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19 Executive Briefing Endoscopic Spine Academy is an online provider of endoscopic spine surgery to qualified physicians seeking to add endoscopic surgical procedures to their practices. Founded by Dr. Tony Mork, Orthopedic Surgeon and Endoscopic Spine Specialist, ESA's five courses provide in-depth education for five specific surgical procedures, covering everything from patient consultation to billing and coding via internet enabled devices worldwide. Additionally, ESA provides small group lab intensives to physicians seeking the ultimate in provider education, with Dr. Mork personally guiding physicians through specific procedures in quality controlled certified science laboratories. For more information, go to www. endoscopicspineacademy.com, email us at info@endoscopicspineacademy.com, or call us at 1-949-640-6675. Online education costs less due to a variety of reasons. For example, there is no direct cost to travel or stay at a hotel. The indirect costs of time away from work and family are also eliminated. Whether you are experienced or just getting started, these online courses will provide enough detail to consider a procedure if you have enough complementary experience. With a minimal investment you can take a comprehensive look at a procedure from the comfort of your home and see if it might fit into your practice. Q: How can online education augment traditional practicums and cadaver labs for experienced surgeons? Dr. Mork: Throughout my orthopedic career, I would have jumped at the chance to have access to an online course, created by an expert, that I could review anytime I wanted. Even today, I will visit the same expert multiple times, just to see the small things they do that make the big difference. In the past, I would take a corporate or 'meeting' course and hoped that I would find a case to do before I forgot what I learned. The other problem I encountered with corporate or meeting courses was that they were often taught by doctors with little experience of their own or by those with extensive experience who moved at too rapid a pace. I created these online courses for procedures that I have performed in hundreds if not thousands of cases. This is specialized training that can't be taught without a lot of practice and experience. These online classes allow the sharing of expertise that helps more doctors have access to education that is not readily available in certain geographic locations. Q: What advice would you give to other surgeons looking to expand their areas of expertise through the use of online education? Dr. Capra: Online education can expand a surgeon's area of expertise, but physicians should be cautious and selective with the online education platform they choose since standards and quality vary widely. The course instructor should be well known and well trained, have a strong grasp of pre-op, intra- op and post-op care, and have performed thousands of the procedures. The online program must talk about complications, complication management and strategies to mitigate overall risk. The online program must show the procedure being performed on actual patients from start to finish, and also demonstrate small details such as positioning and operating room setup. Computer animations and short video clips are not adequate enough to gain a firm grasp on the procedure. Furthermore, the program must be comprehensive enough to include peripheral topics such as coding to ensure proper documentation and reimbursement. Very few programs in the field of endoscopic surgery can meet these standards. Q: Where do you see online education for endoscopic spine procedures evolving in the future? Dr. Mork: As the cost of technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality become more reasonable, I believe we'll see more in-depth forms of online education that give the practitioner the ability to experience procedures in 3D before stepping into the cadaver lab or operating theatre. AI and machine learning will continue to provide deeper insights into how beneficial endoscopic spine procedures are for continued patient wellbeing and cost containment. In the near term, we will continue to keep all courses up to date, incorporating safe and proven techniques once they pass rigorous testing. Online education also provides doctors with the opportunity to network with other professionals across the nation or in different countries. This often leads to answers or other opportunities with individuals doing the same kind of work. The online courses can source a community for your virtual communication and questions. I still am asking questions and opinions of my mentors from years past and they are very generous with their answers. n