Respiratory care continuing education.

The need for continuing education for respiratory therapists as well as other for health care practitioners is well established. The changing nature and increased volume of medical information, along with the rapid growth of technology related to respiratory care, demand that professionals engage in continuing education. Educational activities may be formal lectures or seminars, or self-directed studies, teleconferences, or video presentations. Recent studies indicate that interactive workshops, alone or in combination with other educational methods, are more likely to be effective that didactic lectures alone. Evaluation methods for continuing education programs have focused on attendees' ratings but should be revised to emphasize the impact of the educational program on beneficial changes in practice.