01977nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260000900042653001100051653002400062653003500086653001100121653001200132653002400144653002300168653002600191653003100217653001700248653002200265100001500287700001200302700001300314700001400327700001100341245009700352856005700449300000900506490000700515050001600522520108700538022001401625       2009                            d  c200910aBrazil10aEducation, Distance10aEducation, Medical, Continuing10aHumans10aleprosy10aPrimary Health Care10aProgram evaluation10aRural Health Services10aSurveys and Questionnaires10aTelemedicine10aVideoconferencing1 aPaixão MP1 aMiot HA1 aSouza PE1 aHaddad AE1 aWen CL00aA university extension course in leprosy: telemedicine in the Amazon for primary healthcare.  uhttp://jtt.sagepub.com/content/15/2/64.full.pdf+html  a64-70 v15  aPAIXAO 20093 a<p>There is a high prevalence of leprosy in the Amazon region of Brazil. We have developed a distance education course in leprosy for training staff of the Family Health Teams (FHTs). The course was made available through a web portal. Tele-educational resources were mediated by professors and coordinators, and included the use of theoretical content available through the web, discussion lists, Internet chat, activity diaries, 3-D video animations (Virtual Human on Leprosy), classes in video streaming and case simulation. Sixty-five FHT staff members were enrolled. All of them completed the course and 47 participants received a certificate at the end of the course. At the end of the course, 48 course-evaluation questionnaires were answered. A total of 47 participants (98%) considered the course as excellent. The results demonstrate the feasibility of an interactive, tele-education model as an educational resource for staff in isolated regions. Improvements in diagnostic skills should increase diagnostic suspicion of leprosy and may contribute to early detection.</p>  a1758-1109