1. Introduction The Office of the Provincial Paediatric Therapy Recruitment and Retention Coordinator (PPTRRC) has been involved in supporting and facilitating numerous continuing education opportunities over the past several years for therapists working with children and youth with special needs in BC. These events have encompassed a variety of mediums such as large conferences, small workshops, videoconferences, webinars, and the provision of bursaries to subsidize the costs of attending an education opportunity. The PPTRRC has noted a growing interest in web-based learning opportunities due to their ability to deliver education to a significant number of therapists across the province in a cost-effective manner, and has worked to increase the number of technology based events available to therapists in BC. Previous surveys performed by the PPTRRC have demonstrated how continuing education strongly contributes to job satisfaction, and research has demonstrated the importance of professional development opportunities on employee retention (Izzo, 2002). In order to effectively utilize limited resources available to support continuing education opportunities for paediatric therapists working in BC, the PPTRRC identified the types of professional development events considered most important to the paediatric therapy community. Materials and methods A six question online survey was emailed to paediatric therapists (OTs, PTs, and SLPs) across BC using the therapybc email database. 162 therapists completed the survey for a response rate of 22%. The primary question of the survey asked therapists to rank the following continuing education initiatives: 1. Face-to-face sessions such as large conferences and smaller workshops 2. Providing individual bursaries and grants so that therapists can subsidize an opportunity of their choice 3. Technology-based opportunities such as videoconferences and webinars Participants were asked to rank the initiatives as being either their first, second, or third choice. Thus each initiative ended with a cumulative ‘score’ of between 1 and 3, with the initiative closest to ‘1’ being the highest/best ranked initiative. Conclusions In times of fiscal restraint and funding cuts it is often the continuing education budget that suffers, and employers must be made aware of the potentially damaging effect this has on job satisfaction and employee retention. This survey suggests that administrators and managers responsible for continuing education budgets and the development of continuing education opportunities need to consider the importance and value of face-to-face events, and ensure that despite their costs such opportunities are still available for therapists. Results Literature in the area of changing physician behaviors demonstrates that passive approaches to education (e.g.- lectures/presentations) are generally ineffective; however, multi-faceted interventions are more likely to be effective than single faceted interventions (Grimshaw, 2001). Face- to-face opportunities delivered in a manner that allows for networking and peer interaction can provide therapists with such multi-faceted opportunities. There is also evidence to support the importance of such peer interactions amongst rehabilitation therapists in particular where therapists reported that “informal consultations with peers were their first-line educational resource” and that information from their peers was “faster and more to the point than other sources.”(Rappolt, 2002). Despite the impressive advances in video-conferencing and web-based technology, such an environment is extremely difficult to create outside of a face-to-face event. Rehabilitation therapists value peer interactions as part of their education strategy, and face-to-face opportunities that allow for networking are highly appreciated by BC’s OTs, PTs, and SLPs working with children and youth with special needs. Employers and therapists should continue to work together to ensure such effective education opportunities are available, and work on methods to improve the networking capabilities of technology based opportunities such as videoconferencing and web-based learning. Jason Gordon, BScPT, MHS Provincial Paediatric Therapy Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Literature cited Grimshaw, JM., Shirran, L., Thomas, R., Mowatt, G., Fraser, C., Bero L., et al. 2001. Changing provider behavior: an overview of systematic reviews of interventions. Medical Care 39:112-45 Izzo, JB., Withers, P. 2002. Winning employee-retention strategies for today’s healthcare organizations. Healthcare Financial Management: Journal of the Healthcare Financial Management Association 56(6):52-7 Rappolt, S., Tassone, M. 2002. How Rehabilitation Therapists Gather, Evaluate, and Implement New Knowledge. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 22:170-80 Figure 1. Survey respondent demographics For further information Contact Jason Gordon, PPTRRC Phone: 1.866.597.2547 eMail: consultant@therapybc.caconsultant@therapybc.ca What type of continuing education is preferred by therapists working in paediatrics? Results 12 of the 33 respondents from communities of less than 30,000 lived within 100km of a ‘major centre’ (defined as having a population of greater than 80,000) Face-to-face opportunities ranked as the highest priority to receive PPTRRC support, while videoconferencing and web- based opportunities were ranked as the least highest priority When results were cross-tabulated based on the population of the community of the respondent the results were very similar. The only exception was that face-to-face opportunities and individual bursaries were tied for the highest priority/best ranked initiative in the population less than 30,000 group Some comments from respondents: “No suggestions, just a remark. Videoconference and web- based learning is put as 3rd choice, this is not that I would not like to have these opportunities as I really appreciate the opportunities and would like to see more of them. I put it as 3rd choice because being sole-charge and isolated it is so great to talk to other therapists again” “I think that all of the continuing education initiatives are important to support - it is important for me to have face to face time with colleagues and peers. It is also great to have greater access to courses and conferences through videoconferencing and webinars. Individual bursaries are nice as well, provided therapists are getting equal opportunities to apply” “I think all three of the continuing education initiatives listed above are great, and I would like to see all three supported. Based on my current job, the order I ranked them in would be most beneficial to me, but I would be happy to take advantage of any of them ” Acknowledgments The Office of the PPTRRC would like to sincerely thank the BC therapists working with children and youth with special needs that took the time to participate in the survey. Figure 2. Ranking of Education Initiatives