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18 Executive Briefing Sponsored by: E ndoscopic spine surgery is the future, and online education makes it simpler for both early career and experienced surgeons to get there. "Online education of endoscopic spine procedures is in its infancy, but technological advances allowing asynchronous learning opened a new world for physicians," said Tony Mork, MD, founder of Endoscopic Spine Academy. "Who has a busier and more unpredictable schedule than a doctor? How many times have you signed up for a course or conference, only to have to cancel because your schedule is filled with cases, family needs or administrative requirements? Online training courses give you the flexibility to juggle your career and family because there is no fixed schedule-you decide when to participate." The Endoscopic Spine Academy includes options for a nine- module online course as well as a lab intensive course to complement virtual learning. The lab is designed for physicians who don't feel confident enough to schedule a procedure after the online course and physicians who have more experience but want additional training and personalized attention to clarify certain concepts. "The lab intensive is a day-long lab that focuses on one procedure that you will do over and over," said Dr. Mork. "It is set up to train two doctors that I will personally mentor. This is a training experience that will allow you to go back home and do a procedure with confidence. This training dramatically increases the chances of a doctor performing a case within two to six weeks of finishing the intensive. This also allows for direct access to me with questions that may arise. The lab intensive is the perfect complement to the online courses." Jason Capra, MD, of Clearwater Pain Solutions in Pensacola, Fla., is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine. He was able to enhance his skills to treat patients with the Endoscopic Spine Academy's virtual course. "Online education has allowed me to expand the treatments I can offer to my patients by providing high quality comprehensive education in an easily accessible package," said Dr. Capra. "Furthermore, online education has allowed me to maintain a high standard of care in a surgical sense. Prior to the surgery I can quickly review relevant anatomy, surgical steps and positioning. The rapid review allows the fine details of the procedure to be fresh in my mind, which ensures the best results for my patients." Here, Drs. Mork and Capra tackle seven questions, outlining how physicians can take their practice to the next level with online education for endoscopic spine procedures. Question: What is the current state of online education of endoscopic spine procedures today? Dr. Mork: Online learning is perfect for doctors who have multiple commitments and need a mode of learning that gives them scheduling power. The online videos are always available for review, which is especially helpful when you want to review a case that you haven't performed in a while. As one becomes more familiar with a procedure, the online course alone may provide enough instruction to do a case. If further instruction and hands-on mentoring is needed, there is also a lab intensive course available to accompany and complement the online courses. Q: Why is it important for physicians to add endoscopic spine procedures to their armamentarium? Dr. Mork: The future of spine surgery is here, and it is endoscopic. If society, payers, practitioners and the government are really interested in less surgery, fewer failed back surgeries, reducing the number of costly fusions and opioid use, endoscopic spine surgery is the path to success. What better way to evaluate a new skill set or procedure for your practice than to be shown everything you need to know online and at your convenience. An online course is also a cost-effective way to evaluate a new potential revenue stream to your practice. Our nine-module courses describe everything in much more detail than any condensed corporate course. These online courses set the standard for patient safety and efficacy of treatment because the surgeon can review the course repeatedly prior to stepping into the cadaver lab or the operating room. Q: What benefits do you feel online education has provided you? Dr. Capra: Online education for endoscopic spine surgery has provided me the benefit of having one convenient location for anatomical review, patient selection, diagnostic injections, surgical instruction and guidance on coding and procedure documentation. This is a wealth of comprehensive information and would usually include multiple sources such as lectures, workshops, textbooks, etc. The online format allows rapid access and can be used on multiple platforms such as laptops, tablets and phones. Q: What is the potential economic impact for spine surgeons who use online education? Dr. Mork: The economic impact is two-fold: Number one, there are potential increases in practice revenue. Number two, it's a cost-effective way to learn and implement new surgical procedures. How online training can bring the future of spine surgery to your practice