Distance education – learning using virtual teaching materials and communications, without direct contact between teacher and students. With the development of Internet technologies, changes in the field of education, including medical, are inevitable. Online education, being introduced into practice all over the world, due to its accessibility and convenience, has a number of advantages for both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.

Benefits of Online Education

• availability of training
• saving time and material costs
• the ability to regulate the time required to master the material yourself; take tests at a convenient time
• the opportunity to study the material of the entire lecture or just its individual fragment
• access to additional information: regulatory documents, reference materials, scientific literature, electronic dictionaries, databases, thematic publications, instructions, interactive tutorials, etc.
• feedback and dialogue with teachers regardless of distance, the ability to consult in real time, receive ongoing support
• the speed of information transfer allows you to keep up with the times, update the content in time following rapidly changing information
• the ability to promptly inform students about content changes
• motivating and encouraging students to be independent; to actively participate in the educational process; and to be responsible  in their learning and regular hard work
• the ability to simultaneously train a large number of users in a short time
• a convenient system for monitoring knowledge and tracking the results of learning the studied material using electronic testing. There is a possibility of instant automatic verification which optimizes the control system

Differences between distance and part-time education

Although distance education does not imply face-to-face contact between a student and a teacher, it does not mean the same as part-time education. In fact, it is an improved form of distance learning using innovative technologies. This form makes it possible to organize the process of acquiring knowledge “without borders”, with remote access to information, systematic training, operational communication between the student and the teacher, in a convenient place, at any time, with the possibility of independent work, without reducing the quality of education. The teacher directly supervises the educational process, provides feedback to students and constantly provides methodological assistance to students.

Motivation for independent activity

Distance learning is focused on an independent person, and therefore is largely based on the methodology and psychology of active independent learning, the ability to find the necessary information and analyze own activities under the guidance of a teacher. The vector of online education is aimed not just at routine memorization, but also at cognitive and research processes as well as constant self-improvement.

Application of visualization principles in online education

Medical education is impossible without the implementation of educational practice by students. But, since in the learning process, practice always comes after the theoretical part, students who need to memorize a large amount of information often simply “lose” part of this knowledge. Therefore, in medical education, regardless of the specialty, along with the transfer of theoretical material, the application of the principles of visualization plays a significant role. Visual teaching methods contribute to a more solid assimilation of the theory, because when receiving information, the senses of students are involved and besides that, visualization affects the emotional perception of the material.

Distance learning in medical education, both undergraduate and postgraduate, makes it possible to effectively combine the transfer of theoretical knowledge to students in the relevant discipline and the use of visual teaching methods.

Online lectures using modern computer and network technologies provide ample opportunities for the use of high-quality illustrative material in various forms: diagrams, tables, videos, photographs and multimedia presentations on relevant topics. The presentation of such material in a visual form will enable students to better assimilate theoretical knowledge.

Distance learning in postgraduate medical education

Distance learning is especially relevant for continuing education of medical workers. Mobility and comfort are the advantages of online education which provide an opportunity for professional development and obtaining additional knowledge without interrupting the main practical activity, thus, saving time and money.

Online training in the ClinCaseQest platform

The basis of the educational base of the “Global electronic database of clinical case scenarios “ClinCaseQuest”” is virtual simulators of clinical cases, which make it possible to instill and develop practical skills in conditions close to real ones. Electronic courses at a high modern level provide an opportunity to acquire new knowledge, skills and abilities, revise and consolidate previously studied material, as well as analyze and evaluate the acquired knowledge. The principles of case technology used in the ClinCaseQest platform provide students with a large amount of information, making it possible to master practical skills. Educational case simulators provide an opportunity for independent decision-making in a safe environment, the choice of diagnosis and treatment of a particular nosology, and include theoretical aspects of pathology. The principles of visualization, widely used in cases, simulation technologies, such as a virtual patient, interactive simulators, make it possible to better assimilate theoretical material in a visual form.

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Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) Online Calculator

May 10, 2023 No Comments

Charlson Comorbidity Index predicts 10-year survival in patients with multiple comorbidities.

