Distance Education for Health
The Distance Education for Health (DEH) unit at Boston University Medical Campus is committed to providing quality education and training to medical professionals and educators worldwide. We use an innovative approach to the instructional design of our courses and we rely on a wide range of media and technology to meet the needs of our learners. Please browse our site to learn more about DEH and what we do. If you have questions, or if you are interested in our services, please contact us.
Awards
DEH Publication is Designated a “Notable Publication in Biomedical Informatics” by the American Medical Informatics Association.
An Interactive Web-based Curriculum on Evidence-based Medicine: Design and Effectiveness. Katherine Schilling, School of Library and Information Science, Indiana University; John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA. AMIA Informatics 2006 Year in Review [More detail…]
Best Faculty Abstract.
Web-based vs. Face to Face Learning of Diabetes Management: The Results of a Comparative Trial of Educational Methods. John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA Awarded at the First Annual John McCahan Medical Education Day, July 19, 2006 Boston University School of Medicine [Online Abstract]
Winner of the 2004 Medical Library Association Research Award.
The Impact of Online Training on Information-Retrieval Skills and Clinical Decision-Making in a Family Medicine Clerkship John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA; Katherine Schilling, AHIP, Head, Information Management Education, Alumni Medical Library, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA ; David S. Ginn, AHIP, Director, Alumni Medical Library, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA ; Joseph J. Harzbecker Jr., AHIP, Head, Reference and Interlibrary Loan, Alumni Medical Library, Boston University Medical Center, Boston. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association, May 23, 2004, Washington, D.C.
Best Online CME Course – 2002 – By the eHealth Institute
Treatment and Management of Type 2 Diabetes Wiecha, John.M, Stefanie Curry The annual award is given out in conjunction with the eHealth Developers’ Summit to recognize and promote high quality eHealth application development. For more information about the course, click here.
Projects
Boston Breathes
A two-year grant to adapt and evaluate a web-based, home telemedicine system for patient education and monitoring. In collaboration with colleagues in Germany, we will conduct a RCT of the system among pediatric patients with asthma to determine impact on asthma care processes and outcomes. Funded by the Commonwealth Fund. Status: complete
Boston University
A one-year grant to implement an online course in the medical interview for 1st year students in the School of Medicine. Status: complete, manuscript under review
Faculty Development for Community Preceptors
Using online methods, community-based preceptors responsible for teaching 3rd year medical students in the family medicine clerkship will be offered a training program in teaching skills. Status: funded
Healix Corporation
One year support to develop, implement, and evaluate online CME for international primary care physicians on the topic of type 2 diabetes management. Curriculum available for additional courses and participants. Status: complete
Health Resources Services Administration, Title VII Training Grant
A three-year grant to develop and evaluate methods of teaching clerkship students in cultural competence and evidence-based medicine using electronic technology. Status: complete
Health Resources Services Administration, Title VII Training Grant
A three-year grant including informatics component to develop and evaluate methods of teaching medical students in mental health care issues of primary care, and in the care of the underserved. $470,000 support from July 2004- June 2007. Status: complete
Hewlett-Packard Corporation
Grant of 17 personal computers and peripherals for distribution to community-based preceptors for facilitating student access to departmental online curriculum. Status: complete
Primary Care Training Grant
To strengthen student programs in family medicine and geriatrics, to implement an online faculty development program, and to develop a financial planning resource center for indebted students interested in primary care careers. Status: complete, manuscript on medical debt in press: Academic Medicine.
Physician’s Foundation
A 3-year project to provide innovative, interactive distance education CME for primary care physicians throughout New England. Using our innovative model of online professional development based on collaborative learning, this project will provide participants with up-to-date information and skills in the areas of cancer prevention, risk management, pediatric asthma, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. Status: $400,000 USD starting from January, 2007. Status: complete
Reynolds Foundation
Our Unit is a primary partner in a 5-year, $1,000,000 grant from the Reynolds Foundation started in 2004, awarded to the Geriatrics Department, Boston University School of Medicine to develop, implement, and evaluate web-based methods for geriatrics training for medical students, residents, and practicing physicians. Status: complete
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
A four-year project to develop distance education methods and programs for our clerkship in family medicine. Status: ongoing
Virtual Worlds CME
This interactive, single-session 2010 research pilot of virtual world-delivered continuing medical education focused on type 2 diabetes training for primary care physicians. Participants completed pre- and post-intervention surveys to measure changes in learning, behavior, and performance. Published results for this pilot can be found in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. (J Med Internet Res 2010;12(1):e1) Status: complete
Virtual Worlds Motivational Interviewing (MI) CME
Two 2011 research training events designed to teach Motivational Interviewing (a patient-centered counseling strategy to promote constructive dialog and support physician as well as patient behavior change). The first was a two-session pilot, where doctors used MI methods with standardized patients to discuss colorectal cancer screening. The second was a three-session event applying MI methods to smoking cessation. Facilitators in both studies assessed participants by comparing pre- and post-recorded interviews between participants and a blinded, mock patient. Published results for the MI in colorectal screening CME project can be found in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (J Med Internet Res 2011;13(3):e77). This video shows highlights from the smoking cessation MI CME. Status: complete
Virtual Worlds Patient Healthcare Education
Women In Control (WIC) is a two-year, NIH-funded research program to conduct and compare in-person and virtual world-delivered diabetes healthcare intervention. One hundred Boston-area women of color with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) participated in group counseling sessions. This video shows highlights from WIC patient sessions conducted in the virtual world of Second Life. Status: ongoing
WHO/GFMER/BU Reproductive Health Program
In May 2012, a partnership of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research (GFMER), and Boston University School of Medicine delivered a single session of the WHO worldwide online course in sexual and reproductive health in the virtual world. Dr. Marloes Schoonheim led the session entitled, Population Control: Past Policies and Future Challenges. This video shows highlights from the virtual world presentation. Status: complete
Reports and Links
Each of the following links opens a separate browser.
