Academy Offers Other International Organizations Opportunities to Customize Material for Educational Efforts

SAN FRANCISCO — The American Academy of Ophthalmology today announced the development of a clinically relevant ophthalmology curriculum containing more than 800 topics, a feat never before attempted or completed by an ophthalmic society or medical society in the United States.

“I think that this is the most profound educational effort ever produced by a U.S. medical society,” said Richard L. Abbott, M.D, Academy secretary for quality care and knowledge base development. “Creating this body of knowledge is an exemplary effort by a dedicated team of physicians. It is one of the purest demonstrations of the Academy’s mission to promote the lifelong learning of ophthalmologists.”

These clinically relevant topics, known as the Practicing Ophthalmologists Curriculum (POC), were created as the basis for the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) Maintenance of Certification cognitive knowledge examination. The POC is currently available in two formats, online and print. The curriculum is divided into subspecialty or Practice Emphasis Areas (PEAs), including core ophthalmic knowledge, comprehensive (or general) ophthalmology, cataract/anterior segment, cornea/external disease, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology/orbit, oculoplastics/orbit, pediatric ophthalmology/strabismus, refractive management/intervention, retina/vitreous and uveitis. These topics were chosen by specialists as most relevant to clinical practice.

Compiling content for each clinical topic was a significant effort that took more than four years to complete. Specialists in each ophthalmic subspecialty and comprehensive ophthalmology were first asked to rate more than 2,200 topics as relevant, more relevant and most relevant to clinical practice. More than 800 topics were chosen as being most relevant. The content for each topic is presented in categories including: risk factors, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, management (medical and surgical), complications, postoperative care and patient instructions.

The Academy encourages the use of this curriculum, for teaching and continuing professional development purposes by professional organizations both inside and outside North America. For this purpose, the Academy currently refers to this curriculum as the “Clinically Relevant Curriculum for Ophthalmologists.”

To facilitate further use of this material, the Academy will be hosting a session at the World Ophthalmology Congress in February 2006 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to present content highlights and offer international societies and other interested organizations an opportunity to partner with the Academy to customize material for educational use. The Academy is open to developing joint ventures in the reuse of this material for other purposes, with the understanding that modifications may be necessary to adapt the material to certain clinical and cultural settings.

A 3,000-item self-assessment program has also been created by the Academy alongside this curriculum to examine ophthalmologists’ cognitive knowledge of the curriculum and to assist its Members in the ABO’s Maintenance of Certification process.

For more information about the POC or the session in Sao Paulo, please contact Richard Zorab, Academy vice president of clinical education, at 866.561.8558 or via e-mail rzorab@aao.org.