| Project Objectives / Summary:
The project established an innovative training model to improve access to dermatological services in rural and remote locations. It was conducted by a consortium led by Ballarat and District Division of General Practice, Monash University Department of Community Medicine and General Practice and University of Ballarat, School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences. Other participants included the Knox and West Vic Divisions of General Practice, specialist dermatologist facilitators and 15 GPs who volunteered to be the recipients of the online course delivery.
The aims of the project were to:
- To improve the communities' access to general practice dermatology services in the Grampians region through the provision of an integrated, IT -based, educational package on postgraduate practical dermatology, targeted at regional and rural GPs.
- To develop and pilot a model of training delivery to GPs which can be widened to encompass a suite of training packages and which uses IT infrastructure to access specialist services.
The project objectives were to:
- Redesign the postgraduate practical dermatology curriculum to be compatible with flexible IT delivery.
- Deliver training with the purpose of improving GPs' knowledge of practical dermatology through increased access to knowledge and treatment options.
- Address an identified medical need in the Grampians region.
- Develop and pilot remote learning methodology.
- Formalise the alliances between key stakeholders working together as the Grampians Regional Training Network.
- Identify further topics, which would be suitable for delivery under expansion of this model.
- Conduct process, impact and outcome evaluations.
Fifteen GPs from the three Divisions of General Practice: Ballarat, Knox and West Vic were selected to trial the course over an eight week period during May and June 2001. The course involved a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous Internet delivery, as well as text readings and a CD-ROM with slides and videos. The static Web site provided the structure of the course, details of work requirements and facilities for threaded discussions and electronic submission of work. Modules on the web site were linked to images and video material accessed from a local CD drive. The most innovative aspect was the weekly "virtual" lecture: where voice and screen information was shared in real time over telephone lines through the participants, home computers.
Evaluation was an integral component of this project and looked at the effectiveness of teaching online, its sustainability and the transferability of the project. Process and impact evaluations were conducted utilising both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
Project Collaboration:
- Knox and West Victoria Divisions of General Practice
- Dermatology Unit - Monash University
- Dermatology Unit - Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Children's Hospital
- Department of Community Medicine and General Practice - Monash University
- University of Ballarat
- The many GPs who participated in the project.
Project Outcomes:
1. Redesign the postgraduate practical dermatology curriculum to be compatible with flexible IT delivery.
This objective was achieved to the extent that material which had previously been used as the basis of a course delivered in distance learning mode was redeveloped for use in three modes: self-organized online learning, ancillary material on CD-ROM, and instructor-led interactive online sessions. However, much was learned by both the instructional designers and the instructors about further work that needs to be done to take better account of the learning styles of doctors, to take better advantage of the features of the technology, and to minimize the frustrations associated with practical limitations on the technology.
2. Deliver training with the purpose of improving GPs' knowledge of practical dermatology through increased access to knowledge and treatment options.
Training was delivered to a group, which initially consisted of 15 GPs, of whom 9 remained involved throughout and 7 completed all major tasks. For those who completed the program, there is evidence from the KAP questionnaires, from direct feedback from the GPs, and to a lesser extent from the patient audits, that their knowledge and confidence in this area had been enhanced.
3. Address an identified medical need in the Grampians region.
This objective was implicitly achieved in the design stage of the project. The recruitment of a group of GPs into the project and their responses to questions on the pre-course questionnaire, together with the general positivity and enthusiasm expressed during the online GP feedback session, demonstrated a strong belief among the participants that dermatological training was an area of need.
4. Develop and pilot remote learning methodology.
This central objective was achieved, not only by successfully delivering the course using a mixture of instructional technologies and modalities, but also by identifying human and technological factors which limited the success of the project, and hence identifying ways in which such projects can be improved in the future.
5. Formalise the alliances between key stakeholders working together as the Grampians Regional Training Network.
The Grampians Regional Training Network has been established under the auspices of the Rural Workforce Agency, Victoria to bring together a number of organizations with an interest in regional GP training. The two universities and two of the three divisions of general practice that were involved in this project are members of the Grampians Regional Training Network. As a result of the project, a number of strong linkages have been established between these four organizations.
6. Identify further topic, which would be suitable for delivery under expansion of this model.
This incidental objective was achieved. A number of suggestions were elicited from participating GPs and instructors after they had experienced the course and seen the capabilities of this mode of delivery.
Recommendations:
The Division has developed an extensive list of recommendations for future projects and the can be found in the final report on pages 40 and 41. The final report is located on the Divisions website.
Lessons / Assessment:
The certificate of Practice Dermatology Online successfully achieved its aim of delivering an innovative flexible education and training program that could easily be accessed by general practitioners in rural and remote locations. Evaluation of the project identified human and technological factors that need to be taken into consideration for future online delivery.
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