Fostering "Reflection-On-Practice" Through a Multisource Feedback and Peer Coaching Pilot Program.

Introduction: Reflective practice involves thinking about one's practice and often involves using data to effect such reflection. Multisource feedback (MSF) involves evaluation by peers, patients, and coworkers. Coaching has been identified as a key aspect of MSF with peer coaching involving two or more colleagues working together to reflect on current practices and share ideas.

SPIRALS: An Approach to Non-Linear Thinking for Medical Students in the Emergency Department.

Context We lack guidelines to inform the necessary components of an emergency medicine undergraduate rotation. Traditionally, clinical reasoning has been taught using linear thought processes likely not ideal for diagnostic and management decisions made in the emergency department.  Methods We used the Delphi method to obtain consensus on a set of competencies for undergraduate emergency medicine that illustrate the non-linear concepts we believe are necessary for learners.

YouTube as an Educational Resource in Medical Education: a Scoping Review.

YouTube has emerged as a growing educational resource for medical learners and educators; yet, its broad implementation may lack guidance from evidence-based evaluations. This article presents a scoping review of the utility, effectiveness, and validity of YouTube video resources in medical education. Of the 113 articles identified, 31 articles met inclusion criteria that focused on use of YouTube in medical education.

Getting a Grip on Arthritis Online: Responses of rural/remote primary care providers to a web-based continuing medical education programme.

Introduction: Physicians are often challenged with accessing relevant up-to-date arthritis information to enable the delivery of optimal care. An online continuing medical education programme to disseminate arthritis clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) was developed to address this issue.

Methods: Online learning modules were developed for osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using published CPGs adapted for primary care (best practices), input from subject matter experts and a needs assessment.

Adoption and Use of Mobile Learning in Continuing Professional Development by Health and Human Services Professionals.

Introduction: Health and human services professionals are increasingly using mobile devices to support clinical decision-making and evidence-based practice. However, research on self-directed learning in an era of growing digital technology utilization is underdeveloped. This study explored the adoption and use of mobile learning as a continuing professional development (CPD) activity.

A Review of Digital, Social, and Mobile Technologies in Health Professional Education.

Introduction: Digital, social, and mobile technologies (DSMTs) can support a wide range of self-directed learning activities, providing learners with diverse resources, information, and ways to network that support their learning needs. DSMTs are increasingly used to facilitate learning across the continuum of health professional education (HPE). Given the diverse characteristics of DSMTs and the formal, informal, and nonformal nature of health professional learning, a review of the literature on DSMTs and HPE could inform more effective adoption and usage by regulatory organizations, educators, and learners.

Exploratory Study of Rural Physicians' Self-Directed Learning Experiences in a Digital Age.

Introduction: The nature and characteristics of self-directed learning (SDL) by physicians has been transformed with the growth in digital, social, and mobile technologies (DSMTs). Although these technologies present opportunities for greater "just-in-time" information seeking, there are issues for ensuring effective and efficient usage to compliment one's repertoire for continuous learning. The purpose of this study was to explore the SDL experiences of rural physicians and the potential of DSMTs for supporting their continuing professional development (CPD).

Developing a Physician Management & Leadership Program (PMLP) in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Purpose: This article aims to document the process the province of Newfoundland and Labrador used to develop an innovative Physician Management and Leadership Program (PMLP). The PMLP is a collaborative initiative among Memorial University (Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Business), the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Regional Health Authorities. As challenges facing health-care systems become more complex there is a growing need for management and leadership training for physicians.

A randomized controlled study of manikin simulator fidelity on neonatal resuscitation program learning outcomes.

The neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) has been developed to educate physicians and other health care providers about newborn resuscitation and has been shown to improve neonatal resuscitation skills. Simulation-based training is recommended as an effective modality for instructing neonatal resuscitation and both low and high-fidelity manikin simulators are used. There is limited research that has compared the effect of low and high-fidelity manikin simulators for NRP learning outcomes, and more specifically on teamwork performance and confidence.

An exploratory study of factors influencing resuscitation skills retention and performance among health providers.

Introduction: Resuscitation and life support skills training comprises a significant proportion of continuing education programming for health professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of certified resuscitation providers toward the retention of resuscitation skills, regular skills updating, and methods for enhancing retention.

Methods: A mixed-methods, explanatory study design was undertaken utilizing focus groups and an online survey-questionnaire of rural and urban health care providers.

Evaluation outcomes resulting from an internet-based continuing professional development (CPD) asthma program: its impact on participants' knowledge and satisfaction.

