Office of Continuing Education at CFMC Newsletter


November 2011 CFMC OCE Newsletter
Part II: Making your Activity More Interactive Last month, CFMC’s newsletter discussed effective educational formats and, according to a recent survey done in collaboration with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP),¹ the live activity is still the most preferred format by almost half of attendees (46 percent). In 2008, the Macy Report published that traditional didactic CME activities were largely ineffective at changing physician behavior. The Report went on to find that interactive, multimodal CME activities were more effective in terms of changing physician behavior and aiding physicians’ retention of information. In the AAFP study, 39 percent of respondents said they remembered more following an interactive session than a lecture format.¹ It is not surprising that people learn best when they are engaged. So, how do you make your activity more interactive? Here are a few ideas. CASE STUDIES We have several joint sponsors who have reached out to their faculty and asked, “What is the most interesting case you’ve had that addresses X?” (The X would represent the desired result of the activity). The Planning Committee would then pick the most interesting examples that address the professional practice gaps of the activity. At the live activity, faculty might ask attendees to use these cases in developing problem-solving strategies. Engaging the audience in this way encourages critical thinking. During the activity, pausing to ask for responses to questions using audience-response technology is one method to increase the level of interaction. The advantage of audience response technology is that learners get instant feedback as well as a feeling of involvement. Case-based methods allow learners to apply best evidence to clinical decisions. In addition, adult learning principles tell us that there are many people who learn best through case discussion and intimate, small-group learning experiences. “BLAST” PRESENTATIONS Blast presentations are concise, 15-minute presentations on a specific topic area that address only one learning objective. These 15-minute bursts of information are typically followed by 15-minute panel discussion/question and answer session. Interestingly, 90% of respondents in blast sessions answered the questions correctly, yielding a 5% improvement over respondents from traditional lecture sessions, according to the AAFP study. Many providers have had success with this format, perhaps because it speaks to the shorter attention span of today’s physicians. PROCEDURAL SESSIONS Teaching procedure requires a different approach than teaching knowledge. There should be a balance between conceptual learning and procedural skills. Activities that are addressing procedure-based learning objectives might invite experts to demonstrate procedures, followed by hands-on practice by attendees. This might take the form of live surgical demonstrations, hands-on bioskills labs and cadaver labs. There are specific requirements that apply to providers doing new procedures and skills training. These can be found on the American Medical Association website at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/continuing-medical-education/physicians-recognition-award-credit-system/cme-help/guidance-new-procedure-cme.page.² BREAKOUTS/WORKSHOPS Breakouts/workshops are very common in CME activities and typically involve the combination of small table discussions with large group collaboration. The important element of breakouts/workshops is that they involve small groups and they are facilitated by experts that reinforce learning. For example, there may be a challenge that multiple stakeholders of a particular target audience are struggling with. A breakout session might assign the participants to multiple “teams” and have each team address a different factor of this challenge. One team might discuss the budgetary/monetary factors of this particular challenge, while another team might address outside factors, such as patient compliance. The small groups work directly with the faculty to apply knowledge to challenges that they face in their own practice. Adults learn most effectively when they are absorbing information that relates directly to them. REFERENCES: Stephens MB, McKenna M, Carrington K. Adult learning models for large-group continuing medical education activities. Fam Med. 2011;43(5):334-337. American Medical Association. Guidance on New Procedure for CME. Available at: American Medical Association website at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/continuing-medical-education/physicians-recognition-award-credit-system/cme-help/guidance-new-procedure-cme.page. Accessed October 2011. Physicians Needed for Medical Necessity Reviews The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC), the quality improvement organization (QIO) for the state of Colorado, will begin to conduct medical necessity reviews for Medicare DME Appeals as a subcontractor to the qualified independent contractor, C2C Solutions, Inc. in late November. We anticipate about 40 hours/week of physician time will be needed to perform these reviews. Presently, we are recruiting 4-5 physicians that would be willing to do medical necessity reviews 8-10 hours/week. The hours are flexible, and if a physician is willing to do more than ten hours/week, that would be great. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in doing this type of review, we would appreciate the opportunity to discuss it with you. Please contact Nancy Borgstadt, Director of Review Services, by phone, 303-784-5735, for a brief conversation; or email her, nborgstadt@cfmc.org, to set up an available time for discussion. Thank you for considering this opportunity. The continuing education experts at CFMC are here to help you create an educational program that will increase physician knowledge and improve patient care. Achieving high standards of certification have enabled CFMC to define the standards of success. Various types of CME activities include live activities, enduring materials, journal-based CME, new procedures, test item writing, manuscript review, performance improvement, Internet point of care learning, and other activities. Live activities are conferences, live Internet webinars, local workshops, seminars, grand rounds, or scientific meetings which are attended virtually or in person. Enduring materials are printed, recorded, audio, video, or online/electronic activities that are used over a period of time. Journal-based CME is identifying a peer-reviewed professional journal article and creating a planned learning activity which incorporates a mechanism for reflection and/or interaction with the article’s content. New procedures and skills courses are those which educate physicians, nurses, psychologists and all healthcare professionals on topics that allow them to apply to licensor and maintenance of certification. Test item writing is the researching, drafting, and defending of potential questions that contribute to the development of high stakes examinations or certain self-assessment modules. Performance improvement is a structured, long term process which involves specific performance measures, retrospective practice assessment, applying performance measures prospectively, and re-evaluation of performance. Other activities can include committee work, learning plans, etc. developed in accordance with all requirements. Create an accredited educational activity you can be proud of with the help of the continuing education experts at CFMC. Call Lorraine Pickrell, CE Manager at 303-784-5761 or via email lpickrell@cfmc.org or Craig Mattingly, CE Operations Manager at 303-695-3000 or via email cmattingly@cfmc.org. CFMC's Online eLearning Services 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. CFMC Upcoming Educational Activities Visit www.yourCEsource.org for a complete list of upcoming educational activities.