title: The Haiti Medical Education Project: development and analysis of a competency based continuing medical education course in Haiti through distance learning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent calls for reform in healthcare training emphasize using competency-based curricula and information technology-empowered learning. Continuing Medical Education programs are essential in maintaining physician accreditation. Haitian physicians have expressed a lack access to these activities. The Haiti Medical Education Project works in alliance with Haitian medical leadership, faculty and students to support the Country's medical education system. We present the creation, delivery and evaluation of a competency-based continuing medical education curriculum for physicians in rural Haiti.
  
  
  METHODS
  Real time lectures from local and international institutions were teleconferenced to physicians in remote Haitian sites using VidyoConferencing™ technology. With American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and College of Family Physicians Canada (CFPC) guidelines as references, a competency-derived syllabus was created for a Haitian continuing medical education program. The resulting educational goals were reviewed by a committee of Haitian and North American physician/medical education practitioners to reflect local needs. All authors reviewed lectures and then conferred to establish agreement on competencies presented for each lecture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-seven lectures were delivered. Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, ophthalmologic, infectious diseases, renal and endocrine competencies were well-represented, with more than 50 % of the joint AAFP and CFPC recommended competencies outlined. Areas under-represented included allergy and immunology, cardiology, surgery, pain management, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, men's health and rheumatology; these topics accounted for less than 25 % of AAFP/CFPC recommended competencies. Areas not covered included geriatrics, nutrition, occupational health and women's health. Within practice-based lectures, only disaster medicine, health promotion and information management were included, but only partially covered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified teaching goals covered and competencies that were missing from a CME program for rural Haitian physicians. We aim to use this analysis to provide a competency-based CME lecture series that proportionally meets local needs while following recommendations of recognized national family medicine organizations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) , 1001 Decarie Blvd, D05-7161, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada. robert.battat@mail.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Battat
authors.affiliation: Service Medecine Interne, Hopital Universite d'Etat d'Haiti, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jhonson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Lorne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wiseblatt
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Medicine, St Elizabeth Medical Center, Edgewood, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Cruff
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Renard
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Hopital St. Nicolas, St Marc, Haiti.
authors.forename: Manouchka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Normil
authors.affiliation: Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Remillard
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.affiliation: ARC Health Resources, Congers, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Galit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sacajiu
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003479:Curriculum; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006205:Haiti; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010820:Physicians; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation
keywords: Distance learning; Global health; Medical education