From teleteaching to teleaccreditation

Summary Initial training and continuing medical education (CME) of high quality are the foundations of quality patient care. This obvious statement can be applied to all medical care and specialities, but is mandatory in those specialities with recurrent technological improvements, e.g. laparoscopic surgery. Verified indications and possible fields of use for laparoscopic surgery have extended to cover a nearly complete range of open surgical procedures, creating an important demand for teaching and training. Established practical training after initial competence verification should be the goal of all surgical training institutions, but the fact that access to training is still limited demands new solutions using telecommunication, especially in those countries rapidly introducing accreditation procedures.