Four years of experience at St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH) teleconferencing to five remote sites has reinforced this as an effective method of delivering continuing medical education (CME). The program Early Bird Rounds (EBR) for Practitioners is teleconferenced weekly. It focuses on primary care subjects that can be applied immediately to ambulatory care practice. Its agenda is set by the Medical Education and Activities Committee (MEAC) of SLCH, using need assessments and speaker evaluations. Speakers follow a protocol for preparation and meet with the program coordinator. Slides are computer generated. The programs are interactive, and attendees complete evaluations. Educationally influential physicians at all sites have been helpful in maintaining attendance and in stimulating participation. There appears to be a positive effect on referral patterns from teleconferencing areas. The development of additional site-specific programs is a priority. The influence of EBR on referrals to the hospital is also discussed.
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Gellman et al. (1996) studied this question.