Increased knowledge of the clinical trial data presented was found in three key measures (all P<.05):
- A 25% increase in rheumatologists who identified the trial design of an open-label extension of a trial presented regarding the three-year efficacy of a specific IL-6 inhibitor;
- A 36% increase in rheumatologists who recognized the association between different types of disease flare and progression of joint damage as reported in a post hoc analysis of one trial; and
- A 31% increase in rheumatologists who identified tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy allowed patients to reduce or discontinue methotrexate or corticosteroid therapy as reported in a 10-year, open-label extension discussed in two trials.
“These results show just how important online education can be to rheumatologists seeking curated and timely knowledge that can directly impact the quality of patient care,” Ms. Chatterjee shares. “One other important benefit with online education is that it allows us to truly measure learning impact through assessment so we can understand how to tailor future education.”
She says rheumatologists choosing online education should be strategic to ensure the educational activity aligns with specific needs to improve gaps in knowledge, whether it is clinical data, diagnoses or individualizing treatment based on patient types, especially with biologics and other rapidly evolving treatment areas.
Where to Look
In addition to such sources as Medscape Education, healthcare organizations, such as the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, leverage online education through their Rheumatology Rounds Online, sharing research and unique cases with a wider audience.
The ACR/ARHP offers online CME activities and other non-CME online educational activities, such as ACR Beyond, which is the ACR’s online streaming service updated monthly with education from ACR/ARHP meetings, such as scientific sessions, abstracts and lectures.
Clinical trial data presented at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meetings and other meetings, such as the ACR’s Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium, are also available online through an archive. This archive can be searched by topic, investigator or title. This September, abstracts for clinical trial data and other research presented at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Oct. 19–24 in Chicago will be available online.
Carina Stanton is a freelance science journalist in Denver.
Reference
- Jackson E, Chatterjee-Shin P. Improving knowledge of rheumatoid arthritis clinical trial results among rheumatologists: Effect of an online educational intervention [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2017;69(suppl 10).
