Chicago, IL (PRWEB) February 01, 2017
An innovative program developed by the American Society for Clinical Pathology that seeks to improve the diagnosis and treatment for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) using a multidisciplinary approach has received a major award for outstanding live continuing education.
The 2017 ACEhp Award for Outstanding Live Continuing Education (CE) Activity has been presented the education program, Improving MDS Outcomes from Diagnosis to Treatment: A Multidisciplinary Approach, a collaboration of ASCP; The France Foundation, a medical education company; and the American Society of Hematology (ASH). This initiative was supported by an independent educational grant from Celgene Corporation.
MDS is a rare, but potentially deadly cluster of blood and bone marrow disorders that are extremely difficult to diagnose. In about one third of patients with MDS, the disease transforms into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), usually within months to a few years. Patients who have MDS are frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosed when cancer is already in its late stages.
The complexity of the diagnosis underscores the need to educate general pathologists and hematopathologists about accurate diagnosis, application of appropriate prognostic tools, and the use of standardized terminology for effective and clear communications with the treating hematologist or oncologist to determine the best therapeutic plan for treatment.
The collaborative educational program consisted of a series of highly interactive day-long meetings in the United States designed to enhance the cross-disciplinary and inter-specialty collaboration for the effective diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of MDS. The curricula incorporated principles of adult learning theory and utilized a “flipped classroom” model requiring learners to learn new content prior to attending the live meeting, allowing more time for learner engagement and participation.
During the live meeting, learners participated in an interactive, tumor board session followed by four breakouts with hands-on experience. At the end of the activity, the knowledge and skills of the learners were applied to a multidisciplinary team approach to working on case scenarios for myelodysplastic syndrome diagnosis and management via a problem-based learning method. Each team presented their case recommendations to the entire group and feedback was provided by the group and faculty in an open discussion.
The award for Outstanding Live CE Activity was presented by the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions (ACEhp) at the Alliance Awards Ceremony on January 28th. The award showcases innovation and excellence in educational design and format, as well as first-rate instructional delivery. The program demonstrated high-quality multidisciplinary efforts and promoted effective cross-disciplinary communication among specialists. The MDS collaborators are thrilled to be recognized for this meaningful education and will receive a certificate of achievement for innovative educational design and exceptional instructional delivery.
For more information about the MDS program, visit http://www.pathologylearning.org/mds.
About the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP is a medical professional society with more than 100,000 member board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologists, pathology residents and fellows, laboratory professionals, and students. ASCP provides excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals. To learn more, visit http://www.ascp.org. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ascp_chicago and connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ASCP.Chicago.
About The France Foundation
Since 1999, TFF has been at the forefront of planning, developing, and implementing multidisciplinary certified medical education. The France Foundation is an award winning organization accredited with commendation by the ACCME and by the ACPE to provide continuing education for physicians and pharmacists, respectively. TFF has implemented thousands of educational activities over the past 16 years. TFF has also been involved in collaborating with multiple academic medical centers, medical specially societies, hospital systems, and broad-based clinical networks to develop and deliver innovative impactful educational experiences. Today, TFF is a recognized leader in continuing professional development (CPD), having established strong relationships within medical communities across the US and abroad.
About the American Society of Hematology (ASH)
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (http://www.hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. For more than 50 years, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. ASH publishes Blood (http://www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online. In 2016, ASH launched Blood Advances (http://www.bloodadvances.org), an online, peer-reviewed open-access journal.
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