Johns Hopkins and DKBmed Launch Second Volume of eViralHepatitis Review

JANUARY 26, 2012 | Download PDF

NEW YORK, NY (JANUARY 26, 2012) — The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in collaboration with DKBmed, LLC, recently launched the second volume of eViralHepatitis Review, a successful continuing medical education program addressing advances in the research and treatment of viral hepatitis. The first issue of Volume 2, released in December 2011, features coverage of the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease ("The Liver Meeting").

Like other programs in the successful eLiterature Review™ series, eViralHepatitis Review is designed to help clinicians address key practice and knowledge gaps. An outcomes analysis done upon completion of Volume #1 demonstrated statistically significant practice-change results. Following the program:

• 61.5 percent of participants can better identify and screen patients at high risk for chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV)
• 69.2 percent reported improved interpretation of HBV screening test results
• 84.6 percent said they can more effectively counsel patients about the implications of their HBV status

The program includes periodic emailed newsletters as well as case-based podcasts that apply the information to a clinical situation to help model practice change. Subscribers include hepatologists, primary care physicians, infectious disease specialists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and others involved in the care of patients with viral hepatitis.

Volume 1 was comprised of three issues focusing primarily on hepatitis B and coverage of the 2010 Liver Meeting. Volume 2 will grow to 12 issues and expand its focus to include hepatitis C as well as co-infection with HIV and multiple types of hepatitis.

"Advances in new treatments are now resulting in more effective care for patients with viral hepatitis, and there is more attention than ever to the need for screening and patient counseling," said Mark S. Sulkowski, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Viral Hepatitis Center at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a Program Director for eViralHepatitis Review. "Our expansion of eViralHepatitis Review will enable us to educate clinicians about the latest medical evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis." Dr. Sulkowski was recently joined by Raymond T. Chung, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Hepatology, Medicine Services at Harvard Medical School and Vice Chief of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, who became a new eViralHepatitis Review Program Director.

The program has more than 400 subscribers. DKBmed will be at the Pri-Med Southwest meeting in Houston, Texas (March 8-10, 2012) to register additional participants. This conference will address a range of clinical issues in primary care including Hepatitis B, C and co-infections.

For physicians, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine designates each eViralHepatitis Review newsletter for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ and each podcast for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s). For nurses, The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing designates each eViralHepatitis Review newsletter for a maximum of 1 contact hour Educational Activity and each podcast for a maximum of 0.5 contact hour Educational Activity. eViralHepatitis Review is supported by educational grants from Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.

About DKBmed

DKBmed is an integrated, non-accredited, continuing medical education company operated by a team of experienced medical education professionals and featuring the finest faculty in the country. The goal of DKBmed is to provide health care professionals with effective medical education that closes identified knowledge/practice gaps to ensure optimal patient care.

Working with accredited providers, DKBmed develops and implements live, recorded, print, and web-based educational programs. These programs are accessible through the company's web site (www.dkbmed.com). DKBmed's programs reach over 30,000 clinicians specializing in a variety of areas, including neonatology, cystic fibrosis, infectious disease, dermatology, macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary disease, nephrology, hematology, transplantation, multiple sclerosis, and pain management.

About The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

In July 2011, US News & World Report ranked The Johns Hopkins Hospital No. 1 among American hospitals for the 21st consecutive year. Johns Hopkins remains the nation's leading medical school recipient of research funds from the National Institutes of Health. In 2006, the Johns Hopkins Office of CME received "Accreditation with Commendation" for six years, the highest ranking issued by the ACCME. In addition, the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education (ACME) has named Hopkins a center for "Best Practices."

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is an Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC), one of 13 such centers in North America funded in 2002 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Johns Hopkins takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity.

About the Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing

Formed in 1995, The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing is an innovative partnership between the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Nursing. The overall mission of The Institute is to share innovations in practice, science, and scholarship from Johns Hopkins Nursing with other health care professionals locally, nationally, and worldwide. The Institute achieves its goals through continuing education programs, consultation, and developing and marketing patient care products conceived by Johns Hopkins nurses.

The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing is approved as a provider of nurse practitioner continuing education by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners: AANP Provider Number 061216.