[January 24, 2017]

American Gastroenterological Association, RealCME and RMEI Announce Completion of First Phase in Multi-Year Education Initiative

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), RealCME, and RMEI Medical Education (RMEI) have completed the crucial first phase of a continuing medical education (CME) curriculum and research initiative to engage community-based GI clinicians on improving care for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Entitled The Gastroenterology Learning Pathway: Achieving Success in IBD Management, the curriculum focuses on patient/disease and drug monitoring, as well as a personalized approach to managing patients with IBD.

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"The AGA Institute is engaging in this long-term endeavor, for one, because there is real value creation for our membership whenever educational resources are tailored to their specific areas of need," said Maura Davis, Senior Director of Education. "Additionally, our hope is that the impact is equally positive for the broader GI community, hence our outreach to state gastroenterological societies in areas of need."

In the 3^rd and 4^th quarters of 2016, symposia were conducted with state GI societies across the South, Southwest and Northeast, while interactive Web courses were launched nationally. Learner performance and demographic data are now being assessed using advanced analytics to identify the drivers of clinical gaps in IBD management and areas of ongoing educational need. This analysis will guide the development of AGA's Certificate Program in IBD, a multicomponentonline curriculum that recognizes clinician expertise in IBD management. Supported by independent educational grant funding from AbbVie, Shire, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, this data-driven initiative is the first of its kind in the gastroenterology education field.

"The emergence of new educational technology is having a profound impact on how we measure outcomes in CME. By employing advanced analytics that includes predictive modeling, we can confidently project the impact of educational interventions on future performance," stated Steven Haimowitz, MD, President of RealCME. "With strong technology that supports a statistically sophisticated data approach, we're looking to produce benchmarking data that can influence educational priorities for years to come."

"Why this is important to patients with IBD might seem obvious," said Jacqui Brooks, MBBCh, MRCPsych, Senior Vice President of Medical Strategy at RMEI, "since clinicians who receive IBD-related training and education, tailored to specific drivers of educational need, tend to improve the care they deliver to their patients. Our research thus far shows that patient and drug monitoring, emerging and novel agents, and treating patients with moderate-to-severe disease are areas of particular deficit, and the AGA's Certificate Program in IBD will place special emphasis in these areas."

Known collectively as IBD, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis affect 1 in 200 people. They are medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system and severely impair quality of life. Crohn's disease may attack anywhere along the digestive tract, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require numerous hospitalizations and surgery. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35; however the incidence is increasing in children.

About the AGA Institute

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to more than 16,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. www.gastro.org.

About RealCME

RealCME is a Software as a Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) company focused on using educational technology to spread the adoption of innovations and best practices. Educators utilize RealCME's digital platform to enable the development, publishing, delivery, and measuring of educational interventions and accelerates the education, training and alignment of caregivers regarding more effective implementation of best practices, new care delivery models and processes for coordinating patient care. For more information, visit www.healthcourse.com, call 646-380-8482 or email at [email protected].

About RMEI Medical Education

Founded in 1990, RMEI Medical Education (RMEI) is one of the longest operating medical education companies in the U.S. With an emphasis on sophisticated learner analytics for program design, delivery and assessment, RMEI works to elevate the dialogue on what makes for effective education. In designing innovative teaching modalities such as the Clinical Convergence (News - Alert)™ platform for its five primary therapeutic areas, RMEI seeks to inspire greater collaboration within the care team and stronger commitment to patient engagement. For more information, visit www.rmei.com, call 856-672-3152 or email at [email protected].

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