BALTIMORE, MD—Med-IQ is pleased to announce that it has been invited to give an oral presentation, Location, Location, Location: Matching Lifelong Learning and Real-Time, Local Healthcare Needs, at the 2017 Stanford Medicine X | Ed conference on April 22-23 at Stanford University. Inspired by recent Med-IQ initiatives that address local epidemics of HIV and HCV in rural communities, the presentation argues the necessity of more community-specific education for healthcare professionals.

Several rural regions have recently experienced rapid increases in rates of infectious diseases, including HIV and HCV, attributed to unsafe injection drug use. For example, 181 cases of HIV were confirmed in a single county in rural Indiana during a 12-month period.1 Such data provide a cautionary tale for many other communities. Indeed, an analysis by the CDC identified 220 mostly rural counties nationwide with the same mix of opioid misuse, poverty, and limited healthcare resources, indicating the very real possibility of similar epidemics.2

The Med-IQ session at Medicine X | Ed encourages educational designers to accept opportunities that match education for healthcare professionals with real-time, local needs in order to facilitate tangible practice changes. We challenge education providers to reevaluate the application of a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Instead of relying on national prevention and care plans developed in, and for, urban areas, rural communities can benefit most from a focus on local needs and local harm-reduction strategies as well as the experiences of other rural clinicians who have faced similar barriers. This session will address the how and when for such an approach.

In addition to the HIV outbreak in Indiana, the rate of new HCV infections in rural areas signals cause for alarm and the need for focused, local education efforts. For example, between 2006 and 2012, rates of new HCV infections among individuals aged 30 years or younger in rural regions of Appalachia increased by 364%, with 73% of these infections linked to injection drug use,“

said Sara Miller, MS, Director of the QI Institute and CE Strategy and Content at Med-IQ.3

“We want to emphasize that, in situations like these, traditional education models aren’t often successful. There is a need for innovative targeted programs that engage clinicians in a relevant, meaningful way and make a difference in the delivery of healthcare.”

  1. Peters PJ, Pontones P, Hoover KW, et al. HIV infection linked to injection use of oxymorphone in Indiana, 2014-2015. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(3):229-239.
  2. Van Handel MM, Rose CE, Hallisey EJ, et al. County-level vulnerability assessment for rapid dissemination of HIV or HCV infections among persons who inject drugs, United States. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2016;73(3):323-331.
  3. Zibbell JE, Iqbal K, Patel RC, et al. Increases in hepatitis C virus infection related to injection drug use among persons aged ≤30 years – Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, 2006-2012. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2015;64(17):453-458.

About Med-IQ

Med-IQ, America’s most respected provider of continuing medical education (CME), inspires healthcare professionals through award-winning activities that deliver sophisticated outcomes-based educational designs with measurable results. Med-IQ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the California Board of Registered Nursing (CBRN), and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). See how Med-IQ is helping to enhance patient outcomes in these short videos.

The Med-IQ Quality Improvement (QI) Institute supports the ongoing transformation of the healthcare system from a volume- to value-focused model, aiming to provide personalized, patient-centered, evidence-based, and efficient care. The QI Institute has won 6 awards for its initiatives, given 15 presentations at national conferences, been published 18 times in peer-reviewed journals, and worked with more than 50 healthcare systems. To date, more than 71,000 patient records have been reviewed as part of Med-IQ QI initiatives.

To learn more about Med-IQ, visit www.Med-IQ.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn.

For more information, contact:

Sara C. Miller, MS
Director, QI Institute, CE Strategy and Content
866 858 7434
info@med-iq.com

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