BOSTON, Mass. -- (Nov. 19, 2003) -- Tufts Health Care Institute (THCI) today announced that it has launched an advanced online learning system that will help residency training programs prepare physicians to excel in the rapidly evolving U.S. health care system.

Called THCI's Online Learning Campus, the integrated teaching and learning system has been adopted by leading departments at Jefferson Medical College/Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, among others.

"Medical training programs that must comply with new accreditation mandates to train physicians in a number of critical areas are responding by asking their faculty to teach more - and their residents to learn more - in the same or less time previously available to them. Our Online Learning Campus offers an academically rigorous solution," said THCI Executive Director Rosalie Phillips.

THCI said its Online Learning Campus provides a secure, interactive environment that includes learning modules, exercises, and assessments on such topics as Evidence-based Medicine, Clinical Guidelines, and Quality Improvement Techniques. Much of the material focuses on the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to prepare physicians in a number of competency areas, primarily in systems-based practice and practice-based learning and improvement.

Other campus components include an online personal portfolio that allows learners to record and track their learning activities and communicate with their faculty. Faculty also have easy access to reports on their target group of learners.

"THCI's Online Learning Campus is the right tool at the right time because it assists faculty in teaching the two most difficult ACGME competencies: systems-based practice and practice-based learning and improvement," said Dr. Cynthia Silber, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Jefferson Medical College/Thomas Jefferson University. "Our program directors are responding enthusiastically because the Online Learning Campus augments regular classroom teaching with high quality content and assessment tools."

The THCI Online Learning Campus is accessible on the Web at campus.thci.org.

About the Online Learning Campus

THCI's Online Learning Campus is a secure, interactive environment that helps faculty teach, and residents learn, about the ACGME competencies, particularly in the areas of systems-based practice and practice-based learning and improvement.

The Online Learning Campus features instructional tools and resources, including learning modules and self-assessments, which have been developed by nationally recognized experts in graduate medical education. Applied Learning Exercises (AppLEs) enable residents to apply their learning in their day-to-day clinical settings, while integrated personal portfolios allow faculty and residents to track, assess, and document progress. Extensive bibliographic resources are also available.

Practitioners (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and physician assistants) have access to a Continuing Education Division of the Online Learning Campus that features learning modules, self-assessments, and a personal portfolio, focusing on the areas of systems-based care and practice-based learning.

About Tufts Health Care Institute

Established in 1995, THCI (www.thci.org), an independent, not-for-profit, educational organization, is a leading source for educational and training programs on systems-based practice and care management for the health professions. THCI provides practical teaching materials, including online learning resources, assessment instruments, and curriculum guides, and regularly conducts national conferences and faculty development workshops. These activities support the training of clinicians to better meet the goals of professional groups, such as the ACGME and the ABMS (American Board of Medical Specialties), as well as recommendations from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Institute of Medicine.

Contact:
Rosalie Phillips
Tufts Health Care Institute
Tel: 617-636-1000

Peter Lowy
Business Communication Strategies
Tel: 781-326-9980
Email: lowy@bus-com.com