Abstract
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) has launched an online learning platform focused on laboratory medicine, through a collaboration with NEJM Group, publisher of the New England Journal of Medicine, and Area9 Learning. AACC Learning Lab is designed to help lab medicine professionals find answers to health problems affecting their patients as they prepare for certification exams, or seek continuing education, AACC said.
“NEJM is the preeminent medical information brand in the world and AACC is the leading laboratory science and clinical chemistry organization, making this an ideal alliance for creating quality continuing education courses in this subject area,” AACC CEO Janet B. Kreizman told Clinical OMICs.
The platform applies the adaptive technology developed by Area9 Learning and used by NEJM Knowledge+, NEJM’s adaptive-learning platform intended to deliver personalized learning that users can track over time.
Kreizman said NEJM got involved after concluding that laboratory medicine would be a valuable addition to its successful Knowledge+ offerings for physicians. On February 23, NEJM and Area9 expanded Knowledge+ to orthopedic surgeons by partnering with The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
The AACC Learning Lab is divided into five program areas: clinical chemistry, hematology and coagulation, trans-fusion medicine, microbiology, and molecular diagnostics. Each program area consists of approximately 20 courses prepared by experts, many of them AACC members. The first program area available is the Clinical Chemistry series, whose first three courses, or modules, are Thyroid, Protein Electrophoresis, and Clinical Toxicology-Drugs of Abuse. AACC plans to announce course topics for the molecular diagnostics series as more content is rolled out.
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For the clinical chemistry and molecular diagnostics courses, much of the material comes from research and papers published in AACC’s Clinical Chemistry journal. Approximately half of AACC’s 8,000+ members participate in the association’s education programs annually. AACC makes Learning Lab available via subscription at $9.99 per month for AACC members and $12.99 per month for non-members.
“The AACC Learning Lab will complement and expand AACC’s educational offerings and add an exciting new adaptive learning approach that allows members at every level and background to benefit,” Kreizman said.