Continuing Health Education Through Computer Technology.

Overview & Synopsis

Computer assisted instruction is beginning to have an important role in the rapidly expanding field of continuing education for health science professionals. At the present time, there are 22 medical specialty boards, all of which require or are about to require some form of continuing medical education for re-certification, and studies are being conducted throughout the country to determine the feasibility of using computer based education for obtaining continuing education credits in the health sciences. Computerized clinical case simulations, which offer some interesting advantages over traditional forms of continuing education, can be accessed from Massachusetts General Hospital and Ohio State University on a 24-hour basis. The Health Education Network offers courseware to medical, nursing, and dental schools, hospitals, and health care institutions throughout the U.S. and Canada. The prospects of using computer technology to obtain continuing health education credit are very real and feasible compared to other means--the costs are reasonable, accessibility to computer based education systems is increasing, and the quality and quantity of computerized case simulations are rapidly improving. (Author/CMV)