Office of Continuing Education at CFMC Newsletter


August 2010 CFMC OCE Newsletter
The Value of Online CME In 2009, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) disclosed a total of almost 33,000 Internet/Online jointly and directly sponsored CME activities—in the form of either live Internet activities or enduring materials. This represents more than 34% of all CME activities compared to 30% in 2008.1,2 These data show a continued increase in CME activities from previous years. In addition, these online activities drew more than 6.2 million physician and non-physician participants, representing 27% of total CME participants.¹ Over the last 5 years, a redistribution of formats within CME events has taken place. There has been a decrease in the percentage of live events within the total number of CME activities. The live events share of total CME participation (ie, courses and regularly scheduled series) has decreased 2% in the past year.² Most experts are confident that live events will never stop being offered, as interacting with colleagues and experts in a live environment is a huge incentive. However, the reality of the time constraints put on physicians has been showed time and again. Research has shown that brief activities that are close to home and require no travel are more likely to be attended than an out-of-town activity that spans two days. It is clear from the data that physicians are choosing CME activities carefully to efficiently manage their time.³ The popularity of online CME is, at least in part, due to the new generation of physicians that have grown up with the Internet. This particular segment of the physician population loves the availability, immediacy, speed, and the freedom these afford. These are the physicians of the future and are part of the growing number of CME physician participants. The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC) has recently combined their experience in continuing education content with superb technological resources and is now developing and executing high-quality online healthcare educational courses. Some eLearning activities include a collaborative effort with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to develop, Improving Appropriate Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Infections, a free, interactive, case-based online learning experience. This eLearning activity was launched in 2008 and has been well attended by primary care clinicians, nurses and pharmacists. CFMC has also developed a series of popular webinars for the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative (CCGC), educating clinicians on the Colorado Tobacco Cessation and SHS Exposure guideline and how Colorado physicians may implement the guidelines into daily practice. Other CFMC online activities include an educational collaboration with COPIC on liability and risk issues. This case-based activity educates physicians, physician assistants, APNs and other healthcare professionals on liability and risk issues that may arise when physicians and allied health professionals work collaboratively in patient care. Online education is a major asset to any healthcare organization’s continuing education program. Some benefits of CFMC’s online eLearning services include: Reaching a National Audience Affordable Convenient Learning Resource—Available to Learners 24/7 Accredited Programs Developed Based upon Adult Learning Principles Electronic Evaluations & Outcomes Measurement Tools Immediate Credit Certificate Delivery In-house Technical Assistance CME Consulting Services Visit www.yourCEsource.org for more information about our continuing education services to award credit to physicians, nurses, psychologists, and others. You may also call Lorraine Pickrell at 1-800-950-8250, ext. 3372. References: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. ACCME Annual Report Data 2009. Available at: http://www.accme.org/dir_docs/doc_upload/f2e89864-b4c1-428f-8ebe-1ba197a31928_uploaddocument.pdf. Accessed August 2, 2010. Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. ACCME Annual Report Data 2008. Available at: http://www.accme.org/dir_docs/doc_upload/1f8dc476-246a-4e8e-91d3-d24ff2f5bfec_uploaddocument.pdf. Accessed August 2, 2010. Destry Sulkes, MD; Alana L. K. Brody; Mila Kostic; Stephen M. Lewis, MA. Re-establishing the Value of Continuing Medical Education: A Discussion With Experts. Medscape CME. Available at: http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/570600. Accessed August 2, 2010. CFMC Upcoming Educational Activities Visit www.yourCEsource.org for a complete list of upcoming educational activities. Take your education national with CFMC’s eLearning solutions CFMC’s Office of Continuing Education supports its customers in taking their education national through the use of CFMC’s new product: online eLearning services. By combining our experience in continuing education content with superb technological resources, CFMC’s Office of Continuing Education now develops and executes high-quality online healthcare educational courses. In today’s market, online education is a major asset to any healthcare organization’s continuing education program. National Audience Affordable Convenient Learning Resource—Available to Learners 24/7 Accredited Programs Developed applying Adult Learning Principles Electronic Evaluations & Outcomes Measurement Tools Immediate Credit Certificate Delivery In-house Technical Assistance CME Consulting Services Live & Online Courses Visit yourCEsource.org for more information about our continuing education services to award credit to physicians, nurses, psychologists, and others. You may also call Lorraine Pickrell at 1-800-950-8250, ext. 3372.