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Videoconferenced grand rounds: needs assessment for community specialists.
Joan Sargeant1, Michael Allen, Brian O'Brien
1Program Development and Evaluation, Office of Continuing Medical Education, Dalhousie University, 5849 University Avenue, Halifax, NS B3H 4H7.
Summary
Academic medical centers and community specialists are willing to use videoconferenced grand rounds for continuing medical education. This technology can increase access to learning for specialists, addressing future accreditation requirements.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Continuing Professional Development
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Grand rounds are a traditional continuing education method for specialist physicians.
- The study addresses the need and feasibility of interactive videoconferenced grand rounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the need for and feasibility of interactive videoconferenced grand rounds.
- To connect an academic health center with community specialists across three provinces.
Main Methods:
- Questionnaires were distributed to academic department heads and community specialists.
- Response rates were 79% for department heads and 38% for community specialists.
Main Results:
- A majority of department heads expressed willingness to videoconference and include community specialists.
- Most community specialists indicated they would attend or might attend videoconferenced rounds.
- Respondents rated the benefits of videoconferenced grand rounds highly (4.2 and 3.8).
Conclusions:
- The study confirms willingness from an academic center and interest from community specialists in videoconferenced grand rounds.
- Logistical and educational challenges, such as scheduling and inclusion in planning, need to be addressed.
- Videoconferencing offers a solution to increase access to accredited learning activities for specialists.