Factors influencing rural health care professionals’ access to continuing professional education

Abstract

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.

Preferences for and Barriers to Formal and Informal Athletic Training Continuing Education Activities

“…These findings are consistent with research from nursing 6,12,[20][21][22]25,26,28 and medicine. 27 This result suggests that ATs try to choose formal CE activities that are cost effective, require fewer days of missed work, and can be completed in one's own practice setting or close to home.…”

“…Additionally, a lack of financial support to attend CE activities and practice setting factors (eg, geographic location, time away from patient-care responsibilities) are important barriers to CE participation. 12,22,[25][26][27][28] To fully describe CE participation effects, benefits, and barriers for ATs, we chose to present our findings in 2 articles. In the first, 4 we discussed ATs' participation in formal (ie, CE activities that are awarded CE credit by the BOC) and informal (ie, CE activities that are not awarded CE credit by the BOC) CE activities and the perceived effects of these activities on professional practice with regard to improving knowledge, clinical skills and abilities, attitudes toward patient care, and patient care itself.…”

Continuing Education to Go: Capacity Building in Psychotherapies for Front-Line Mental Health Workers in Underserviced Communities

“…45,46 However, numerous barriers exist for delivery of CE in remote underserviced settings, including staff time and motivation, relevance, cost, and geographic distance. 9,47 E-learning is an alternative that can address some of these barriers, 48,49 but most people prefer face-to-face learning with peers when the training involves conceptual knowledge and knowledge application. 50 Further, access to the Internet is not always consistent or available in rural settings.…”

“…8 However, professional development opportunities and CE are difficult for rural staff to access, owing to time, expense, and geographic barriers. 9,10 Even where CE is available, in rural or urban settings, offerings of research-based educational methods may be poorly designed. 11 Thus there is a need for innovative CE, with evaluation, for community-based, front-line mental health workers in rural and remote settings.…”

Acceptability of the Urban Family Medicine Project among Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study of Medical Offices, Iran

“…Figure 1 presents a flow chart of systematic search used in the study. A total of 22 articles were included for systematic review (Abyad et al, 2007;Al-Khathami, 2012;Avery et al, 2009;Bailey et al, 2005;Buwkamp-Memmer et al, 2013;Clarin, 2007;Curran et al, 2006;Edwards et al, 2006;Grenier et al, 2008;Jones et al, 2003;Kaczorowski et al, 2011;Kersnik, 2001;Kuppersmith et al, 2002;Mistretta, 2007;Morra et al, 2009;Murai et al, 2005;Papic et al, 2012;Pojskic et al, 2001;Sarma et al, 2011Sarma et al, , 2012Sunshine et al, 2010;Wang, 2007). The conceptual model of the research was adopted at this level.…”