title: Enhancing access to cancer education for rural healthcare providers via telehealth.
abstract: Healthcare providers serving rural populations face numerous barriers to accessing educational programming. Difficulties accessing continuing professional education contribute to the challenges of providing comprehensive health care in the rural setting. Telehealth can inform and educate rural providers about changes in medicine and evidence-based practices, both of which may help them provide quality care. The Native People for Cancer Control Telehealth Network used telehealth technology to deliver a cancer education series in 2008 and 2009 to Washington and Alaska rural healthcare providers who treated American Indians and Alaska Native people. Customizing presentation content to providers' educational needs encouraged attendance. Evaluation indicated videoconferencing technology was positively received for delivery of the educational sessions. This series demonstrated videoconferencing was a satisfactory means of delivering real-time, interactive cancer educational programming to providers who might not otherwise have access to such programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. doorenbo@uw.edu
authors.forename: Ardith Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Doorenbos
authors.forename: Anjana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kundu
authors.forename: Linda H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Demiris
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Haozous
authors.forename: Cara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Towle
authors.forename: Dedra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buchwald
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019035:Rural Health Services; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*