Continuing Education and Quality Improvement Programs
Academic Detailing
The Vermont Academic Detailing program is a university-based prescriber education and support program. The Program is offered by the University of Vermont’s Office of Primary Care with funding from public and private sources, including the State of Vermont. There is no pharmaceutical company sponsorship associated with the Vermont Academic Detailing Program nor do the program faculty have any ties to the pharmaceutical industry. The faculty objectively review clinical topics, covering the latest evidence for lifestyle changes and generic medications in addition to the latest in medication releases. This information is shared with prescribers across Vermont.
The goal of the Vermont Academic Detailing Program is to promote high quality, evidence-based, patient-centered, and cost-effective treatment decisions by health care professionals.
The program consists of one-hour interactive visits between one or more prescribers and a pharmacist or physician academic detailer. Academic detailing visits are typically delivered in the convenience of the prescribers’ offices. The program presents an objective overview of evidence from studies about the various medications and other treatments used to manage a specific medical condition. Patient resources and handouts often accompany the prescriber information.
For more information see the Academic Detailing page.
University of Vermont Project ECHO
About Project ECHO
The Project ECHO model™. Project ECHO® (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an evidence-based interactive distance-learning method developed by researchers at the University of New Mexico. The ECHO model™ links teams of interdisciplinary specialists with primary care clinicians. During teleECHO™ sessions, experts mentor and share their expertise across a virtual network via case-based learning, enabling primary care practice teams to treat patients with complex conditions in their own communities.
For more information see the UVM Project ECHO page.
Annual Conferences
In addition to the continuing education offerings by each AHEC Center, the Vermont Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network presents the Vermont Geriatrics Conference each spring, and the Office of Primary Care and AHEC presents Bridging the Divide, a conference that promotes interdisciplinary health care between primary care and other health care providers.
New School Nurse Orientation
New School Nurse Training (NSNT) is a new one-day program designed to engage school nurses in the process of transitioning to the autonomous role of school nurse as part of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) concept. It was developed by the University of Vermont Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program with the Vermont Department of Health and school nurses.
For more information see the New School Nurse Orientation page.