Introduction: Previous studies have focused on the evaluation of Internet-based continuing professional development (CPD), but few have focused on the clinical area of asthma. Our purpose was to examine the evaluation outcomes related to knowledge and satisfaction that resulted from the provision of an Internet-based CPD program focusing on this clinical area.

Methods: Evaluation methodologies included a pre-/post-knowledge assessment (multiple choice) and a satisfaction survey.

A comparative evaluation of the effect of Internet-based CME delivery format on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence.

Background: Internet-based instruction in continuing medical education (CME) has been associated with favorable outcomes. However, more direct comparative studies of different Internet-based interventions, instructional methods, presentation formats, and approaches to implementation are needed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative evaluation of two Internet-based CME delivery formats and the effect on satisfaction, knowledge and confidence outcomes.

Continuing professional development and social accountability: a review of the literature.

The idea that health professionals should be accountable to the society they serve is not a new concept and by the 1990 s, the continuing professional development (CPD) of health professionals was being seen as one way in which Canadians' level of health could be improved. The public was, and is still today, increasingly demanding a system that is more responsive to regional and community needs. As a result, there is a need for more health professional education at all stages of the education continuum - undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development - that meets the health and social needs of the populations being served.

A survey of rural medical education strategies throughout the medical education continuum in Canada.

In many countries the sustainability of rural health care systems is being challenged by a shortage of rural physicians and difficulties in recruiting and retaining physicians in rural practice. Research does suggest that specific medical education strategies can be introduced to enhance rural physician recruitment and retention initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current strategies of Canadian rural medical education programs.

A responsive evaluation of an Aboriginal nursing education access program.

Nursing education access programs have been introduced in a number of countries to address the shortage of healthcare providers of Aboriginal descent. An evaluation study of a nursing education access program in Labrador, Canada, was undertaken using a Responsive Evaluation approach. Interviews and focus groups with program stakeholders were conducted.

A comparative analysis of the perceived continuing medical education needs of a cohort of rural and urban Canadian family physicians.

Objective: To assess the perceived continuing medical education (CME) needs of a cohort of Canadian family physicians.

Methods: We distributed a questionnaire survey to Canadian family physicians who became Certificant members of the College of Family Physicians in 2001 and practised outside the province of Quebec. Main outcome measures were self-reported CME needs, professional development needs and preferences for CME delivery methods.

The transition from face-to-face to online CME facilitation.

This study examines the experiences of nine medical teachers who transitioned from face-to-face teaching to facilitating a course in an online environment. The authors examined the reasons why the teachers agreed to facilitate an online course, the challenges they encountered and their practical solutions, and the advantages and disadvantages they perceived to this teaching environment. Thirty-minute phone interviews were conducted.

Evaluation of learning outcomes in Web-based continuing medical education.

Background: There has been significant growth in use of Web-based continuing medical education (CME) by physicians. A number of evaluation and metareview studies have examined the effectiveness of Web-based CME to varying degrees. One of the main limitations of this literature has been the lack of systematic evaluation across different clinical subject matter areas using standardized Web-based CME learning formats.

Factors influencing rural health care professionals' access to continuing professional education.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to explore the perceived barriers and challenges to continuing professional education (CPE) access for Canadian health care professionals and to identify best practices for improving access to CPE.

Design: Key informant interviews and Web-based online surveys were conducted.

Participants: Key informant interviews were conducted with national CPE accreditation bodies and health professional associations.

Academic administrators' attitudes towards interprofessional education in Canadian schools of health professional education.

Interprofessional education is an approach to educating and training students and practitioners from different health professions to work in a collaborative manner in providing client and/or patient-centred care. The introduction and successful implementation of this educational approach is dependent on a variety of factors, including the attitudes of students, faculty, senior academic administrators (e.g.

The nature of the interaction between participants and facilitators in online asynchronous continuing medical education learning environments.

Background: MDcme.ca offers an online asynchronous continuing medical education (CME) environment for family physicians. The nature of participation in online CME using computer-mediated conferencing (CMC) discussion systems and the characteristics of interaction between participants and facilitators is not well understood.

A review of evaluation outcomes of web-based continuing medical education.

Introduction: The Internet and worldwide web have expanded opportunities for the provision of a flexible, convenient and interactive form of continuing medical education (CME). Larger numbers of doctors are accessing and using the Internet to locate and seek medical information. It has been suggested that a significant proportion of this usage is directly related to questions that arise from patient care.