E-learning for paramedic telehealth: Audiology in New Jersey, Paramaribo and the Amazon forest.
Abstract: Hearing loss is a global health concern, but expertise and care are not globally available. We present a 3x3-tier (geographical x educational) approach of using E-learning as a tool to build onsite- and tele-healthcare. Three geographical tiers consist of an academic audiology program in the USA, a hub in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname and local communities in the Amazon inland of Suriname. Three educational tiers, supporting trainees for a certificate of Health Facilitator, an Associate’s degree as Audiology Technician and a Bachelor’s degree in Audiology, are educationally offered by the International Institute of Education for Development (IIED) at Paramaribo under the academic and clinical supervision of audiology experts at Montclair State University (MSU) in NJ, USA. Recent advances in technology and online teaching and learning help to integrate E-learning and telehealth, thereby scaffolding students in Suriname from lower to higher educational tiers. Four phases of implementation will be explored.