In an age where health care providers must do "more with less", the command of new technology is yet another burden.

The pace of change and explosion of information has meant this technology is not adopted readily by many practitioners - despite community expectations that they embrace it, according to a new study published by Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Gilmore Centre for Health Improvement.

The study by two CSU researchers, Dr Helen Geissinger and Dr Peter Lloyd, explores the current state of electronic or 'virtual learning' for health care professionals within these challenges of the information age.

Titled The face of continuing professional education for Australian health care providers in the information age, the study will be launched by the Federal Member for Farrer, The Honourable Mr Tim Fischer and the Federal Member for Riverina, Mrs Kay Hull, MP, at Parliament House, Canberra, on Thursday 7 December.

"We have entered an era in which people are confronted by huge increases in the volume of information," said Dr Geissinger, Associate Director of the Centre for Enhancing Learning and Teaching (CELT) at CSU.

Geisinger and Lloyd suggest there is a widely held expectation that health care professionals will meet the challenges of this information explosion and technological advances "but for many the Internet remains very complex".

The 72-page study highlights several advantages of using the Internet for continuing professional education, including 'all day, every day' access to instant and continuous updates.

Of particular interest to the CSU researchers was the unequal playing field for health professionals practising in urban and rural Australia, especially in the field of continuing education and which could be overcome with electronic delivery methods.

Included in the study is a list and commentary on current websites relevant to 26 of the major health-related occupational groups, a glossary of web and learning terms, suggestions on how to establish continuing professional education websites and a list of electronic journals for health professionals and consumers.