Lifelong Learning as Part of the Quality Improvement Process

Program Description: Lifelong learning is a process that begins when one enters medical school. It continues throughout residency and practice. With a constantly evolving and changing knowledge base, it provides tools for a continual educational process for the clinician. Lifelong learning has been mandated as a core essential element of both professional training, as well as maintenance of professional standing. The field of continuing medical education has evolved to meet this demand. The tools and methodologies available to the practicing clinician in today’s environment are constantly changing. In the past decade or so we have seen a change from education products being enduring materials, such as textbooks and journals to online on demand materials. This evolution has been brought about by not only improved technology but by advances in the understanding of how we learn. This miniseminar will initiate with a concept of how lifelong learning fits into residency training. The role of this competency and how it is managed in residency will be discussed. The evolution of the ability to measure and the different measurement tools available will be presented. It will then move into CME materials that are currently available on the market. The commonest materials will be demonstrated and an understanding of how online educational activities can contribute to online learning will be shown. A discussion of the new rules of CME that are on the horizon and how they impact physician interaction with pharmaceutical manufacturing and the requirements for measurement of outcomes will be presented. Each of us is soon going to be required to identify practice gaps and then demonstrate how we have addressed them. Finally we will have to demonstrate how we have changed our practice with this knowledge. The miniseminar will end with a discussion on how lifelong learning fits into the maintenance of the Certification Program of the American Board of Otolaryngology. The role of online education and certification of competence will be demonstrated.

Educational Objectives: 1) Learn how to better able relate to the historical and evolutionary change in lifelong learning. 2) Understand online learning materials and how to integrate this teaching into identifying practice gaps and then modifying those gaps to provide the best possible care.