Physician, educate thyself (online)

A free, open access medical education (FOAMed) website launched by the University of Louisville Department of Medicine last year has added Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit for some video lectures it offers. Annual CME is required for physicians to maintain their licensure.

LouisvilleLectures.org has launched 17 lectures that provide CME credit, said chief resident Michael Burk, MD, founder and managing director of the site. The Office of Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development at the UofL School of Medicine certifies the lectures so that they meet national and state requirements.

“We’ve worked with faculty from throughout the UofL School of Medicine to bring a variety of CME-accredited lectures online,” Burk said. “We will continue to add more CME-accredited lectures as time goes on.”

The 17 CME-accredited lectures are:

• Acute and Chronic Diarrhea

• Acute Kidney Injury

• Acute Pancreatitis

• Adrenal Disorders

• Allergic Rhinitis

• Anemia

• Antibiotics Review I

• Aortic Stenosis/Valvular Principles

• Bradyarrhythmias

• Calcium Homeostasis

• Cardiovascular Risk Predictors

• Difficile

• Electrolyte Emergencies

• Emergency Arrhythmias 101

• Internist's Approach to Gastrointestinal Cancers

• Pneumonia in Many Forms

• Sodium, Potassium and Diuretics

The lectures are available in four formats: online at LouisvilleLectures.org; on YouTube; via iTunes podcast; and via Android podcast.

As with the 100 lectures currently available from LouisvilleLectures.org, the 17 CME-accredited lectures are provided to the general public free of charge. After viewing a CME-accredited lecture, physicians can click the “claim your CME credit” link to register their completion and obtain the credit. Each CME-accredited lecture hour is $9.99, payable online.

While never intended to replace traditional residency education, LouisvilleLectures.org augments the availability and accessibility of medical education, Burk said.

“We want to give providers a reliable source of online CME-accredited programs that they can view at their convenience,” Burk said. “The online format also enables us to update content more rapidly than in a traditional didactic lecture presentation, helping providers stay abreast of the latest advances in medical care.”