Earn CME From the Comfort of Your Own Home/Office
Free Course for NASS Members
Consistent with NASS’ ongoing commitment to evidence-based medicine and to encourage its practice by NASS members, NASS is training members in evidence analysis. Evidence-based medicine has become integral to the culture of medicine, affecting not only medical providers, but becoming increasingly required by outside entities such as payers, regulatory bodies and accrediting organizations. NASS believes its commitment to the development of evidence-based tools can only serve to help improve the quality of care delivered to spine patients and equip members for today’s medical environment. As the science of evidence analysis evolved, NASS has adopted levels of evidence and grades of recommendation for evaluating scientific literature, and has applied a rigorous evidence-based methodology to guideline development efforts since 2005. Designated NASS committees involved in evaluating the science of spine care receive training to prepare them to assess scientific literature and recommendations objectively and in a manner consistent with EBM practices.
NASS, in conjunction with the University of Alberta’s Centre for Health Evidence (CHE), has developed an online, interactive educational program based on content from the Users’ Guides to the Medical Literature. This course is designed to help practitioners improve their ability to find, appraise and use evidence appearing in the health sciences literature. Critical appraisal is explored within an "Evidence-Based Practice" conceptual framework where the focus is on whether and how evidence should change health practices.
The course is delivered using an Internet desktop developed by CHE and customized specifically for NASS. The desktop acts as a virtual classroom, offering a common point of access to all course readings, handouts, presentations, activities, and other pertinent resources. This private learning environment automatically records participation in learning activities.
Training takes, on average, 15-30 hours to complete, depending on how quickly participants move through the modules. Training is free of charge to NASS members, and participants receive up to 30 hours of CME credit for its completion. Due to limited availability, the course will be available on a first-come, first served basis. Members who do not make the cut-off will be wait listed for the next available opportunity. Participants will have six months to complete the training. At the completion of six months, desktop access will be terminated to allow for participation of other interested members.
To register for the online EBM training program, please contact Karen James, Assistant Manager of Research at kjames@spine.org or (815) 675-0021. You will then receive information on how to register for the training program and install the desktop.