title: The Pentalfa project. 4: educational aspects.
abstract: A distance continuing medical education programme was established at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven using multipoint videoconferencing via ISDN lines at 384 kbit/s. During each academic year, 24-26 sessions were organized. During the first three years, a questionnaire was completed by 29% of the 13,489 participants. The effects of the videoconferencing on the information content and the educational effectiveness of seminars was analysed. Overall, participants were satisfied with the educational approach. Fifty-six per cent of the participants found the Pentalfa session easier to follow than conventional seminars. Participants at the peripheral sites and older participants gave higher ratings of the information content and educational effectiveness of the programme than other participants. The training of speakers and moderators was seen as useful, but most speakers could adapt themselves quite easily to the new medium.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. Bernard.Himpens@med.kuleuven.ac.be
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Himpens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D018961:Educational Technology / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013685:Telecommunications