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Online learning resources in emergency medicine for primary care professionals

Introduction

BMJ Learning is an online learning website for health professionals [1]. It produces interactive learning resources to enable them to update their knowledge and skills [2]. One of its main target audiences is primary care professionals. These users have consistently requested learning resources in emergency medicine to better care for such patients in the community. To help meet these needs, BMJ Learning produced a series of learning modules in emergency medicine.

Methods

BMJ Learning produced a series of seven modules on common emergency medicine conditions. These included epistaxis, accidental hypothermia, acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage, anaphylaxis, deliberate self-harm, uncomplicated first generalised seizure and paracetamol overdose.

Results

A total of 5,082 users completed these modules. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Specific examples of feedback are as follows: 'good update of management plan reinforces need for taking into account concurrent medication when resuscitating patients', 'nice simple messages with good starting points for trying to deal with these complicated patients', 'useful data on risk of recurrence as this is a question often asked by patients'. This feedback was particularly encouraging as it showed how the primary care professionals planned to change their practice to improve patient outcomes as a result of the learning.

Conclusion

We feel that the results show that online learning modules are effective at helping primary care professionals learn about emergency medicine. We encourage other providers of online learning to increase the amount of learning resources that are available in this area.

References

  1. Walsh K, Dillner L: Launching BMJ Learning [editorial]. BMJ 2003, 327: 1064. 10.1136/bmj.327.7423.1064

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Johnson J, Dutton S, Briffa E, Black DC: Broadband learning for doctors. BMJ 2006, 332: 1403-1404. 10.1136/bmj.332.7555.1403

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

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Walsh, K. Online learning resources in emergency medicine for primary care professionals. Crit Care 12 (Suppl 2), P540 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1186/cc6761

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/cc6761

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