Abstract
The development of an effective educational programme, i.e. one that not only delivers education but which also fosters change, requires both educational skills and subject expertise from the producers. This paper looks at the key lessons learned when developing a distance-learning programme. These seven key lessons, which focus heavily on needs assessment as well as team working and the need to consider a multiprofessional approach, offer practical advice to those in the medical and dental professions wishing to produce their own educational programmes.