title: RETIDIAB®: assessment of a continuing medical education website for the improvement of diabetic retinopathy management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a continuing medical education (CME) website to improve ophthalmological management of diabetic retinopathy (DR).
  
  
  METHODS
  A worldwide website called RETIDIAB® was created in which, to log on for first time, users had to take a preliminary test to evaluate their baseline level of knowledge. This allowed them free access to the entire website at any time with no time obligation. The website comprised a course of theoretical concepts and different types of training, including multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQ) focused on the course content, interpretation of diabetic fundus photographs and case reports. After perusing the entire RETIDIAB® website, users could take a second assessment test. Finally, they were asked to fill in a questionnaire evaluating the entire programme.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 137 users were registered and, of these, 109 took only the preliminary test, while 28 took the second test and evaluated the entire website; of the latter, 75% were residents and 25% were practising physicians, and 15 were male and 13 were female, ranging in age from 26 to 42 (30.2 ± 3) years. Statistically significant progress was seen between the first and second evaluations (37.3 ± 14% correct answers vs 64 ± 10%, respectively), and the average time interval between the first and second evaluations was 40 ± 20 days. In addition, users expressed a high level of overall satisfaction with the site.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study demonstrated the value and effectiveness of RETIDIAB®, a new CME website exclusively devoted to DR management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, hôpital Général, University Hospital, 3, rue du Faubourg-Raines, 21033 Dijon, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beynat
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Mehidi
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Aubert
authors.forename: A-M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bron
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Creuzot-Garcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000628:therapy*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009885:Ophthalmology; D010820:Physicians; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires