title: The use of videoconferencing to enhance interprofessional clinical education for allied health students.
abstract: The Health-e-Learning project investigated the use of videoconferencing to deliver interprofessional clinical education to allied health students. Via a broadband link, students observed DVD footage of a clinical session then participated in discussion with the clinicians at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Melbourne. The videoconference sessions were evaluated with respect to session content, the effectiveness of videoconferencing in providing interprofessional education (IPE) and the satisfaction with this as a supplement to facility-based placements. During the two semesters of the project, 28 videoconference sessions were conducted and 724 participants were surveyed. Student responses were positive with 84% indicating that these videoconferences increased their understanding of interprofessional practice (IPP) and 95% agreeing that the sessions were an effective learning tool. The results of this study support the use of videoconferencing to provide interprofessional clinical education.
authors.affiliation: Royal Children's Hospital, Allied Health, Parkville, Australia. kerry.britt@rch.org.au
authors.forename: Kerry Lee
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hewish
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodda
authors.forename: Bev
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eldridge
mesh_terms: D016390:Allied Health Occupations / Q000193:education; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D003625:Data Collection; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D020407:Internet; D010348:Patient Care Team; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D049269:Videoconferencing / Q000295:instrumentation*