Use of NCIT Distance learning in OH teaching and education : Canadian experience Dr Louis Patry MD FRCP (C) Montréal Public Health Direction McGill University Health Center

Printing and new technologies

From the pen to the computer An evolution to improve the diffusion of knowledge!

The routes to India Christopher Colombus 1492 Vasco de Gama 1499

A world to rediscover New words Globalisation Cyberspace Cyberlearning Cyberentreprise

Customer’s service: the new route to India Luggage lost during a flight from Montréal Toronto India ?

Objectives of the presentation To review the influences of the socio- economic changes on the practice of Occupational Health To describe the Canadian distance education and learning experience in Occupational Health To assess the place of the NCIT in the future needs of training in Occupational Health

Influences of the socio-economic changes on the practice of Occupational Health

The occupational physician: a witness of the working conditions throughout the centuries

The industrial revolution : the working conditions in the textile factories and mines

Industrial revolution : the beginning of mass production

Industrialisation and environment

New health problems Psychoneurosis Occupational cramps Craft palsies Occupational palsies Professional spasms Telegrapher’s cramp

The glorious years The Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA) The Occupational Safety and Health Act ( OSHA )

New realities of Occupational Health Practice NCIT revolution Global economy Increasing mobility of the industrial production Outsourcing of Occupational health services Emergence of new Occupational health issues The changing of the workforce

Distance education training: a new teaching approach From the traditional to the virtual class

Distance education learning Modalities Self-learning Modification of the professor-student link Rigorous planning Use of an information and communication system

Modification of the teacher’s role

Distance education learning: Canadian experiences

Canadian experiences The development of occupational health Distance education training Summer school Interuniversity collaboration U. LAVAL U. HAMILTON U. LILLESummer school

McGill University Experimentation of a distance education program Self-learning Practicum (workshop) Study guides Study Guide Occupational Health Distance education program

McGill University Internet arrival Migration of the course content to a base computer training Study Guide Occupational Health Distance education program

Canadian experiences in French speaking African countries

Distance education in Africa

Annaba Kinshasa

Training to research in occupational health in French African speaking countries FORST Programme

FORST

Objectives Experiment and establish a distance education training program in occupational health Develop an innovative training approach base on Internet use Establish a solid basis for sustainable collaboration in Ooccupational health

Teaching committee (representative from each participating University) Regional coordinator (Benin University ) Teaching coordinator (McGill U.) Structure Management Committee Supervise the adaptation of the course content Collaboration to the choice of teachers Support the student learning and the realisation of research project

FORST

Course content preparation Adaptation of the McGill course content McGill Physical agents Industrial Hygiene Epidémioly Ergonomic Practice occupational Health Chemical and biological agents U. de Lille II Professional disease Toxicology U. Hassan II Casablanca Occupational safety practice intensive workshop 1998 U. Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar Intensive workshop participating countries, 12 registered students Morocco, Senegal, Guinea, Côte-d’Ivoire, Benin, New Caledonia One diploma Master degree in Occupational health MSc McGill University

FORST

FORST: a class in action

FORST Artisanal dyeing Handloom weaving Granite quarry

Results Difficulties Organisation: setting up the infrastructure Technology : Computer and Internet use Distance education modalities Modification of the professor-student link Learning by objectives Respect of deadlines Lack of scientific articles in French.

FORST and communication vehicles Difficulties with the postal system Experimentation of NCIT A difficult beginning

FORST The NCITs : The most important : a person to person communication !

FORST: outcomes of the project New certificate in occupational health based on the FORST model Integration of the FORST learning approach in the training program in occupational health Improvement of the abilities of the student to assess occupational health issues African network in occupational health

Occupational health in the 21st century Learning needs

Occupational Health in the 21st century Ethnic and demographic changes Transfer of mass production to the developing countries New structures of the Companies Globalisation Improvement of the technology

The 2010 pyramid of age Benin France

Percentage of the working force among people aged between 55 et 64 year old (OCED)

Proportion of people older than 65 years old among the general population (G8 countries ) 2005 : % 2030 : 35–50% 2050 : % The most concerned countries are: Japan, Italy, France and Germany

OECD Strategy to improve employment for the over 50s Lifelong learning Working promotion Effective re-employment services and support Improve health and security at work Reinforce the measures to reduce discrimination at work

Impacts of a virtual working set-up Modification of the organization at work Increasing part-time work Increasing insecurity at work Job transfer

Future learning needs in Occupational Health Mental health Work organisation Risk communication Management Diversity of the workforce Assessment Preventive approaches Multidisciplinary work

Training in occupational health Few graduated students The attractive power of training in Occupational health is weak Mean age of the candidates is high Physicians become interested in occupational medicine some years after graduating from medical school In Canada the specialty in Occupational medicine will become a sub specialty of Internal and Community medicine

New framework training Need for new skills

The training in Occupational health must be reviewed ! (National Academy of Sciences) Development of innovative approaches of training in Occupational Health Promotion of distance education training based on the NCIT use Reinforcement of collaboration between universities.

Conclusion Through the centuries Occupational health has been always modulated by the socio- economic challenges.

A future reality: an occupational physician or a nurse at work