Reflections from the AMA Task Force on CME Collaboration #AMACME

For the past six years, I've been traveling to Baltimore to attend the Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration. This year was the 23rd annual conference and it was the smallest one I have ever attended. There were roughly 200 or so attendees, so it was a very intimate conference. You can view some of the presentation slides here.

This year, I appreciated the focus around some real-world examples of quality improvement efforts that have led to measurable improvements in patient care. One example was around the Rhode Island ICU Collaborative where all the ICUs in the state collective came together to identify strategies to reduce certain types of infections (like CLASBI and VAP) in the intensive care setting. They established a collaborative approach, engaged administrative leaders, applied a rapid cycle continuous improvement approach, and accomplished some remarkable outcomes like an 84% reduction in CLASBI.

Preparing to attend the AMA National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration

This week, I'll be in Baltimore for the AMA - National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration conference. I'm eager to participate in these discussions regarding the changing world of certified medical education. CME is undergoing some major changes and we're probably going to see some type of "CME reform" over the next few years. There are many ideas floating out there, so let's see where we find ourselves when the dust settles.

Nursing Informatics at the Point of Care: A Barrier or a Bridge?

If you're interested in this topic, then perhaps you'll want to attend SINI 2009. This is the theme this year for the Summer Institute in Nursing Informatics. Informatics at the Point of Care: A Barrier or a Bridge?

SINI 2009 is July 22-25 at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Can't get to Baltimore? Then you can still participate in the plenary presentations and concurrent sessions by registering for the Web-streamed program. Web participants receive all the conference materials and can participate in discussions via email.

Featured speakers this year include:

* Keynote – James J. Cimino, MD, National Institutes of Health
* Paul Tang, MD, Palo Alto Medical Foundation
* Marcelline Harris, PhD, RN, Mayo Clinic
* Nancy Staggers, PhD, RN, University of Utah
* End Note – Suzanne Bakken, DNSc, RN, Columbia University

Wish to learn more? Then visit: http://nursing.umaryland.edu/sini