Recruitment of rural healthcare professionals for live continuing education.
INTRODUCTION
The availability of rural healthcare is a growing concern in the United States as fewer healthcare providers choose to work in rural areas. Accessing quality continuing education (CE) for rural healthcare practitioners (HCPs) remains a challenge and may pose a barrier to quality care.


METHODS
To maximize attendance at a live, in-person, free CE program focusing on geriatric medication and issues specifically targeted to HCPs in rural areas, two methods were implemented sequentially. The first method used formal advertising implemented by a professional marketing service to promote CE events. The second method enlisted local healthcare organizations and physician groups to promote the CE event to their employees. Cost per attendee was calculated for comparison.


RESULTS
Professional marketing services recruited 31 HCPs (March 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$428.62. Local healthcare organizations and physician groups' marketing recruited 48 HCPs (July-August 2011) and resulted in a per-participant recruitment cost of US$55.19.


DISCUSSION
Providing free CE coordinated through local healthcare organizations and physician groups was the most cost-effective method of recruiting rural HCPs for CE. Formal advertising added cost without increasing the number of participants per event. Although this is the first study of the cost-effectiveness of recruitment methods targeting HCPs in rural areas, results are consistent with research on cost-effectiveness of outreach to rural lay community members.
['Holuby|Ronnie Scott|RS|', 'Pellegrin|Karen L|KL|', 'Barbato|Anna|A|', 'Ciarleglio|Anita|A|']
D004496:Education, Continuing D005853:Geriatrics D006282:Health Personnel D006801:Humans D008007:Licensure, Medical D010560:Personnel Selection D019035:Rural Health Services D014481:United States
continuing education CE geriatrics marketing cost-effectiveness medication safety rural health