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Continuing Distance Education: A Capacity-Building Tool for the De-isolation of Care Professionals and Researchers

Bagayoko, Cheikh ; Perrin, Caroline ; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre ; Geissbuhler, Antoine

In: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2013, vol. 28, p. 666-670

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    Title
    • Continuing Distance Education: A Capacity-Building Tool for the De-isolation of Care Professionals and Researchers
    Author
    • Bagayoko, Cheikh. Faculty of Medicine, and Odonto-stomatology, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
    • Perrin, Caroline. Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Gagnon, Marie-Pierre. Faculty of Nursing, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada
    • Geissbuhler, Antoine. Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2013, vol. 28, p. 666-670. Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:322020
    Summary
    Background: There are large disparities in access to health-care professionals (HCP) in low-income African countries, leading to imbalanced and suboptimal health delivery. Part of the difficulty is recruiting and retaining care professionals to work in isolated settings. Aim: To evaluate the impact of distance continuing education as a way to build capacity, increase satisfaction and enhance the performance of care professionals in these isolated health-care facilities. Setting: Care professionals using RAFT (Telemedicine Network in French-speaking Africa) in isolated care facilities. Program Description: Within RAFT, an organizational framework and computer-based tools have been developed and evolved to provide useful, qualitative, applicable training material. Program Evaluation: The activity, satisfaction, perceptions and impact of RAFT on remote health-care workers are being monitored. RAFT's potential to improve the recruitment, satisfaction and retention of care professionals in remote settings is widely recognized; however, the actual impact on the performance and quality of care remains to be demonstrated