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Medical teaching at a peripheral site by videoconferencing
J Furnace1, N M Hamilton, P Helms
1Department of Child Health and Medical Illustration, University of Aberdeen, UK.
Medical Education
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Videoconferencing shows potential for medical education, despite initial low ratings due to technical issues. Further improvements in image and voice quality are needed for effective remote teaching in undergraduate medical courses.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Telemedicine
Background:
- Medical students often undertake peripheral hospital attachments.
- Traditional teaching methods may be limited in remote settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of videoconferencing for teaching medical students during peripheral hospital attachments.
- To evaluate staff and student perceptions of videoconferencing as a teaching tool.
Main Methods:
- A 3-month trial using British Telecom's VC7000 Videoconferencing System and ISDN2 connection.
- Linking Aberdeen University's Medical Faculty with a peripheral hospital in Inverness.
- Evaluation via forms completed by 8 staff members and 30 medical students.
Main Results:
- Initial overall usefulness ratings from staff and students were low.
- Low ratings were attributed to technical problems and equipment limitations, not the videoconferencing method itself.
- Participants recognized the potential of videoconferencing for medical training.
Conclusions:
- Videoconferencing with ISDN has potential as a valuable teaching tool in undergraduate medical education.
- Enhancements in image quality and voice switching are necessary for optimal implementation.
- The method itself is promising, but technological limitations require addressing.