The current novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has effected a significant education (HPE) can occur. Advice for strict, widespread social change in the way industry-based and tertiary health professions distancing has catalysed the transformation of course delivery into fully online design across nations. This is problematic for HPE, which has traditionally relied on face-to-face learner interaction, in the form of skills laboratories, simulation training and industry based clinical placements. The transition to online-only course delivery has brought with it a need to address particular issues regarding the construction and delivery of quality curricula and education activities. It is in this context that regional, rural and remote health professionals and academics can provide invaluable insights into the use of technology to overcome the tyranny of distance, promote high quality online HPE and enable the ongoing development of communities of practice. This article is the first in a series addressing the risks and opportunities in the current transition to online HPE, providing practical solutions for educators who are now unable to embrace more traditional face-to-face HPE delivery methods and activities.

RRH: Rural and Remote Health. Published article number: 6132 - Teaching psychomotor skills online: exploring the implications of novel coronavirus on health professions education

Background: To adequately prepare graduates for the dynamic demands of paramedic practice, adopting a contemporary educational approach is essential. This involves collaborating to identify crucial competencies through input from industry stakeholders, experienced practitioners, and discipline-specific experts. Accreditation assumes a central role within this framework, serving as a cornerstone to ensure that paramedicine curricula align with paramedics' diverse and evolving professional roles.Methods: A narrative review of the literature and a directed search of grey literature were performed to identify specific developments in paramedicine competencies and scope of practice and mapped to the professional capabilities published by the Paramedicine Board of Australia. In determining a competency map and accreditation’s role in a competency framework specific to current and evolving paramedic practice, key documents were analysed using a qualitative approach based on content analysis to identify common traits among documents, countries and other professions.Results: The review process identified 278 themes that were further allocated to 22 major analytical groupings. These groupings could further be mapped to previously reported cognitive, technical, integrative, context, relationship, affective/moral competencies and habits of mind. At the same time, the highest-rated groupings were key competencies of intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communications, team-based approach and situational awareness. Two groups were represented in the literature but not in the professional capabilities, namely Health and Social continuum and self-directed practice.Conclusions: This review highlights the importance of measuring and validating the professional capabilities of Paramedicine Practitioners. The study explores various metrics and competency frameworks used to assess competency, comparing them against national accreditation schemes' professional capability standards. The findings suggest that accreditation frameworks play a crucial role in improving the quality of paramedicine practice, encompassing intellectual skills, safety, accountability, clinical decision-making, professionalism, communication, teamwork, and situational awareness.

RRH: Rural and Remote Health. Published article number: 6045 - Practical approaches to pedagogically rich online tutorials in health professions education