Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education
Introduction: The availability of rural healthcare is a growing concern in the United States as fewer healthcare providers choose to work in rural areas. Accessing quality continuing education (CE) for rural healthcare practitioners (HCPs) remains a challenge and may pose a barrier to quality care....
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2015-11-01
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| Series: | Medical Education Online |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/view/28958/pdf_97 |
| _version_ | 1818951619770843136 |
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| author | Ronnie Scott Holuby Karen L Pellegrin Anna Barbato Anita Ciarleglio |
| author_facet | Ronnie Scott Holuby Karen L Pellegrin Anna Barbato Anita Ciarleglio |
| author_sort | Ronnie Scott Holuby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The availability of rural healthcare is a growing concern in the United States as fewer healthcare providers choose to work in rural areas. Accessing quality continuing education (CE) for rural healthcare practitioners (HCPs) remains a challenge and may pose a barrier to quality care. Methods: To maximize attendance at a live, in-person, free CE program focusing on geriatric medication and issues specifically targeted to HCPs in rural areas, two methods were implemented sequentially. The first method used formal advertising implemented by a professional marketing service to promote CE events. The second method enlisted local healthcare organizations and physician groups to promote the CE event to their employees. Cost per attendee was calculated for comparison. Results: Professional marketing services recruited 31 HCPs (March 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$428.62. Local healthcare organizations and physician groups’ marketing recruited 48 HCPs (July–August 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$55.19. Discussion: Providing free CE coordinated through local healthcare organizations and physician groups was the most cost-effective method of recruiting rural HCPs for CE. Formal advertising added cost without increasing the number of participants per event. Although this is the first study of the cost-effectiveness of recruitment methods targeting HCPs in rural areas, results are consistent with research on cost-effectiveness of outreach to rural lay community members. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:37:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dcc1dc3bec2f49d889a753694885b0fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1087-2981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T09:37:22Z |
| publishDate | 2015-11-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medical Education Online |
| spelling | doaj.art-dcc1dc3bec2f49d889a753694885b0fb2022-12-21T19:44:58ZengTaylor & Francis GroupMedical Education Online1087-29812015-11-012001310.3402/meo.v20.2895828958Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing educationRonnie Scott Holuby0Karen L Pellegrin1Anna Barbato2Anita Ciarleglio3 San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, USA Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USA Oklahoma Heart Hospital, Oklahoma City, OK, USA Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, USAIntroduction: The availability of rural healthcare is a growing concern in the United States as fewer healthcare providers choose to work in rural areas. Accessing quality continuing education (CE) for rural healthcare practitioners (HCPs) remains a challenge and may pose a barrier to quality care. Methods: To maximize attendance at a live, in-person, free CE program focusing on geriatric medication and issues specifically targeted to HCPs in rural areas, two methods were implemented sequentially. The first method used formal advertising implemented by a professional marketing service to promote CE events. The second method enlisted local healthcare organizations and physician groups to promote the CE event to their employees. Cost per attendee was calculated for comparison. Results: Professional marketing services recruited 31 HCPs (March 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$428.62. Local healthcare organizations and physician groups’ marketing recruited 48 HCPs (July–August 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$55.19. Discussion: Providing free CE coordinated through local healthcare organizations and physician groups was the most cost-effective method of recruiting rural HCPs for CE. Formal advertising added cost without increasing the number of participants per event. Although this is the first study of the cost-effectiveness of recruitment methods targeting HCPs in rural areas, results are consistent with research on cost-effectiveness of outreach to rural lay community members.http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/view/28958/pdf_97marketingcontinuing educationCEgeriatricsrural healthmedication safetycost-effectiveness |
| spellingShingle | Ronnie Scott Holuby Karen L Pellegrin Anna Barbato Anita Ciarleglio Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education Medical Education Online marketing continuing education CE geriatrics rural health medication safety cost-effectiveness |
| title | Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education |
| title_full | Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education |
| title_fullStr | Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education |
| title_short | Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education |
| title_sort | recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education |
| topic | marketing continuing education CE geriatrics rural health medication safety cost-effectiveness |
| url | http://med-ed-online.net/index.php/meo/article/view/28958/pdf_97 |
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