UCSF Radiology decided to switch their Continuing Medical Education from CD-ROM to the internet. Upon this decision the department was faced with many challenges ranging from design to technical. The initiative was broken down into a set of components:

-The administrative component comprised the handling of the switch from CD-ROM to the Internet in terms of supports from the University, the Department, the Postgraduate Education Office and the Office of CME.

- The design component was in fact easily handled because of the lessons learned from the CD-ROMs. The best browser design was retained, and the content was opted to be case-based and interactive.

- The development component was the most challenging. The online CME could be conceived either with outsourcing, with in-house resources or with off-the-shelf software application. For cost and flexibility reasons the in-house model was adopted.

- The distribution component comprises of the marketing and the technical and administrative challenges of e-commerce.

We will be demonstrating our current online CME application:

- The frame-based, case-based and interactive design.

- The database driving force of this application with its interface to the database which permits authors to directly create and modify their case-based content.

Our experience will benefit other institutions facing the challenge of putting case-based teaching files online.

Sylvie Faisant-Lummis
530 Parnassus Avenue CL-158
Box 0628
San Francisco, CA 94143-0628
Phone: 415 476 24 08
Fax: 415 502 3217
Email: sylvie.faisant@radiology.ucsf.edu
Website: http://www.radiology.ucsf.edu/postgrad/online_cme/

CO-AUTHORS:
Hanh Do
521 Parnassus Avenue C-324
Box 0628
San Francisco, CA 94143-0628
Phone: 415 476 4359
Email: hanh.do@radiology.ucsf.edu
Website: http://www.radiology.ucsf.edu/postgrad/online_cme/