Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions



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CURRENT ISSUE BACK ISSUES SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE ABOUT JCEHP FOR AUTHORS JCEHP AWARD SEARCH		Volume 24 (2) Volume 24, Issue 2, Spring 2004 J Contin Educ Health Prof 2004; 24(2):76-81 ORIGINAL RESEARCH Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and the Delivery of Continuing Medical Education: Case Study from Toronto Dave Davis, MD David Ryan, PhD Gary Sibbald, MD Anita Rachlis, MD Sharon Davies, MD Lee Manchul, MD Sagar Parikh, MD A b s t r a c t Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) struck Toronto in the spring of 2003, causing many deaths, serious morbidity, forced quarantine of thousands of individuals, and the closure of all provincial hospitals for several weeks. Given the direction by public health authorities to cancel or postpone all continuing medical education (CME) courses, including those sponsored by the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, SARS has had a profound effect on the delivery of CME in Toronto and beyond. Method: Case study design using existing documents and self-report. Results: The immediate, specific response of the University of Toronto CME program to SARS is described for the period from March 2003 to September 2003. Discussion: During major outbreaks of infectious disease, continuing education providers should maintain regular contact with public health authorities and learners, enact a rational process for postponing or canceling courses, and implement a disaster plan flexible enough to ensure the delivery of education using technological advances. Lessons for Practice SARS is a severe, acute respiratory disease with a high morbidity and mortality and serious implications for health care workers. During SARS (and similar) outbreaks, CE providers need to maintain regular contact with public health authorities and learners and to develop a rational and flexible decision-making process regarding course cancellation, delay, and/or modification. CME providers need to develop a flexible "disaster plan" to prepare for possible other, similar outbreaks. CME providers need to develop alternative means of CE delivery using technologic advances. MeSH Terms: Education, Medical, Continuing; Organizational Case Studies; Public Health Practice; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
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