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Telelearning in health: a Canadian perspective
P A Jennett1, B J Hunter, J P Husack
1Health Telematics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Summary
Telelearning in Canadian health is advancing, with most programs for providers and students. Key enablers include collaboration, but barriers like funding and infrastructure need addressing for future growth.
Area of Science:
- Health Sciences
- Educational Technology
- Telecommunications
Background:
- Canadian telehealth centers are established hubs for health innovation.
- Telelearning (tele-education) is a growing modality in healthcare education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify telelearning projects within Canadian telehealth centers.
- To describe telelearning activities, enablers, and barriers.
- To propose action plans for advancing telelearning in Canadian health.
Main Methods:
- A one-page questionnaire was distributed to 13 Canadian telehealth centers.
- Data from 37 questionnaires, representing 101 projects, were analyzed.
- Enablers, barriers, and action plans were categorized and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Over half of telelearning programs targeted health providers; one-third targeted students.
- Two-way audio/video conferencing was the most common communication mode.
- Key enablers included national context, timing, infrastructure, and collaboration; barriers included funding, infrastructure, culture change, standardization, and evaluation.
Conclusions:
- Identified enablers can propel telelearning forward in prominence.
- Actionable steps are recommended to overcome barriers and leverage opportunities in Canadian health telelearning.