This groundbreaking course tackles one of the most opportune and relevant topics in medicine: Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER). Nationally renowned CER experts describe the current state of CER, define CER tools and explain state-of-the-art CER methodologies in a series of 15 captivating 2-hour lectures.

Target Audience
This innovative multimedia online course is geared toward clinicians, researchers, and policymakers interested in clinical research with a specific emphasis in health services, health economics, outcomes research, and comparative effectiveness. 

Learner Educational Objectives
After completion of the program, attendees will be able to:

• Explain the rationale for CER
• Assess different approaches and methodologies in CER
• Discuss the national impact of CER on research funding, policymaking, and regulatory issues
• Evaluate the quality of new evidence from CER publications, findings, and reports

• Original Release Date: April 6, 2011
• Last Review Date: April 6, 2011
• Expiration Date: April 5, 2013
• Estimated time to complete this activity: 2 hours (per lecture)

There is no fee for this activity.

This course is jointly sponsored by Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).

Physician Accreditation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) and Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI).  TUSM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

TUSM designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Requirements for Successful Completion
To receive CME credit, participants must register, review the CME requirements, complete the Pre-test, view the content, complete the Post-test (with a passing grade of 70% or higher), and complete the evaluation. Certificates will be available electronically after successful completion of the activity. Participants earn a separate CME certificate per lecture. You may choose to complete the entire series of lectures (all 15) or as many as you like.

Technical Specifications for Hardware/Software
To play the Tufts CTSI I LEARN online courses you will need the following software installed on your computer.

Flash Player 6.0.79 or later (Flash Player 7 or later recommended) and one of the following browsers (the stated version or later). If you need to upgrade your Adobe Flash Player, visit this link to download the latest version.

• Windows: IE 6.0 and higher, Firefox 1.x-3.x, Google Chrome, Safari 3.x, Opera 9.5, Netscape 7, AOL 8, CompuServe 7
• Macintosh: Safari 3.x and later, Firefox 1.x and later, Google Chrome, Opera 9.5
• Linux: Firefox 1, Opera 9.5, Konqueror 3.3.1

If you find that the videos are not streaming smoothly, you can pause them and allow the video to completely buffer before playing.

Financial Disclosures
The following individuals have a relevant financial relationship with commercial interest(s): Joshua T. Cohen, PhD, has indicated that he has grant/research support from JANSSEN Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development, LLC. Stephen G. Pauker, MD, has indicated that he has grant/research support from Novartis, is a consultant for Eli Lilly and Company, and is a member of MEDCAC and EGAPP. Christopher H. Schmid, PhD, has indicated that he is a consultant for Pfizer, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline.

The following individuals have no relevant financial relationship to report in the last 12 months with a commercial interest:Thomas W. Concannon, PhD, Kenneth I. Kaitin, PhD, David M. Kent, MD, MSc, Joseph Lau, MD, Debra J. Lerner, MS, PhD, Laurel K. Leslie, MD, MPH, Peter K. Lindenauer MD, MSc, Peter J. Neumann, ScD, Dana Gelb Safran, ScD, Harry P. Selker, MD, MSPH, Christopher P. Tompkins, PhD, Thomas A. Trikalinos, MD, PhD, Katrin Uhlig, MD, MS, John B. Wong, MD, Karin Pearson, Lara Shew, Mirosleidy Tejeda, Michelle M. Wartak, MEd, and June S. Wasser, MA.

There will be no discussion of off-label use.

Commercial Support and Exhibitors
There is no commercial support/exhibitors for this activity. 

Nonendorsement Statement
The content and views presented in this educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or recommendations of Tufts University School of Medicine or Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Inclusion in this activity does not constitute approval or endorsement of any commercial products or services. These materials have been prepared based on the best available information, but are not exhaustive of the subject matter. Participants are advised to critically appraise the information presented and encouraged to consult the available literature for any commercial products mentioned. 

ADA/OEO Nondiscrimination Policy
Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) considers all applicants and activity participants without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religious creed, sex, or sexual orientation. TUSM is an Equal Opportunity Employer. TUSM does not discriminate on the basis of a disability in admissions, access to treatment, or employment in their programs and activities as identified in the American with Disabilities Act. Please let us know in advance if you require any accommodations.

Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality: To view the privacy policy for TUSM OCE, please see: http://www.tufts.edu/med/about/offices/oce/privacy.html

For questions regarding certification, please contact Tufts University School of Medicine - Office of Continuing Education at med-oce@tufts.edu or 617-636-6579.

Goal
Taught by 17 national leading CER experts, the course will describe the current state of CER. CER tools will be defined (including various forms of CER from clinical trials, registry and observational research, technology assessments, and evidence reports) and methodologies used (eg, effectiveness trials, decision analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, systematic review, meta-analysis) will be explained.

The curriculum covers six major stages of CER:

1. Evidence prioritization
2. Evidence generation
3. Evidence synthesis
4. Evidence interpretation and integration
5. Dissemination and application
6. Feedback and assessment

Additional questions to be discussed are:

• How/where can I find CER tools?
• How are the tools used in real-world settings?
• What is the impact of CER?
• How does CER fit into the traditional research schema?

The course material will be related to one of the 14 priority conditions and populations identified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and from the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) list of 100 priorities for CER. Specifically, it will relate to these IOM priorities: quality improvement project or process, provision of patient-centered care, work in interdisciplinary teams, use of informatics in patient care, clinical decision making, error reduction, and/or knowledge management.

The course will also relate to the following American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies: patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning, and improvement.

This course will provide a general introduction for the novice and will also serve as an annual update by experts in the field for more advanced researchers. Anyone is welcome to attend. For all attendees seeking CME credit, the course is free of charge. 

Harry P. Selker, MD, MSPH
Course Director
Dean, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine

June S. Wasser, MA
Administrative Director
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Michelle Wartak, MEd
eLearning Designer
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Joshua T. Cohen, PhD
Deputy Director, Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health
Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies
Tufts Medical Center

Research Associate Professor of Medicine
Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies
Tufts Medical Center

Thomas W. Concannon, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine

Kenneth I. Kaitin, PhD
Director and Research Professor
Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development
Tufts University

David M. Kent, MD, MSc
Director, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program
Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences

Associate Professor of Medicine
Associate Professor of Clinical and Translational Science
Tufts University School of Medicine

Joseph Lau, MD
Director, Evidence-based Practice Center
Tufts Medical Center

Professor of Medicine
Professor of Clinical and Translational Science
Tufts University School of Medicine

Debra J. Lerner, MS, PhD
Director, Program on Health, Work and Productivity
Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies
Tufts Medical Center

Professor
Tufts University Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences
Tufts University School of Medicine

Laurel K. Leslie, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
Tufts Medical Center Floating Hospital for Children

Director, Center for Aligning Researchers and Communities for Health
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Peter K. Lindenauer, MD, MSc
Director, Center for Quality of Care Research
Baystate Medical Center

Medical Director, Clinical Decision Support and Quality Informatics
Baystate Health

Associate Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine

Peter J. Neumann, ScD
Director, Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health
Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies
Tufts Medical Center

Professor of Medicine
Professor of Clinical and Translational Science
Tufts University School of Medicine

Stephen G. Pauker, MD
Director, Biomedical Informatics
Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

Professor of Medicine
Professor of Psychiatry
Professor of Clinical and Translational Science
Tufts University School of Medicine

Dana Gelb Safran, ScD
Senior Vice President, Performance Measurement and Improvement
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA)

Associate Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine

Christopher H. Schmid, PhD
Director, Biostatistics Research Center
Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies
Tufts Medical Center

Associate Director, Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Graduate Program
Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences

Professor of Medicine
Professor of Clinical and Translational Science
Tufts University School of Medicine

Christopher P. Tompkins, PhD
Director, Institute on Healthcare Systems
Associate Professor
The Heller School
Brandeis University

Thomas A. Trikalinos, MD, PhD
Co-Director, Evidence-based Practice Center
Tufts Medical Center

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine

Katrin Uhlig, MD, MS
Director, Guideline Development
Tufts Center for Kidney Disease Guideline Development and Implementation

Staff Nephrologist
Tufts Medical Center

Associate Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine

John B. Wong, MD
Chief, Division of Clinical Decision Making, Informatics, and Telemedicine
Tufts Medical Center

Professor of Medicine
Professor of Clinical and Translational Science
Tufts University School of Medicine