The Office of Continuing Education in Healthcare Professions at Indiana University School of Medicine offers specialized topics in continuing education to address the needs, gaps and trends health care professionals experience within specific areas of patient health.
These activities provide health care professionals the opportunity to improve skills and increase competence within these specific areas. The office will continue to analyze the needs and gaps of additional areas as research, clinical practice guidelines and trends evolve.
Clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist clinicians and patients in making decisions about appropriate health care in specific circumstances. Studies demonstrate clinical practice guidelines are most likely followed by physicians if they are straightforward, flexible, rigorously tested, not used punitively and generated by intentions to improve quality, not reduce costs. However, clinical practice guidelines alone have had limited effect on changing physician behavior, with potential external barriers including patient-related and environmental-related barriers.