The Cleveland Clinic

The Cleveland Clinic

Center for Continuing Education

Participant Course Evaluation FORM

Course: Mellen Center Update on Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Date: Friday, June 11, 2010

Evaluations: 79

My Personal Objectives were: 69 - Met 1 - Not Met

How much of this content was new to you?

6 - Almost All

17 - About 75%

31 - About 50%

17 - About 25%

1 - Almost None

As a result of what you have learned in this course, will you change your practice behaviors?

14 - Very likely

30 - Likely

21 - Somewhat Likely

3 - Not at all

If so, please list specific clinical practice behavior’s that you propose to change:

Look forward to using oral meds but also understand the need for close monitoring and counseling of patients

Differential diagnosis; latest therapeutic modalities; appropriate diagnosis and Rx

I do not treat MS patients

Exercise protocol; encourage patients to seek services at Mellen Center

Include focus on wellness

Patient education

Medication selection

Gait intervention

As a therapist, having updated knowledge is something I pass on to my patients; I do a lot of education during my treatment

Better management of wellness and other co-morbidity; better vigilance on gait assessment and management

Increase patient education

As a social worker, impact on practice more in relation to referrals/linking consumers, etc.

Able to explain s/s of MS more

Recommendations for exercise and complementary therapies

Will look at using a greater variety of objective tests for gait

Information relating to new medication therapies will be used to educate patients

Change LR time

Will start following my patients more closely along with neurologists

Continuing to have an open mind and applying other continuously changing data and approach to treating MS patients

Choice of first line treatments

Diagnosis of MS and considering other changes in treatment

Would you recommend this course to your colleagues? 77 - Yes 1 -No

What was the most effective aspect(s) of this activity and why?

Getting the most updated information about MS from experts; this is the greatest way to stay up-to-date

Update on the latest results of clinical trials; makes patient educations easier

MRI review to review findings and changes in MRI findings throughout course of disease

The topics covered were a great overview of current information on MS

Expertise of the speakers

Practice changes in MS monitor

Interactive sessions – easier to stay awake

Educational information

Rehab section and track B sessions

Learned about the disease; it will be helpful in working with MS patients/clients

Track B which dealt with practical applications for managing symptoms of MS

The use of video pertaining to P.T. by Dr. Bethoux

Track B lectures as I work in rehab

Slides; visual aids

Very good set of handouts with Tracks A & B

Good lectures

Case studies

Handout – PowerPoint book to follow along with

One important part was the nutrient information by M. Rensel

Appreciated the MS 101 basics since I knew very little about the disease prior to this seminar

Enjoyed the audience response technology – effective tool for case participation

Learning ways MS is treated today; reasons for stopping certain treatments

Symptom treatment and control related to psychosocial issues

Including presentation for all disciplines providing care for this population

Participated in answering questions in “Jeopardy” like fashion; helps to process what had been presented

For a P.T. assistant, everything but the first 2 speakers – they were a bit over my head at times due to my lack of knowledge in this area of expertise.

The topics

Well organized

Case studies provided gave a good “picture” of MS as well as answers explained

Interactive learning with audience response system

Good speakers

The clinical trials – hope/scope for new treatments

Review of latest oral meds and statins in FDA; loved Marie Namey’s balloons!

New therapeutics

An interactive component was good tool for stream lining multiple answers and provided immediate chart with percentage; keep this format in future conferences

What was the least effective aspect(s) of this activity?

Lack of in-depth literature of cortical atrophy and contribution to symptoms (although the MRI review was excellent)

Room was way too cold in the morning

If social work is to get credit, need to know prior to deadline to withdraw; it was frustrating to find out at the last minute

Emphasis on MRI/radiology

Cold room

New research in new areas

A lot on meds

Basic science review

Many of the questions presented still have no answers

Having patients asking questions about their cases was inappropriate and distracting

The length and technicality of some of the morning presentations made it difficult for some people to follow

What could have made this course better?

The temperature was very cold; hopefully next year that may be better controlled

Warmer room

More on topic of stem cell transplant for MS

Too much meds for P.T.

Warmer facility

Fewer assumptions of prior knowledge

More P.T./O.T. related subjects

Break into groups earlier (physicians vs. others)

Some heat

Better air conditioning management; I froze during speakers’ presentations which was very distracting

How various meds are discussed with patients; patients’ response to getting involved in studies, etc.

Turn thermostat up

Discussion of the glutamate hypothesis of MS

New things – exciting things or interesting spins on old topics

The room temperature was so cold it made it difficult to concentrate

Breakdown of material that would target physicians vs. allied health professionals

More clinical – O.T., P.T., S.T. information; more treatment focus

More small break time

Overall a good course

More time for questions after sessions

With some of the speakers I enjoyed the fact that some of them didn’t read the PowerPoints to me and focused on primary subject; I felt like there were two speakers who just read the PowerPoint and the presentation was very boring to me.

