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Health sector Cuts drive councils


turns to video
A Frost & Sullivan study of visual
collaboration applications in healthcare
to rely one-learn in
shows that reduced prices and improved ,
quality are boosting telemedicine's | Local government L&D from accountant Grant Ttiornton,
adoption of video conferencing systems. professionals believe more e- which found that almost two thirds

Telemedicine is undergoing significant learning and collaboration will (62%) of chief executives and

change because of technological advances help them cut costs and improve directors in Scottish local authorities

in the world of video conferencing. This • services, research has revealed. think there should be a greater use of

opens new opportunities for video " The study, by work-based e- shared resources across councils to

conferencing service providers in an learning specialist Brightwave, boost efficiency.

under-penetrated market. found that 88% of respondents Brightwave managing director


As a result, healthcare practitioners are planned to increase their use of Charles Gould said: "The age of
increasingly adopting interactive video or e-learning to meet new austerity is clearly having a deep
video conferencing applications to government cost reduction targets. Could: It's not just cost impact on the way we all work, in
provide better access to healthcare while A further 58% predict more both the private and public sectors.
improving quality and lowering prices. collaborative working and 49% said they will reduce "The role and anticipated use of e-learning is

Frost & Sullivan research analyst Iwona classroom-based training to cut costs. growing, but we must not to look at learning

Petruczynik said; "In the last two years, Brightwave noted that the rise in the use of technologies simply as a way to cut costs. Quality e-

there has been a significant reduction in e-learning has continued, increasing by 76% since iearning initiatives with engaging content are vital to

the price of equipment and a substantial started its benchmarking study two years ago. deliver real value."

improvement in endpoint functionality, At the beginning of 2009, only half of L&D He added that many councils are already working
especially video quality." So the costs of professionals expected their use of e-learning to rise, together and building their e-learning services to
telemedicine video conferencing systems against 88% committing to an increase now. In deiiver engaging and effective training. He pointed
and transmission service are no longer a addition, the number of professionals expecting to that a number of Scottish Councils are embracing this
major barrier to deployment. coiiaborate has also risen from 42% in 2009. technology and finding ways to collaborate.
Telemedicine's most significant This predicted increase in public sector "However, there is an inevitable skills gap, and
benefits are its ability to provide access to collaborative working was also revealed by research many councils are now choosing whether to build
medical specialists in remote and rural their e-learning capabilities internally or use external
areas, and to offer medical professionals support to take e-learning to the next level," he
low cost training and education.
However, restrictive reimbursements
Austerity raises concluded.

and legislative policies are limiting the


reach of existing telemedicine •
charities'interest in collaboration
programmes, Petruczynik noted. Other
obstacles include resistance from Organisations must think more creatively about Baker explained that the idea for CLC formed
traditional healthcare facilities unfamiliar efficiency as we enter a new era of austerity, learning when a charity L&D manager fell off his chair
with new technologies, and from medical charity chief Martin Baker has said. laughing at the proposed cost of e-learning. Together
staff who fear redundancy. Petruczynik Baker, managing director of the Charity Learning they set up a group of charities to share the cost.
added that there were concerns about the Consortium (CLC), the organisation that provides "It's an example of necessity being the mother of
integration of telemedicine with members with a large portfolio of e-learning, online invention. And in the current economic climate, all
electronic medical records and resolving networking tools and shared learning resources, has organisations need to be inventive."
system interoperability issues. highlighted the cost savings and other benefits of Although the cost savings may be most obvious.
"Once these obstacles are overcome, working together. "Together we can achieve far more Baker said, other benefits include benchmarking,
there exists sizeable potential for growth. than one person on their own," he said. working towards common goals, learning from others'
Enabling significant customisation in the He said the model of the consortium, which was mistakes, and sharing resources and knowledge.
solutions for healthcare institutions will formed in 2001 by six charities sharing learning "Third sector organisations begin their journey
determine the success of video technologies, could be duplicated by other with us accessing a suite of e-learning that otherwise
¡
organisations in other countries and circumstances. they would never be able to afford. But once they
conferencing in the telemedicine join, they benefit in unexpected ways; by networking,
Today, CLC has 75 member charities working
environment in future," he added. sharing and learning with others."
together, making e-learning cost effective for them all.

2 november two thousand & tern e-learning age


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