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EthosCE LMS Fuels OptumHealthEducation.com for Continuing Education

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

We are pleased to announce the launch of OptumHealthEducation.com, a full featured CME Website built upon our EthosCE Learning Management System.  The Website offers a wealth of CME accredited activities to physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other allied healthcare professionals.  Currently, there are CME activities available across seven different specialty areas including: cardiology, infectious disease, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, pain management, and psychiatry.

OptumHealth Education selected EthosCE LMS to support their CME enterprise based upon the system’s robust features, customizable interface, browser-based administration, the open source licensing model, and our firm’s expertise in medical education technologies.  Using an agile development process, our Web designers and engineers worked closely with OptumHealth to create an engaging, easy-to-use learning environment that:

  • Delivers CME content based upon personal profiles and preferences.
  • Provides easy access to a wealth of live and online CME activities.
  • Creates a complete “My CME” transcript of all enrolled and completed activities.
  • Streamlines registration, assessment, and certificate processing.
  • Connects HCPs in 1,200 OptumHealth Learning Networks via integrated Google Maps.
  • Offers thematic communities of practice and discussion forums.
  • And, much more…

From an administration perspective, OptumHealth is able to:

  • Manage EthosCE LMS through any Web browser.
  • Avoid any annual licensing fees or restrictions on number of users.
  • Setup learning groups and individual user permissions.
  • Add new courses, assessments, and certificates “on the fly”.
  • Create and run reports.
  • Integrate with 3rd parties with ACCME standards-compliant Web services.
  • Moderate discussion forums and news feeds.
  • Streamline internal workflows.
  • Migrate or retire legacy databases within the EthosCE framework.
  • And, much more…

We are very pleased about the outcome of our partnership with OptumHealth and we look forward to seeing the continued evolution of the Website.

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EthosCE Presented at Alliance for Continuing Medical Education

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

I have just returned from presenting on EthosCE at the 35th Annual Alliance for Continuing Medical Education Meeting in New Orleans, LA.  The meeting was wonderful and our presentation was well-attended.  My colleague, Logan Thomison, from OptumHealth Education, a division of United Healthcare, and I were invited to present on the emerging role of Web 2.0 and open source software in the CME enterprise.  We focused the discussion on our experience implementing EthosCE Learning Management System across OptumHealth's CME enterprise.  EthosCE is a full-featured, open source learning management platform that integrates two industry-leading, open source software applications: Drupal Content Management System and Moodle Learning Management System..."Best of both worlds combined."

During our presentation, I discussed our development and deployment process and the broad set of features that the Drupal-Moodle combination brings to the CME enterprise.  Key points included:

  • Browser-based content authoring and learning management tools.
  • No annual licenses or limitation on the number of users or learners.
  • Web 2.0 and social media features.
  • Standardized CME workflow for registration, assessments, evaluations, and certificate management.
  • Personal CME transcripts.
  • Streamlined "back-office" administration tools.
  • Standards-based data exchanges, Web services, and outcomes reporting.
  • Completely customized "learner experience", Web design, and navigation.
  • And, complete access to the application source code.


View more presentations from DLC Solutions, producer of EthosCE.com.

Logan presented on his goals and evaluation process for selecting an open source application vs. a proprietary learning management platform.  He cited his own analysis showing costs associated with each model over Years 1-3.  The data showed that the cost of using an open source learning management system, such as EthosCE, was much lower over three years when he accounted for the annual license fees associated with proprietary software.  Similarly, Logan stated that it was very attractive for his organization to retain complete access to the EthosCE source code and have the ability to host the platform internally.  A former proprietary software engineer himself, he readily admitted that proprietary software does have its place.  However, after conducting an evaluation of OptumHealth's goals and needs, he concluded that open source software was the way to proceed.

We concluded our session with a very spirited discussion about the role of Web 2.0 and open source applications, such as EthosCE, in addressing some of the challenges facing today's CME organizations.  Main discussion points focused on compliance with ACCME's reporting requirements, Web services and data exchange formats (eg, state medical boards, national boards, 3rd party partners),  financial disclosure management, staffing requirements, e-learning, and social media.

We would like to thank all of those people who participated in our session and the Alliance for CME for inviting us to present at this wonderful conference.  Hope to see everyone next year and present some new data on our open source and social media experiences and data in the CME enterprise.

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Posted in ACCME, CME, Continuing Education, Drupal, Learning Management System, Moodle | No Comments »

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine selects EthosCE Learning Management System to Deliver Continuing Medical Education

Monday, November 16th, 2009

We are pleased to announce that the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education has selected DLC Solutions’ EthosCE Learning Management System to manage and deliver their continuing medical education (CME) progams and activities.

In a move designed to increase efficiency, improve the quality of educational programs, and obtain a more flexible platform that will accommodate future technologies and growth, the Office of CME is adopting EthosCE Learning Management System, an open-source, Web platform complete with content authoring, learning management, and social media features.

The Office of CME will use EthosCE to immediately:

  • Consolidate multiple, legacy Web and database applications;
  • Streamline “back office” administration for live and enduring activities;
  • Integrate a robust e-commerce engine;
  • Provide educational outcomes measurement and reporting;
  • Integrate with third-party education partners;
  • And enhance the learning experience through digital, mobile, and social media technologies.

About EthosCE Learning Management System

EthosCE is a full-featured, open source learning management system with built-in content authoring and social media tools.  The platform has been designed specifically for continuing education in many fields and integrates two industry-leading open source applications: Drupal Content Management System and Moodle Learning Management System.  Other EthosCE clients include: United Healthcare, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, and George Washington University School of Medicine Office of Continuing Education.

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Posted in CME, Continuing Education, Drupal, Learning Management System, Moodle, Open Source | No Comments »