Use of Information and Communication Technology by Health Care Providers for Continuing Professional Development in Botswana

2017 ◽  
pp. 181-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wananani. B. Tshiamo ◽  
Mabedi Kgositau ◽  
Mabel Magowe
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Infrastructure

The impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the social and economic lives of people including the area of education cannot be overemphasized. Continuing education is an important vehicle for maintaining and improving professional standards and keeping in synch with the latest trends in the profession, especially for health care providers. Hinged on literature review, document review and case study, this chapter aims to elaborate on the importance of continuing professional development (CPD) to health and medical care, and how ICTs can be used as a platform for CPD. Focusing on Botswana as a case study, the chapter explores challenges and issues faced by health care providers in using ICTs to access CPD and includes solutions and recommendations. Challenges identified included underdeveloped ICT infrastructure and limited use of available ICT resources by health care providers.

scholarly journals Health Care Providers’ Profiles and Evaluations of a Statewide Online Education Program for Dissemination of Clinical Evidence on HIV, Hepatitis C Virus, and Sexually Transmitted Disease: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongwen Wang ◽  
Meredith Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Transmitted Disease ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Online Program ◽  
Sexually Transmitted

BACKGROUND Timely and effective dissemination of the latest clinical evidence to health care providers is essential for translating biomedical research into routine patient care. Online platforms offer unique opportunities for dissemination of medical knowledge. OBJECTIVE In this study, we report the profiles of health care providers participating in the New York State HIV-HCV-STD Clinical Education Initiative online program and their evaluations of the online continuing professional development courses. METHODS We compiled professional and personal background information of the clinicians who completed at least one online course. We collected their self-reported program evaluation data with regard to the course content, format, knowledge increase, and impact on clinical practice. RESULTS We recorded a total of 4363 completions of 88 online courses by 1976 unique clinicians during a 12-month study period. The clinicians’ background was diverse in terms of demographics, education levels, professional disciplines, practice years, employment settings, caseloads, and clinical services. The evaluation of online courses was very positive (usefulness/relevance, 91.08%; easy comprehension, 89.09%; knowledgeable trainer, 92.00%; appropriate format, 84.35%; knowledge increase, 48.52%; intention to use knowledge, 85.26%; and plan to change practice, 21.98%). Comparison with the reference data indicated that the online program successfully reached out to the primary care communities. Both the younger generation and the senior health care providers were attracted to the online program. High-quality multimedia resources, flexibility of access, ease of use, and provision of continuing professional development credits contributed to the initial success of this online clinical education program. CONCLUSIONS We have successfully characterized a diverse group of clinicians participating in a statewide online continuing professional development program. The evaluation has shown effective use of online resources to disseminate clinical evidence on HIV, hepatitis C virus, and sexually transmitted disease to primary care clinicians.

scholarly journals Infection control workshops for the whole dental team

2009 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 127-127
Author(s):  
Melanie Hook
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Care Providers

Infection control is of paramount importance for all health care providers and service users in private and NHS practice; daily, stories are published in the scientific and wider press highlighting or raising concerns on hygiene or cleanliness and infection control. All of the dental team have a responsibility to develop and assess their skills and knowledge. Since compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) for dental care professionals (DCPs) was introduced last year, the FGDP(UK) workshops have risen to the challenge, offering CPD-based learning for the integrated dental team without detracting from the daily workload and responsibilities.

scholarly journals A Blockchain-based Service Provider Validation and Verification Framework for Healthcare Virtual Organization

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoger Mahmud Hussen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Virtual Organization ◽  
Verification And Validation ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Validation And Verification ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Constant Improvement

Virtual organization and blockchain are two newly emerging technologies that researchers are exploring their potentials to solve many information and communication technology unaddressed problems and challenges. Health care is one of the sectors that are very dynamic and it is in need of constant improvement in the quest to better the quality of cares and reduce cost. One of the hotline of research in the sector is the use of information and communication technology to provide health care and this is where the concept of virtual healthcare is relevant. In virtual healthcare patients and care providers are collaborating in virtual settings where two of the most difficult challenges are verifying and validating the identity of the communicating parties and the information exchanged. In this paper we propose a conceptual framework using blochchain technology to address the health care provider and record verification and validation issue. The framework is specific to healthcare systems developed based on Virtual Breeding Environment and Virtual Organization. We outline and explain each step in the framework and demonstrate its applicability in a simple healthcare scenario. This paper contributes towards the continuing effort to address user identity and information verification and validation issues in virtual settings in general and in healthcare in specific.  

