Rethinking inclusion: the utility of video conferencing (VC) in improving inclusion, educational reach and engagement

The WHO report 2010 compounds understanding of the link between accessible education and ability to recruit, maintain and retain remote health workers. Networking and peer support alongside CPD opportunities lead to positive impact. RRHEAL strategic engagement prioritised accessible education as a key need. Following a successful pilot of a Northern Islands video conferencing (VC) education programme for health and social workers, RRHEAL progressed this network approach to include all remote and island Scottish NHS Boards and Partnership. VC has greater potential for educational delivery and inter-disciplinary networking. RRHEAL developed innovative approaches to inclusive and accessible networked education using VC, facilitating monthly meetings sharing contextually appropriate presentations and discussion. The audience are self-selecting. Discussion is a vehicle for both critical debate and local interrogation, broadening awareness across this networked audience. Positive feedback and evaluation supports growing interest in this accessible format. The audience are generally familiar with VC. Many presenters become so as a result of engagement, increasing skill to deliver via this medium in future. Engagement varies from theme to theme with this self-selecting audience. Rich debate developing with mixed discipline staff. Connectivity can be very challenging for those in the most remote locations, who often stand to gain most by such at distance participation. Interest exists for much greater use of this form of delivery. This model is highly transferable to other non-remote but hard to reach audiences.

This abstract was presented at the Innovative Solutions in Remote Healthcare - 'Rethinking Remote' conference, 23-24 May 2016, Inverness, Scotland.