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"Let the games begin" with interactive CME

A new breed of online CME is fun, convenient and plays to the competitive streak found in most physicians.

By Jay Greene, amednews staff. June 4, 2001.

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Ruth White, MD, loves to compete. From the 1972 Olympics when she was the U.S. national fencing champion through medical school, residency training and now into private practice, Dr. White loves the challenge of a game.

So in February, when the Los Angeles internist was surfing the Internet for medical information, as she does up to five times a day, Dr. White received a promotional e-mail for "Longevity," an interactive continuing medical education course in game format.

"I tried it. I'm a gamer. I am always addicted to one game or another," said Dr. White. "When I started playing 'Longevity,' it became my game of choice, but I didn't feel guilty that I was wasting time. I felt good about playing because you learn a lot when you play."

More physicians than ever are finding that it is fun and convenient to update their clinical knowledge by sitting in the comfort of their office or home with a computer linked to the Internet. Some physicians such as Dr. White work in high-traffic urban areas. Others, like Marilyn Glaser, MD, work in rural areas where travel for required CME is costly and time-consuming.

"I get about half of my 50 credits a year online," said Dr. Glaser, a family practice physician in Alderson, W.Va. "I find I get more out of the interactive courses than I do just reading a journal article."

CME experts believe that as communication technology improves and more physicians embrace the Internet, the percentage of interactive online courses and games -- with multiple-choice questions and slide-audio medical explanations of answers -- will triple over the next five years. [...]