ACR Online Tools for Learning and Teaching

Each year, almost 15,000 healthcare professionals worldwide participate in an ACR/ ARHP educational activity. When surveyed, ACR and ARHP members always list education as a highly rated member benefit, because it provides state-of-the-art rheumatology practice and research instruction and, in the case of live activities, a forum for networking with colleagues. The importance of this benefit is just one of the myriad reasons that providing quality rheumatology education is a responsibility that our various educational planning committees (e.g., Annual Scientific Meeting, State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, etc.) take quite seriously. The volunteer members who represent the entire ACR membership on the ACR/ARHP educational planning committees are busy healthcare professionals. They recognize that, for the ACR to be the premier educational source for rheumatology professionals, it is not enough to provide high-quality education that is timely and relevant; this education must also be readily accessible on our schedules.

Recently, the ACR has expanded its online offerings and introduced several new initiatives including the NP/PA Postgraduate Rheumatology Training Program, tools for recertification, SessionSelect, the Rheumatology Image Bank, and the Rheumatology Clinical Registry (RCR). The method of delivery for each initiative was developed or selected to make education more accessible for healthcare professionals in rheumatology and in response to member requests.

An Educational Overview

If you have ever thought, “I would like to hire a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, but I simply don’t have the time to train anyone,” I recommend you look into the ARHP’s NP/PA Postgraduate Rheumatology Training Program. This Web-based program consists of 19 modules organized into three tracks: core, adult, and pediatric. Each module includes a self-evaluation challenge to help the NP/PA determine his or her base knowledge and a post-test to evaluate knowledge retention. Using various formats, including lectures, case studies, clinical pearls, and links to online resources like suggested readings, the curriculum is designed to accelerate the training process and improve competence. To date, more than 160 NPs/PAs have enrolled in the program and more than 40 have graduated.

The ACR continues to proactively meet the needs of rheumatology professionals. Its efforts in support of the more than 50% of rheumatologists who need to recertify demonstrate its commitment and responsiveness. Since 2006, the ACR has committed significant resources to developing online activities approved by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) for Maintenance of Certification points.

CARE, an online self-assessment tool, consists of case-based questions to assess the learner’s knowledge of a broad range of topics related to rheumatic diseases. Each September, a new CARE module is released; currently over 200 questions are available through CARE 2009, 2008, and 2007. AIM, the ACR’s practice-improvement module, can help you analyze your practice patterns and identify strengths and areas for improvement. AIM: Rheumatoid Arthritis and AIM: Gout are available now and are also approved for ABIM Maintenance of Certification points.

SessionSelect provides 24-hour flexibility to view online more than 250 recorded educational presentations from the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meetings, lectures from some of the professional meetings series (such as the 2009 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium), and topics of interest, like Ethical Issues in Research and Conflict of Interest. If you attend the live meeting, access to recorded content via SessionSelect is free. If you did not attend, you can still purchase access to the content at a time that is convenient for your schedule. Since SessionSelect’s launch in 2008, site visitors have viewed over 8,000 sessions. A note to my colleagues in Texas: the 2009 Ethics Webcast offers 3 hours of CME credit to help us meet our state medical board requirements.

I understand that viewing a session online lacks the personal interaction that drives so many of us to attend the annual meeting and other live CME activities. It is therefore worth mentioning that several members have reported incorporating Session­Select into their journal clubs, grand rounds, and fellows-in-training programs. This feedback indicates that viewing the session together and following up with a discussion of the treatment implications in a group setting can improve understanding and retention.

The Rheumatology Image Bank, which includes the former ARHP Slide Collection, was recently launched and is quickly gaining favor and momentum. It includes over 1,500 images, and is the most comprehensive online collection of rheumatology-related images available. Members may download images for personal study or use in an educational presentation free of charge. If you have an image we should consider including in the image bank, watch for announcements regarding the slide competition. The ACR staff has alerted me to some of the planned changes, and you will want to get involved.

The RCR, also released in 2009, is a point-of-care clinical data-management tool, which uses evidence-based quality measures and is aimed at improving care and drug safety for patients with RA, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and gout. To facilitate data collection and maximize the RCR’s usefulness, users can access optional patient history forms within the RCR. Some information can also be pulled directly from your billing system into the RCR to minimize data entry. As the RCR expands, so will the advantages it provides.

As a member, many of these resources are free or available at significant discounts, so I encourage you to visit www.rheumatology.org for more information.

New Projects in the Pipeline

This year, the ACR plans to digitally adapt and expand upon print journal content and is working to improve the online tools to help us navigate the annual meeting, including an itinerary planner and search capabilities for the syllabi and abstracts. Planning committees will also be exploring the feasibility of offering a virtual annual meeting, e-posters, an online nursing course, and online certifications for rheumatology nurses and health educators.

The ACR wants to be your source for online education by evolving its program offerings to make the education you want and need accessible to you on demand and on your schedule. I hope that you will send me an e-mail to let me know if we are meeting your expectations.

Dr. Cohen is president of the ACR. Contact him via e-mail at [email protected].