This project began with a call for grant applications (CGA) issued in the fall by Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA. Takeda requested proposals for up to $500,000 to develop continuing education aimed at increasing health care professional knowledge and skills related to managing Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the elderly.
Working on behalf of MCM Education, I developed a brief survey aimed at assessing practice gaps. That fall we received responses from 92 primary care clinicians, many of whom self-identified as having gaps in their knowledge and competency for how to maximize safety of older T2DM patients.
I then wrote a 13-page needs assessment incorporating not only the survey results, but also a medical literature review, several references to clinical practice guidelines, and outcome reports from previous interventions that MCM had developed in T2DM. To address practice gaps we proposed a 3-part program consisting of a 60-minute video roundtable and a pair of 30-minute interactive newsletters. We drew on a multidisciplinary faculty consisting not just of specialty physicians but also nursing, pharmacy, and family medicine.
Our program launched successfully in the spring. Clinician-learners who completed it were able to claim their choice of physician, pharmacy, or nursing continuing education credits.
This program was a win all around: for the supporter, for the education provider, for the faculty, for the learners, for me as a freelance writer, and most importantly, for patients with diabetes.