From: ndallen@r-node.gts.org (Nigel Allen)
Subject: Distance-Learning Network to Bring Medical Education to Psychiatric Hospitals
Organization: Echo Beach, Toronto
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 23:32:18 GMT

Here is a press release from PSYCHNET.

 Distance-Learning Network to Bring Medical Education to Psychiatric
Hospitals
 To: National Desk, Medical Writer
 Contact: Frank Skinner, 703-218-5335, of Interactive Medical
          Networks; or Stephen W.T. O'Keeffe, 703-734-1880,
          of KSK Communications Ltd.

   FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 11  -- Interactive Medical Networks (IMN), 
an ACCME accredited provider of continuing Medical
Education (CME) and a subsidiary of Westcott Communications Inc.,
today announced PSYCHNET, a highly focused, distance-learning
educational support network for state psychiatric institutions and
their medical staffs.
   Featuring nationally recognized experts, a series of 90-minute
interactive programs will allow psychiatric hospitals to receive
valuable education for their medical staffs.  The state-of-the-art
satellite television network will furnish high-quality CME without
burden to today's financially stretched state psychiatric hospitals.
Participating institutions will receive PSYCHNET at no charge.
Funding is provided through educational grants from the
pharmaceutical industry.  Initial 1993 sponsors include McNeil
Pharmaceutical and Abbott Laboratories.
   As a remote-learning service, PSYCHNET will transmit educational
programming from Westcott's broadcast studio in Dallas directly into
150 psychiatric institutions and 800 community hospitals across the
country.
   The network will deliver monthly CME programs in 1993, including
sessions on depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.  The
first program will address schizophrenia, with an emphasis on relapse
prevention, as part of a three-part series exploring clinical,
economic, and family perspectives of depot therapy.
   Each program will last approximately 90 minutes, which includes 30
minutes for participants' questions and answers.  Featuring case
studies and breaking medical information, the sessions will allow
attendees around the country to consult the expert faculty and
interact with their peers via an 800 line.  All required hardware for
reception, including satellite dish and monitor equipment, will be
furnished without charge to participating institutions.
   "IMN is aware of the important role that CME plays in improving
the level of psychiatric care," said Thomas F. Zimmerman, Ph.D.,
president of IMN.  "However, the increasing budgetary and time
pressures on today's state institutions limit physicians' access to
traditional travel-dependent education resources.  PSYCHNET's goal is
simply to connect those with the best information to those with the
greatest need for that information.  By enabling practitioners to
stay abreast of the latest developments, the network will strive to
improve the quality of care in America's psychiatric institutions."
   The vision of IMN is the combination of quality education and
advanced communications technology.  IMN is a division of Westcott
Communications Inc., Carrollton, Texas, the nation's largest provider
of television-delivered professional education.  Westcott
Communications operates 10 narrowcast networks serving 15,000
subscribers across the United States.
 -30-
Newsgroups: sci.med