Electronic mentoring: An innovative approach to providing clinical support

Aims Professional isolation is a contributing factor to poor recruitment and retention of physical therapists in rural positions. This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a pilot electronic mentoring, or e-mentoring, programme to address the need for support of physical therapists working in rural positions, in British Colombia, Canada. Methods An action research approach was used to examine whether an e-mentoring programme could effectively support physical therapists in paediatric clinical practice. The pilot programme involved an experienced physical therapist who mentored two sole charge physical therapists with no paediatric experience from a distance using their laptop computers. Programme evaluation data was obtained through questionnaires, field notes and a final group meeting using videoconferencing. Findings The key to the success of the e-mentoring programme was the collaborative interaction between the mentor and the mentee. Other factors that supported this interaction and beneficial outcomes of the programme were identified. Conclusions This pilot study has shown that technology combined with skilled communication can break down the barriers of distance and be an effective tool for clinical support. Further research is needed to establish the optimal organization of this type of programme and to rigorously evaluate the long-term benefits and effectiveness of e-mentoring.