A Pilot Study of Motivational Interviewing Training in a Virtual World. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2011. Vol 13, No 3. Mitchell S, Heyden R, Heyden N, Shroy P, Andrew S, Wiecha J. [Online Paper]
Virtual Worlds, Real Gains. Research at Boston University 2011. [Online Article]
Learning in a Virtual World: Experience with Using Second Life for Medical Education. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2010. Vol 1, No 1. Wiecha J, Heyden R, Sternthal E, Merialdi M. [Online Paper]
Promoting Medical Humanism: Design and Evaluation of an Online Curriculum. Innovations in Family Medicine 2008;40(9):617-19. John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH; Jeffrey F. Markuns, MD, EdM [Online Full Text]
Teaching Geriatric Assessment: Use of a Hybrid Method in a Family Medicine Clerkship. Family Medicine 2008;40(10):721-5. Laura N. Goldman, MD; John Wiecha, MD, MPH; Miriam Hoffman, MD; Sharon A. Levine, MD [Online Abstract]
BostonBreathes: Improving pediatric asthma care with a home-based interactive website for patient education, monitoring, and clinical teamwork. AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2006; 1144. John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH; Adams WG, MD. [Online Abstract]
Web-based vs. Face to Face Learning of Diabetes Management: The Results of a Comparative Trial of Educational Methods Family Medicine 2006;38(9):647-52. John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH; Peter F. Shaw, PhD; Vk Chetty, PhD. [Online Full Text]
An Interactive Web-based Curriculum on Evidence-Based Medicine: Design and Effectiveness. Family Medicine 2006;38(2):126-32. Katherine Schilling, Ed.D; John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH; Souad Khalil, MPH Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA [Online Abstract] [Online Full Text]
The Interdisciplinary eHealth Team: Chronic Care for the Future JMIR, 2004. John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH; Timothy Pollard, MD Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA [Online Full Text]
Commentary Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, No. 6, Volume 10, 2003. John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA
Collaborative Online Learning: A New Distance Learning Method. WHO Essential Drugs Monitor, No. 33, 2003. John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH [PDF Overview]
Collaborative e-Learning Using Streaming Video and Asynchronous Discussion Boardsto Teach the Cognitive Foundation of Medical Interviewing: A Case Study JMIR (J Med Internet Res) 2003;5(2):e13 John M. Wiecha, MD, MPH; Robert Gramling, MD; Phyllis Joachim, PhD; Hannelore Vanderschmidt, EdM, PhD [Online Abstract]
Collaborative Online Learning: A New Approach to Distance CME John Wiecha and Nick Barrie Acad Med 2002 77: 928-929. [Online Abstract]
HEAL: An Instructional Design Model Applied to an Online Clerkship in Family Medicine John M. Wiecha, Hannelore Vanderschmidt, and Kathy Schilling Acad Med 2002 77: 925-926. [Online Abstract] [PDF Overview]
Faculty
John Wiecha, MD, MPH – Founder and Director
John Wiecha, MD, MPH is an Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at Boston University School of Medicine, where is he also the Director of the Office of Medical Education, and an Associate Professor. He received his M.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his M.P.H from the University of Massachusetts. He completed residencies in Family Medicine and in Preventive Medicine at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Wiecha has published studies on patterns of preventive health care among disadvantaged populations, on tobacco abuse among vulnerable populations, and on methods and evaluation of distance medical education which have received national recognition. He has received funding for research and educational program development from numerous private foundations including The Commonwealth Fund, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Physicians’ Foundation, The World Health Organization, and the NIH and other U.S. government sources.