Small group teaching via telephone in continuing medical education

Small (three to five members) group teleconferences led by consultants were used as one part of educational follow-up to individual medical audit studies in hypertension. The original studies were carried out in the offices of 51 private practice physicians. A number of techniques were used to improve physician acceptance of the teleconference method. Before the teleconference, participants received biographical information about the consultant as well as an outline describing how the call was to be structured. In practice, a varied format was used, beginning with questions from the physicians, followed by the consultant's discussion of study results, and ending with a period during which the physicians had an opportunity to raise additional questions. Evaluation of the calls showed that most physicians thought their study results had been kept anonymous by the consultant. Most thought the length of time (usually one hour) was satisfactory, and most agreed that they learned both from the consultant and other group members. Of all the educational components in the audit study (record review results, articles, or patient education materials), the telephone conference by far received the highest acceptance score.