PURPOSE
The pre-eminent mission of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) is to provide state-of-the-art continuing medical education in the field of hand and upper extremity surgery. The ASSH is dedicated to fulfillment of this mission through the following means:
To offer excellent educational programming enabling hand care professionals to provide superior medical care for the hand and upper extremity
To enhance the dissemination of current research knowledge ensuring that hand care professionals have timely and relevant information available
To facilitate a career-long continuum of medical education
To foster innovation in current medical education programs
To be a resource and model for course directors and educators involved in ASSH educational activities
Enhance the value of care for hand and upper extremity problems by improving quality and patient safety
TARGET AUDIENCE
ASSH perpetuates the CME mission through a multidisciplinary educational audience of regional, national and international participants, which include:
Primary Audience: Practicing Hand Surgeons
Secondary Audience:
- Basic scientists
- All members of the health care team
- Surgeons and basic scientists in training
- Hand Therapists and Physiatrists
- Industry
CONTENT AREAS
The scope of ASSH continuing medical education foster activities in both Clinical and Non-clinical environments encompassing:
In addition, ASSH supports continuing medical education opportunities through joint and co-Sponsorship with other respected and recognized medical organizations, which are consistent with ACCME Essentials and Standards.
TYPE OF ACTIVITIES
ASSH cultivates traditional CME and personal interaction with member and non-member hand surgeons, hand therapists, other physicians interested in specific problems related to hand and upper extremity surgery and scientists through the following learning modalities:
EXPECTED RESULTS
The expected results of the ASSH Educational program are to provide hand surgeons and other health care professionals with educational programs that improve their current clinical knowledge and enhance patient care by improving competence, performance, or patient outcomes. The goal of ASSH CME is to:
- Integrate research knowledge into clinical practice and to facilitate a career-long learning.
- Measure the outcome of modified behavior. ASSH places a strong emphasis on the assessment of results and asks “How will this educational program improve physician behavior?”
- Identify and overcome barriers to physician change.
- Integrate CME into health care improvement initiatives and enhance the learning and change process of physicians.
- Use evaluation tools (e.g. needs assessments, surveys, outcomes measurement, etc.) on selected courses before, during and following the program, based on the scope of the educational activity and the specific needs of the learner.
- Determine the effectiveness of programs designed to improve the attendees’ knowledge of best practices, competence, performance or patient outcomes.
- Implement changes or improvements to enhance subsequent educational activities and the overall education mission.
REVISED AND APPROVED BY ASSH COUNCIL, MAY 18, 2007
ASSH Activity Disclaimer
The material presented at ASSH Continuing Medical Education programs is made available by the Hand Society for educational purposes only. The material is not intended to represent the only, or necessarily the best methods or procedures appropriate for the medical situation(s) discussed, but rather is intended to present an approach, view, statement or opinion of the authors or presenters which may be helpful or of interest to other practitioners. The attendees/participants agree to participate in an ASSH medical education program sponsored by the ASSH with full knowledge and awareness that they waive any claim they may have against the ASSH for reliance on any information presented in this educational program. In addition, attendees waive any claim they have against the ASSH for injury or other damages that may result in any way from their participation in this program.
All of the proceedings of ASSH courses and CME products, including the presentation of scientific papers, are intended for limited publication only, and all property rights in the material presented, including common-law copyright, are expressly reserved by the speaker or ASSH. No statement of presentation made is to be regarded as dedicated to the public domain. Any sound reproduction transcript or other use of the material presented at any ASSH course without the permission of the speaker or ASSH is prohibited to the full extent of common-law copyright in such material.
ASSH is not responsible for expenses incurred by an individual who is not confirmed and for whom space is not available at the meeting. Costs incurred by the registrant such as airline or hotel fees or penalties are the responsibility of the registrant.
The approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is required for procedures and drugs that are considered experimental. Instrumentation systems discussed and/or demonstrated in or at ASSH educational programs may not yet have received FDA approval.