Advances in endoscopy have allowed medical practitioners, in addition to gastroenterologists, to examine the gastrointestinal system more routinely. Increased utilization of endoscopic technologies has created a need for continuing medical education (CME) opportunities for these professionals who demand the most current understanding of the disease processes involving the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary systems. In response to this need, we recently developed a database-driven Web-based CME module in gastrointestinal (GI) pathology. The central focus is a case study module that provides a proper clinical setting for a thorough discussion of history, clinical evaluation, laboratory and other diagnostic data, differential diagnosis, definition of the disease, and principle of treatment. Cases cover common and rare lesions. Questions and answers are provided to emphasize salient features. This module is linked to:

i. a Web-based Clinical Laboratory Procedure manual for retrieval of test procedures pertinent to the presumptive and/or differential diagnosis (each laboratory procedure provides succinct but valuable information on the testing principle, specimen requirements, test reporting time, and appropriate clinical significance)

ii. PubMed that retrieves literature citations through case diagnoses

iii. Multiple choice quizzes that participants complete and submit to gain CME credits. Contents in each component that make up the CME module are stored in appropriate fields in a separate database, and corresponding Web pages are developed for direct data display. This mode of Web page design is particularly useful when information to be presented is in structured replication as in case studies and in quizzes. We developed the CME module in Web-based format for it’s easy accessibility, affordability and multidisciplinary capabilities. This is particularly valuable for practicing physicians in remote locations who could not otherwise travel to participate in regional CME activities. A Web-based CME module also lends itself to problem-based learning since case studies, image review, quizzes, and PubMed retrieval all serve to stimulate clinical reasoning.

The targeted audience is a select group of about 100 practicing physicians in six rural hospitals around Upstate New York that contract for pathology services at SUNY Upstate Medical University. We plan to evaluate the impact of Web-based CME modules on physicians' behavior patterns in test ordering by evaluating their test ordering patterns and possible changes between pre-CME and post-CME orders. Should the evaluation result be favorable, we would develop Web-based CME modules in other sub-specialty areas in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.

Participants will learn from this presentation/demonstration:

• Using Web-based CME module as a stimulating way of learning
• Organizing information with use of an integrated database
• Usefulness of a database-driven Web page for replicate data display
• The educational value of linking to PubMed for just-in-time information retrieval.

Jannie Woo, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 E Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
Phone: 315-464-6717
Fax: 315-464-7130
Email: wooj@upstate.edu
Website: http://www.upstate.edu/pathology/
http://www.ec.upstate.edu/path/

CO-AUTHORS:

Schuyler Sanderson, M.D.
Department of Pathology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 E Adams Street
Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
Phone: 315-464-7123
Fax: 315-464-7130
Email: sanderss@upstate.edu