Recorded presentation

Vera Walline, MPH, CHES, Northeast PA Area Health Education Center, Keystone College Campus, One College Green, LaPlume, PA 18440-0200, 570-945-5623, vera.walline@keystone.edu, Patricia Lawless, MHA, NEPA Area Health Education Center, One College Green, Keystone College Campus, LaPlume, PA 18440, and William R. Dewar III, MD, Highland Physicians, 1839 Fair Ave, Honesdale, PA 18431.

Continuing medical education is essential for maintaining a physician workforce competent to handle ever-arising challenges. Traditional formats are often costly and not demonstrably effective in improving physician practice (3). Rural physicians face additional issues of physical distance and professional isolation. The Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NEPA AHEC) is charged with providing continuing education efficiently and effectively to physicians practicing in its rural counties. Major barriers include the cost of providing traditional lecture-format programs to widely-scattered practitioners; questions on program effectiveness (3); and the mixed reception of alternative programming, such as technology-based education (1,5,6). The NEPA AHEC mailed surveys to all 541 physicians in seven rural counties. We asked about perceived barriers, time commitment, types of traditional and technology-based methods experienced and preferred, and preferred subject matter. Twenty-two % of the physicians responded, confirming the expected barriers of time, CME credit, and availability. Although conferences and lecture programs were clear favorites in traditional formats, physicians have substantial experience and willingness to use technology-based methods, particularly on-line material and CD-ROM. Some costly technology-based programs, such as satellite and interactive video were clearly not preferred. The NEPA AHEC has used these findings to provide more education through the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s web-based Learning Management System, our own web site, and by CD-ROMs. The challenge remains to work on making such formats more effective by increasing interactivity and more attractive to physicians by making them easier to access.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the program, the participants in this session will be able to

• Recognize the three major barriers for rural physicians in accessing continuing education.
• List three preferred traditional methods and three preferred technology-based methods for continuing education.
• Evaluate the pros and cons of popular methods of providing continuing education to rural practitioners.
• Discuss needs for further research to support effective education of rural practitioners.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation