Respiratory care education goes the distance.

The availability of interactive videoconferencing technology has ignited interest in distance learning programs. Interactive courses can be offered via various technologies as dictated by the needs of educational programs. Allied health programs are employing interactive systems to increase accessibility of quality education to remote, isolated, and underserved areas. A model program in the Central Texas area is meeting the educational needs of respiratory care professionals in a Mexican-American border town. The interactive infrastructure of this project is also being used to offer college courses and continuing education classes in other programs, including Health Information Management and Health Administration.