e-StudioLive's interactive Web castings deliver distance learning to hospital physicians in the field

Chelmsford 16 July 2001The University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine is using the e-StudioLive 7000 Web casting production system to make its hospital rounds where physicians-to-be can learn from real life cases wherever they are in residence across the state. The school's Video Engineering Group selected e-StudioLive for its capability for live interaction during distance learning between faculty members and hundreds of physicians and students around the state. The system also archives the live Web casts, so busy health care professionals and students can view them on-line anytime their schedules permit.

Each week, the Video Engineering Group uses the e-StudioLive 7000 to Web cast "grand rounds" sessions to physicians and residents. Hundreds of physicians, residents, and students attend the live class while others tune in to the broadcast and Web cast at distant hospitals and clinics. Led by a member of the medical school faculty, grand rounds are mandatory lectures which focus on a weekly discipline, such as paediatrics, surgery, internal medicine or obstetrics, and present case studies for health care professionals, students, and faculty to discuss.

Because of e-StudioLive's interactive capability, students and faculty can pose live questions during the session and receive answers. For those who cannot be present because of surgery schedules or patient visits which is an increasing problem for busy health care professionals, the e-StudioLive 7000 archives the session immediately so physicians can watch it later on-line at a desktop computer anywhere.

"The ability to watch a live session and access archived sessions from a server around the clock is important, so students can work at their own pace when their schedule permits", commented David Matney, director of the Video Engineering Group in the Office of Information Systems at the UNC School of Medicine. The medical school community expects the technology to head toward new programmes, such as telemedicine, where a live, interactive Web cast can connect doctors and patients at distant or rural locations for diagnosis.

"We increasingly see enrolment becoming equally balanced between on-site and off-site students", Mr. David Matney added. "This technology will provide new educational opportunities and medical care unfettered by geography's limitations." The e-StudioLive, which has been in the live video production business as long as the University of North Carolina has, finds Web casting's potential equally compelling. "We are delighted to help UNC implement live interactive Web casting to connect people from remote and rural outposts", stated e-StudioLive CEO Ken Swanton. "e-StudioLive systems provide unique interactive features to enable high-impact distance learning at a surprisingly affordable cost."

e-StudioLive provides the best content creation solutions for live interactive and on-demand Web casting. Exceptional real time control creates higher impact Web casts more quickly, with greater flexibility, and lower cost. The company's ECHOlab Division is an expert in live video production systems, with installations in more than 5000 studios.

Leslie Versweyveld

[Medical IT News][Calendar][Virtual Medical Worlds Community][News on Advanced IT]