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Email (indicate if you want the results to be sent to your email)

Date of assessment

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Age *

<50 years

50–59 years

60–69 years

70–79 years

≥80 years

Myocardial infarction *

History of definite or probable MI (EKG changes and/or enzyme changes)

No

Yes

Congestive heart failure *

Exertional or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea and has responded to digitalis, diuretics, or afterload reducing agents

No

Yes

Peripheral vascular disease *

Intermittent claudication or past bypass for chronic arterial insufficiency, history of gangrene or acute arterial insufficiency, or untreated thoracic or abdominal aneurysm (≥6 cm)

No

Yes

Cerebrovascular accident or Transient ischemic attack *

History of a cerebrovascular accident with minor or no residua and transient ischemic attacks

No

Yes

Dementia *

Chronic cognitive deficit

No

Yes

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease *

No

Yes

Connective tissue disease *

No

Yes

Peptic ulcer disease *

Any history of treatment for ulcer disease or history of ulcer bleeding

No

Yes

Liver disease *

Severe = cirrhosis and portal hypertension with variceal bleeding history, moderate = cirrhosis and portal hypertension but no variceal bleeding history, mild = chronic hepatitis (or cirrhosis without portal hypertension)

None

Mild

Moderate to severe

Diabetes mellitus *

None or diet-controlled

Uncomplicated

End-organ damage

Hemiplegia *

No

Yes

Moderate to severe chronic kidney disease *

Severe = on dialysis, status post kidney transplant, uremia, moderate = creatinine >3 mg/dL (0.27 mmol/L)

No

Yes

Solid tumor *

None

Localized

Metastatic

Leukemia *

No

Yes

Lymphoma *

No

Yes

AIDS *

No

Yes

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Charlson Comorbidity Index

10-year survival

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Multiple Myeloma Diagnostic Criteria – Online Calculator

February 5, 2023 No Comments

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Email (indicate if you want the results to be sent to your email)

Date of assessment

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≥1 of the following (A or B)

*

A. Clonal bone marrow plasma cells ≥10%

B. Biopsy-proven bony or extramedullary plasmacytoma

≥1 myeloma defining event (C1 or C2)

• C1. End organ damage attributable to underlying plasma cell disorder (≥1 of the following): *

o Hypercalcemia (Serum calcium >1 mg/dL (>0.25 mmol/L) higher than upper limit of normal or >11 mg/dL (>2.75 mmol/L))

o Renal insufficiency (Creatinine clearance<40 mL per min or serum creatinine >2 mg/dL (177 μmol/L))

o Anemia (Hemoglobin >2 g/dL (20 g/L) below lower limit of normal

o Bone lesions (≥1 osteolytic lesion on skeletal x-ray

• C2. ≥1 of the following biomarkers of malignancy: *

o Clonal bone marrow plasma cells ≥60%

o Involved:uninvolved sFLC ratio ≥100

o >1 focal lesion on MRI

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Result

Diagnostic result Negative. Not positive for multiple myeloma by IMWG criteria

Diagnostic result Positive for multiple myeloma by IMWG criteria

Details:

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For Multiple Myeloma Diagnostic Criteria assessment necessary to provide selection of the…

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Revised Multiple Myeloma International Staging System (R-ISS) Online Calculator

January 17, 2023 No Comments

Revised Multiple Myeloma International Staging System (R-ISS) – prognostication tool for myeloma patients based on…

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Multiple Myeloma International Staging System (ISS) Online Calculator

January 16, 2023 No Comments

Multiple Myeloma International Staging System (ISS) prognosticates the severity of multiple myeloma based on routinely…

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SAVED VTE Score

January 11, 2023 No Comments

SAVED score for venous thromboembolism risk stratification in patients with multiple myeloma receiving immunomodulators. [ezfc…

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IMPEDE VTE Score

January 11, 2023 No Comments

IMPEDE score for venous thromboembolism risk stratification in patients with multiple myeloma receiving immunomodulators. [ezfc…

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