Synchronous distance anesthesia education by Internet videoconference between Uganda and the United States

Abstract

Study objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of anesthesia education delivered via Internet videoconferencing between the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda.

Design: This is a prospective educational study.

Setting: The setting is the education in 2 hospitals in Uganda and the United States.

Subjects: The subjects are anesthesia residents.

Interventions: The interventions are anesthesia education lectures delivered in person and via Internet videoconferencing.

Measurements: The average pre-lecture and post-lecture scores of the local, remote, and combined audiences were compared.

Main results: Post-lecture test scores improved over pre-lecture scores: local audience, 59% ± 22% to 81% ± 16%, P = .0002, g = 1.144; remote audience, 51% ± 19% to 81% ± 8%, P < .0001, g = 2.058; and combined scores, 56% ± 14% to 82% ± 8%, P < .0001, g = 2.069).

Conclusions: Transfer of anesthetic knowledge occurs via small group lectures delivered both in person and remotely via synchronous Internet videoconferencing. This technique may be useful to expand educational capacity and international cooperation between academic institutions, a particular priority in the growing field of global health.

Keywords: Anesthesia; Distance education; Global health; Internet.