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ICT INFRASTRUCTURE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 438
Author(s):  
Regina Miseviciene ◽  
Kristina Sutiene ◽  
Danute Ambraziene ◽  
Dalius Makackas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
General Information ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Infrastructure ◽  
The University

This article analyses essential factors that can affect the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure in higher education. There is a general lack of research on providing the general criteria for infrastructure that could be used as guidelines for education institutions. Higher schools usually develop their own infrastructure based on experts’ advice or delegate this task to the private IT companies. The article aims to investigate how users’ demands influence higher education ICT infrastructure. Therefore, the university-wide students’ demands that affect not only their academic performance but also particular activities are epitomized in the paper. As a case study, the ICT infrastructure of Kaunas University of Technology (KUT) was investigated in order to determine how university e-services fulfil the students’ demands. The research showed that some KUT e-services comply with specific students’ demands, while the others are universal and widely applicable. On closer inspection, it was inferred that not all demands are supported by e-services in the university as only the general information about a particular service is provided.

scholarly journals Information and communication technology to enhance continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing medical education (CME) for Rwanda: a scoping review of reviews

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Lune Ngenzi ◽  
Richard E. Scott ◽  
Maurice Mars
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Review Articles ◽  
Information And Communication

Abstract Background Access to high quality continuing professional development (CPD) is necessary for healthcare professionals to retain competency within the ever-evolving worlds of medicine and health. Most low- and middle-income countries, including Rwanda, have a critical shortage of healthcare professionals and limited access to CPD opportunities. This study scoped the literature using review articles related to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) and video conferencing for the delivery of CPD to healthcare professionals. The goal was to inform decision-makers of relevant and suitable approaches for a low-income country such as Rwanda. Methods PubMed and hand searching was used. Only review articles written in English, published between 2010 and 2019, and reporting the use of ICT for CPD were included. Results Six review articles were included in this study. Various delivery modes (face to face, pure elearning and blended learning) and technology approaches (Internet-based and non-Internet based) were reported. All types of technology approach enhanced knowledge, skills and attitudes. Pure elearning is comparable to face-to-face delivery and better than ‘no intervention’, and blended learning showed mixed results compared to traditional face-to-face learning. Participant satisfaction was attributed to ease of use, easy access and interactive content. Conclusion The use of technology to enhance CPD delivery is acceptable with most technology approaches improving knowledge, skills and attitude. For the intervention to work effectively, CPD courses must be well designed: needs-based, based on sound educational theories, interactive, easy to access, and affordable. Participants must possess the required devices and technological literacy.

scholarly journals A Case Study Of The Integration Of Information And Communication Technology In A Northern Ontario First Nation Community High School: Challenges And Benefits

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Gerald Laronde ◽  
Katarin MacLeod ◽  
Katarin MacLeod ◽  
Lorraine Frost ◽  
Lorraine Frost ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
High School ◽  
Information And Communication Technology ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Information And Communication

A case study approach was used in examining Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use within a small First Nation high school in Northern Ontario. Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered from students, teacher, and the administrator, who participated in an online survey, followed by interviews on their use of ICT in education. How ICT was used in the classroom was examined as well as identifying the challenges and benefits. The students’ benefits included easier access to research through the Internet, facilitated organization through the use of Google drive, and the use of social media. Challenges were similar to those found in in mainstream schools with concerns of technical problems, off task behavior, and improper referencing. The teacher and administrator identified barriers preventing the increased use of ICT, including the lack of professional development, resources, and Indigenous language software. The administrator recognized there was a wide skill set range among teachers in the adoption of ICT integration into their teaching. Recommendations include more professional development in ICT for teachers, additional resources for ICT, and more development of Aboriginal language software.

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