APA Puts CME Courses Just a Click Away

Those who were not able to travel to New Orleans to hear the lecture by Nobel Prize–winner Eric Kandel, M.D., at APA’s annual meeting in May will be pleased to know that they can become part of the audience by going no further than their computer—where they’ll get an even get a better look at the slides than the many people who crowded the lecture hall in New Orleans.

Kandel’s lecture on the molecular biology of memory is just one part of APA’s CME Online program, which offers psychiatrists the opportunity to earn CME credit by viewing course material and taking tests online. The program was launched in May.

Psychiatrists will find online CME courses for five of APA’s practice guidelines—eating disorders, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease—as well as separate courses on HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease. A special CME component accompanying the practice guideline on borderline personality disorder, which was printed in the October issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, is also available.

There are nine courses, ranging in length from 1.5 to three hours.

At the end of each course, which features material presented by video, audio, and slides as well as text, is a self-assessment test. As users answer each question, they receive immediate feedback. Incorrect answers take the user back to the part of the course correlating to that particular question.

Users who don’t have time to complete the course in one sitting will appreciate a feature that allows them to log off at any point in the course without losing their place. When they log back on, they can resume the course where they left off. A “course map” shows which segments have been completed.

Members have an advantage over nonmembers in terms of cost and availability of additional services on the site. For instance, members taking a course on the practice guidelines pay a $15 processing fee to receive credit, while nonmembers pay $30. For other courses, the prices are $10 for members and $25 for nonmembers. The number of credits varies from course to course.

In addition, only APA members can take advantage of the CME recorder link. This link helps members keep track of how many CME credits they have earned, both from online courses and those earned elsewhere. The CME recorder also allows members to print reports on their CME activity when needed.

Moreover, only members can access APA’s journals—American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services—at no charge on HighWire Press.

Other features of APA’s CME Online site include a calendar of CME events across the country; a link to information on future APA meetings; “Clinical Highlights,” a link to selected industry-supported programs from APA’s annual meetings; and an alphabetized list of CME requirements by state.

To access the site, members need to know their APA ID number and set their password in the Members Corner section of the APA Web site at www.psych.org. Nonmembers need to register for the CME Online program directly at www.psych.org/cme. Once the CME Online homepage is up, users can click on the “Online CME Courses” link and see the range of courses offered.

Philip Muskin, M.D., chair of APA’s Scientific Program Committee, commented on the convenience of the CME Online program. “I can participate when I’m alert and in the mood to learn,” said Muskin. “I am not bound by someone else setting a lecture time.”

Also, he noted, an online course “is interactive in a way that an audiotape or printed materials are not. It allows you to stop the test, do something else, and come back to the test,” he said.

The Internet is opening up new ways to learn, said Muskin. “We are on a learning curve, trying to figure out how people learn the best with this format.”

He observed that while many people feel most comfortable reading large amounts of text on printed pieces of paper, the next generation of psychiatrists may be more adept at processing information directly from their computer screens. “They may have only ever interacted with this medium, so that is what works for them.”

Muskin also noted that many psychiatrists feel pulled in different directions at APA’s annual meeting because so many interesting sessions are offered simultaneously. In the future, he continued, APA hopes to feature more annual meeting highlights online.

APA’s CME Online can be accessed at www.psych.org/cme. ▪