Client Case Study

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.

 

During the winter, Takeda approved our request for $415,000 and I went to work developing the instructional content. Guided by the editorial staff at MCM Education and by faculty from around the country who sent me their slides and key references to the medical literature, I developed a PowerPoint deck for the round table and monographs in Word for the interactive components.

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.