Stephen Kates (University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York); Michael Cunningham (AO Foundation — AO Education, Switzerland); Jane Mihelic (Director, CME, AO North America); Clinton Miner (Global Education Manager, AOTrauma International); Jane Wiedler (AO Foundation — AO Education, Switzerland); Orthogeriatrics Taskforce (AOTrauma)
Synopsis
Geriatric fracture care is an issue of great importance, particularly given the aging population in many countries. The co-management of these patients from admission through discharge and follow-up is a critical component to improving their outcomes. Continued advances in surgical techniques and equipment mean that education must continually evolve using new methods. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report in 2010 recommending development of ‘a better system ... to identify effective learning activities based on standardized, transparent pilot testing and evaluation of resultant learning, performance improvement and patient outcomes’. AOTrauma is a worldwide educational organization that has responded to these needs.
Purpose
To describe the development and implementation of a new approach to orthogeriatrics education worldwide starting with the identification of competencies and using tools to assess if changes in practice were made with a goal of improving patient care and outcomes.
Format
Interactive presentation and discussion of several program components implemented in 2 events in the US and Switzerland during 2011:
- AOTrauma orthogeriatrics competencies that should be mastered by orthopaedic surgeons, geriatricians, and hospitalists (and also serve as a framework for faculty teaching)
- Online participant self-assessments based on the competencies before and after an event
- Trigger videos as a technique for moderated, small-group discussions
- Commitment to change tools and barriers to implementation identification
- Webinars and online resources to complement face-to-face education
Perspective of Presenters
Presenter 1: Steve Kates (Surgeon Educator, course chair)
Presenter 2: Michael Cunningham (Educationalist, global program development) Presenter 3: Jane Mihelic (CME Director, ACCME accreditation)
Significance to CME and participants
Experiences with the development of competencies as the framework for content development will be shared and critiqued by the audience. Developing CME for multispecialty audiences, interprofessional learning, and appropriate ways to measure educational outcomes will be discussed.
Funding Sources
Educational grant from Synthes, USA for AONA geriatrics course
Declaration
Dr. Kates receives funding from the NIH, AHRQ, and the John Hartford Foundation as well as the AO Foundation, and Synthes funds the institution for support.
