This multimedia web-based course runs for 6 weeks, and includes 5 Modules on various aspects of caring for diabetic patients, including: screening and diagnosis, lifestyle treatment, medication options, use of insulin in the type 2 diabetic, and self monitoring.

We offer interactive modules that make learning more engaging. In addition, we use streamed video to demonstrate patient visits. No special equipment or software is needed to view the video; all you need is a computer with sound capability! The online discussion board is yet another way we support interactivity. Here you can reflect about your personal experiences and communicate with your peers about the online cases and modules.

The case-based discussion takes place asynchronously via a threaded discussion group. You read and post messages when it is convenient for you. The emphasis is on participation from the physicians, the learners. The course will require about 1 hour per week of your time.

Faculty

John Wiecha, MD, MPH
John.Wiecha@bmc.org

Dr. Wiecha is the Director of Predoctoral Education. He received his M.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and 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, and on tobacco abuse among minority populations in Massachusetts. He has received a number of awards, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Control Career Development Fellowship, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholars Award, and the University of Massachusetts Fellowship in Asian-American Studies. He served as medical director of a community-based cancer prevention program for Southeast Asian-Americans that received national recognition for excellence. John has a long history of doing family medicine research and works with our residents on developing teaching skills.

Faculty member has nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Faculty member indicates that he does not plan to discuss unlabeled/investigational uses of a commercial product.

Target Audience

Primary Care/General Practice Physicians

Needs Addressed

Increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes require physicians to be skilled in the latest recommendations from national organizations on evidence-based management of patients with diabetes, and with strategies for prevention of diabetes and its complications.

Objectives

The educational goals and objectives of this course are achieved through participant completion and discussion of 5 modules over a course of 6 weeks.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
2. State the current guidelines for diagnosing and categorizing patients according to their screening and diagnostic test results.
3. Discuss the strength of evidence for the change in diagnostic criteria for DM.
4. State characteristics of newly diagnosed patients with type 2 DM in whom lifestyle treatment is appropriate.
5. Describe the components of a comprehensive lifestyle treatment approach to type 2 DM.
6. Describe effective methods of promoting lifestyle change necessary in the type 2 DM.
7. Describe the patient education needs for the type 2 diabetic.
8. Describe specific diet recommendations for patients with DM, including appropriate amounts and types of foods.
9. Describe current classes of medications for Type 2 diabetes
10. Discuss patient profiles appropriate for each of these medication types.
11. Describe monitoring requirements for each medication type.

Release Date

Our next six week course, originally scheduled to start November 15, 2002, will be temporarily postponed. THANK YOU to all who registered. Due to increased demand for the course, we will be reorganizing the administration of it. Please check back in two weeks for more information.

Review Date

Course content updated and revised in August 2002.

Expiration Date

Course content valid until August 2003.

Accreditation

Boston University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Boston University School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 12 hours in category 1 credit towards the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.

References and Evidence-Based Data sources

Recommendations of Diabetes UK (Formerly British Diabetic Association) for the

management of diabetes in primary care. Second edition October 2000 (Revised).

Recommendations for the Nutritional Management of Patients with DM prepared by The Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group (DNSG) of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), 1999. Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 353-355 2000 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) Diabetes Guidelines

Massachusetts guidelines http://www.state.ma.us/dph/diabetes/diabguid.htm

American Diabetes Association, Clinical Practice Guidelines, 2002

World Health Organization, 2002

The UK Prospective Diabetes Study, 2002

Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, 2002