Online Classrooms Offer Flexible Education Opportunities to Healthcare Professionals Who Cannot Travel

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'Very enjoyable program- I plan to return for the registry review. Thank you so much for the information.'- Ladonna Trautz, RCS

St. Pete Beach, FL (PRWEB) June 27, 2014

Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute announces additions to already large line of educational courses and products to increase accessibility of CME for healthcare providers.

Online Education: love it or hate it, it’s here to stay and is being utilized more and more. According to http://sloanconsortium.org/news_press/january2013_new-study-over-67-million-students-learning-online, in 2012, a study concluded that over 6.7 million students in higher education programs were offering some form of online education. Online “classrooms” are prevalent in college settings, but what is available for healthcare providers, and in particular, for those utilizing diagnostic ultrasound? In the past, the only way to obtain quality CME or obtain the skills to cross train within the ultrasound field was to attend a live, hands-on course. With advancements in technology and budgetary constraints further pushing healthcare professionals to obtain education in alternative formats, it’s not surprising the decisions about where, when, and how to obtain CME can get overwhelming.

To address these concerns, Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute has taken their 29 years of ultrasound education experience and made it available in all formats to meet the healthcare providers’ needs to accommodate various learning style preference. GUI has announced an expansion of delivery platform to include interactive digital online classrooms as well as online videos. These can be accessed anywhere in the world with an Internet connection to meet the needs of those who cannot travel, have limited CME budgets, or are on very tight deadlines.

Difference between an online video and an online course:

Online videos are short lectures that can be purchased individually by users or by groups and can be viewed in Live or On-Demand formats with 30 day or lifetime viewing options available. Online Videos allow individuals to customize an online library to meet educational needs. Online Videos by Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute are not the standard PowerPoint presentations with “talking heads,” which are commonly seen in the online education market, today. GUI records presentations in full, High Definition video utilizing state of the art recording software to incorporate picture-in-picture presentations for scanning skills demonstrations.

Online Courses are more comprehensive, web-based classrooms that take the didactics, normally only seen in live, hands-on programs and allow a user (or group of users) 6 months unlimited access to the material. The programs are broken down into interactive modules that incorporate video, text, self-assessment, and more. For technical questions during an online course, a student-to-instructor message board is available to ask questions, post tips, and interact with fellow healthcare professionals. Upon completion of the selected program, participants can print their CME certificate validating comprehension of the material covered.

Availability of hands-on training after going through online training?

Gulfcoast Ultrasound offers a number of ways to meet hands-on needs. For groups of 5 or more, a custom Onsite course can be arranged. Gulfcoast Ultrasound also offers regularly scheduled “Hands-on Scanning Skills Workshops,” that provide 1-2 days of hands-on scanning. Upon registration, participants submit which specialties on which they would like to focus and GUI coordinates the instructors and models to accommodate all goals. If unable to attend a scanning skills workshop, GUI has “Hands-on only registrations rates” during regularly scheduled CME programs. This allows participants the opportunity to attend the hands-on scanning segment of that particular specialty during the regularly scheduled live programs in St. Pete Beach, FL without including the lectures.

To accommodate those not interested in online videos or classrooms,DVD programs are available. Many ultrasound schools, hospitals, and military bases prefer purchasing materials in DVD format, as it allows formation of a library of information. This, in turn, allows facilities to provide consistency in training with employees as well as the ability to obtain CME as needed. Gulfcoast Ultrasound Institute holds a 6 Year Accreditation with Commendations award through the ACCME as an accredited education provider. Strict guidelines guarantee that all materials are consistently updated; ensuring healthcare providers are receiving the most current and up-to-date guidelines and protocols.

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