Satisfaction with a Distance Continuing Education Program for Health Professionals

A one-group post-test design was used with a sample of 45,996 participants in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Rural Hospital, and Distance Continuing Medical Education Program during 1995–2007. Interactive video technology and the Internet-based continuing education programs (n = 2,219) were provided to physicians, nurses, allied health and dental professionals, pharmacists, administrators, and marketing/finance/human resources professionals. Participants had high levels of satisfaction regarding knowledge and skills, use of information to enhance patient care, program quality, and convenience of the technology. This study assessed differences in program satisfaction among health professionals participating in a distance continuing education program by gender, ethnicity, discipline, and community size. A one-group posttest design was used with a sample of 45,996 participants in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Rural Hospital, Distance Continuing Medical Education Program during 1995–2007. This program provided 2,219 continuing education programs for physicians ( n = 7,047), nurses ( n = 21,264), allied health ( n = 3,230) and dental ( n = 305) professionals, pharmacists ( n = 4,088), administrators ( n = 1,211), and marketing/finance/human resources professionals ( n = 343). These programs were provided in Arkansas hospitals, clinics, and area health education centers. Interactive video technology and the Internet were used to deliver these programs. The program satisfaction instrument demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.91) and construct validity. Participants had high levels of satisfaction regarding knowledge and skills, use of information to enhance patient care, program quality, and convenience of the technology (mean total satisfaction score = 4.44, range: 1–5). Results from the t -test for independent samples and one-way analysis of variance indicated that men ( p = 0.01), African-Americans and Hispanics ( p