I am pleased to announce that we have been invited with our colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education to present our experience using our EthosCE SMS Text Module for tracking attendance at Regularly Scheduled Series (Grand Rounds, Live Meetings) at the 36th Annual Alliance for CME Meeting to be held on January 26th-29th, 2011 in San Francisco, CA.  I will be presenting with Mila Kostic, Zal Agus, MD, and Rod Campbell where we will describe our findings using our mobile SMS text messaging module to streamline attendance tracking for live meetings  versus other methods.  We are presently implementing our open-source EthosCE Learning Management System for the School’s CME initiatives.  Given EthosCE’s roots in Drupal CMS and Moodle LMS open-source software communities, we have also contributed back a Mobivity gateway for the Drupal SMS Framework Module.

We hope you will join us for our presentation and demonstration of this real world application of mobile technology for the CME enterprise.  Below is the abstract that was accepted.

TITLE: An Evaluation of SMS Text Messaging Technology for Managing Attendance for Academic Regularly Scheduled Series

THEME RELATED AREA: Electronic-based information systems, and/or e-learning

Competency: 5.2 Identify and collaborate with external partners that enhance effective CME activites

PRINCIPAL PRESENTER: Jeremy C. Lundberg, MSSW, DLC Solutions, LLC

CO-PRESENTER: Mila Kostic, BA, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

CO-PRESENTER: Zalman Agus, MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

CO-PRESENTER: Rodman Campbell, BA, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

OBJECTIVES: [1] Describe the rationale for comparing SMS text messaging vs. other methods of keeping attendance at RSSs.  [2] Demonstrate the SMS text messaging technology platform, algorithms, and underlying learning management platform. [3] Discuss the finding from the feasibility study, including participants’ response, considerations for effective implementation, and outcomes data.

METHODS: Presentation, demonstration, and case study discussion will illustrate the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education experience implementing an SMS text-messaging platform for tracking RSS participant attendance.

KEY POINTS: In an era of shrinking budgets and resources, healthcare organizations are looking to technology to minimize costs associated with administering continuing medical education.  The ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and SMS text messaging capabilities provides CME providers with a novel method to tracking attendance at live CME events.  The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education implemented a pilot program comparing mobile SMS text messaging with other methods of attendance tracking for RSS portion of this large academic CME program.  Join us as we discuss our technological approach, practical considerations for the CME enterprise, and our findings.