FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUSTA, Maine—The Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine (Lunder-Dineen) announces the results of their 2012 market research study of Maine health care providers. The study was conducted as a part of Lunder-Dineen’s ongoing effort to help improve the quality of health care in Maine.

Lunder-Dineen has uncovered unique and diversified needs of physicians and nurses in Maine. Their recent market research study defines the current state of health care education and the desire of clinicians when it comes to meaningful CME/CE-certified education in Maine. This knowledge helps all health care stakeholders move toward meeting those needs and in return, will improve the health of Maine residents.

Lunder-Dineen’s senior program manager, Denise O’Connell says, “Our goal is to provide free CME/CE-certified programs that add value to Maine’s health care community. The information we have gathered from our recent study enables us to create education specifically designed to meet Maine clinician’s needs.”

A nurse practitioner who participated in the study states, “The result of having educational offerings tailored to Maine practitioners and Maine patient care issues would be enhanced value, without doubt.”

Highlighted results:

• Median funding for education of physicians is $2,400 and for nurses is $300
• Top educational interests of Maine clinicians include: rural healthcare, communication across disciplines, coordination among providers, and resources for adequate training
• 31% of participants say they use their smartphones to access information and education; 25% use tablets
• 33% of doctors and 22% of nurses said that professional associations were their preferred source for new educational programs

Lunder-Dineen strives to improve the health and well-being of Maine residents by providing free, high-quality education, so they can better serve their patients and the community. The results of this market research study, coupled with meetings with health care leaders and front-line clinicians in Maine, will be used to identify and develop specific education topics, such as older adult health and mental health.

Last year, similar research brought attention to the rise of bath salts abuse in Maine and a need for motivational interviewing. This brought Lunder-Dineen and other proactive members of the Maine health care community together to create a free, one-hour, online educational program about screening and treatment for bath salts abuse and a motivational interviewing course. O’Connell says, “We look forward to collaborating further with Maine practitioners to develop education and improve health care throughout the state.”

Editor’s Notes:
*Click here for the CME-certified activity, Responding to Patients Abusing Bath Salts
*Click here for CME-certified activity, Basic Skills and Clinical Applications of Motivational Interviewing
*Click here to download the complete survey results

About Lunder-Dineen Health Alliance of Maine:
Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital is a nonprofit organization that provides high-quality, evidence-based, CME/CE-certified education to the citizens of Maine using needs assessments, innovative learning methodologies and expert faculty from within and outside of Maine. www.mainehealtheducation.org