assuring program quality thus requires systematic evaluation of continuing education programs for adults delivered through interactive television. This study describes an evaluation of continuing education programs for health-care professionals using live two-way interactive television as the delivery system. The principle evaluative criteria are derived from the professional literature on adult learner characteristics.Continuing education programs in this study were designed for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and emergency medical technicians. Program content focused on specialized clinical issues related to patient care management. A midwest regional hospital was the origination site for these continuing education programs and the distant receiving site was located at a rural hospital approximately seventy miles away. A two-way audio and two-way video system was employed to obtain the highest level of interactivity possible. The system offered the opportunity for "face-to-face" interaction between the two sites. CONTEMPORARY EFFECTIVENESS MEASURESAlthough barriers have been identified which may hinde...

Distance Education Within the 21st Century and its Application to Rehabilitation Education

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“…Informed consent release forms will be required when taping another person, and confidentiality of taped sessions must be maintained (Byers, 1996;Byrne & Hartley, 2010;Ivey et al, 2012;Schullo et al, 2007). Instruction needs to be engaging, and the course requirements need to be comprehensively specified in writing.…”

Telemedicine for patient education

“…Innovative uses of "telemedicine" have made it possible for physicians to consult with patients at locations many miles away (Fishman 1997) and to deliver continuing education programs to professionals practicing in rural areas (Byers, Hilgenberg, and Rhodes 1996). A relatively new form of telemedicine is patient education.…”