Compared with other CME courses you have attended, how would you rank this course in terms of innovation, content, and topics?

9 - One-of-a-kind

61 - Up-to-date

0 - Little Innovation

0 - Routine

0 - Superficial

Please rate the degree to which this course met the ACCME requirement that CME activities must be free of commercial bias for or against a specific product?

46 - Excellent

16 - Good

2 - Fair

0 - Poor

Please comment on each presentation/presenter:

Alex Rae-Grant, MD

Robert Fox, MD

Jeffrey Cohen, MD

Robert Bermel, MD

Francois Bethoux, MD

Please rate the Breakout Sessions you ATTENDED based on content, clarity, relevance and timeliness:

Additional comments on faculty members:

Dr. Bethoux with examples – very well done

They are experts in their fields

Very informed and current; useful information; practical; appreciate faculty are on hand for questions

It would be helpful if abbreviations are not used as there were words I am not familiar with

All were very easy to understand and presented their portions with enthusiasm

Thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Bermel’s talk – kept my attention throughout

Dr. Bethoux – not enough time

J. Hartman – would have been nice to hear outcomes of case studies included; also a little “dry” in presentation, would occasionally stomp her foot (this is meant as FYI so she can improve her speaking skills); Sullivan’s discussion seemed a little vague

Case presentations were extremely helpful

More in-depth medication section to special/track A area; add a therapist to speak about certain/specific exercise, balance evaluation training; MRI section too general beginning section

Dr. Bethoux is a wonderful speaker; all of the morning speakers were excellent as well; Marie Namey – good job!

Speakers were very knowledgeable; case studies were challenging and offered opportunity for discussion

All were competent

Made an effort to relate to attendees with their presentations

Rae Grant was great

Namey have a lot of practical points

Overall was this activity satisfactorily free from commercial bias? 71 –Yes 0 -No

If No, please explain:

No comments

Suggestions for future:

New ideas for orthopedic patients; course for balance and fall prevention

Parkinson’s management

Environmental triggers for MS (vit. D, viral, etc.)

When to stop medications – due to cost and insurance/healthcare; I think this is something to be addressed; inflammatory vs. neurodegenerative disease process

Cognitive symptoms

Good variety of topics

Parkinson’s disease updates

Medications for co-morbidities that impact MS symptoms both from positive and negative perspectives

MS and depression; MS and cognitive changes: MS and sexual function

How to set up MS center; coordinated care in a diffuse network of services; where do we use enhanced visual test, OCT, visual diversity; value of increased test – MRI, etc?

Needed a quick overview of Natalizumab; wanted to hear about the Trell research

Pharmacology – various therapies and their effects to modify MS progress

Would like to hear more about O.T. interventions with MS – ADLS and IADL’s; also speech therapy focus; education on A.E./DME

MS in other parts of the world compared to USA (diagnosis, treatment, ways of perceiving the disease)

Please comment on the meeting facilities at the InterContinental Hotel & Bank America Conference Center:

Food was excellent

Good

Easy to get to; beautiful facility

Great

Too cold; good room; good food; nice ideas for coffee, snack, etc during the day

Awesome

Too cold

Excellent

Nice facility

Food was very good; service also very good; meeting room was a bit cold

Excellent

Very nice

Excellent facility

Too cold

Cold

Very nice

The room temperature was very cold and became distracting; think about turning the thermostat up

Room was cold

Too cold

Room was cold; good food

Way to cold; throughout the hotel, meeting rooms, hallways, bathrooms

Excellent, except that rooms were too cold

Very nice

Nice, except that it was chilly

Cold enough to do surgery!

Very good

The rooms were cold

Excellent

Room was cold; otherwise fine

Temperature was too cold

Excellent

Excellent, but costly if staying overnight; better rate??? ($199/night)

Clean and good food

Food and service were excellent; room was too cold

Too cold; good food both breakfast and lunch

Too cold in room; excellent lunch; cold coffee by p.m.

Excellent

Cold; but spacious; excellent food and food service

Very good

Good facility

Please indicate below where you stayed as an overnight guest while attending this course:

0 - Meeting Hotel

4 - Family/Friend

51 - Local resident (Didn’t stay as an overnight guest)

2 - Other Hotel: Both at Guest House

If at a hotel other than the meeting hotel, why?

Too expensive

How did you first hear about this course?

13 - CCF Website

17 - Brochure

22 - Email

2 - Postcard

18 - Colleague

5 - Other

My neurologist

MS Profession

Searching google.com for MS course

Co-workers

Past Participation

What was the most important factor that influenced your decision to attend this course?

23 - Speakers

24 - Location

44 - Topics

20 - CME Credit

12 - Cost

2 – Other:

Free to employees

Day of week

Would you like to receive an email notice about new CME courses? 42 - Yes 11 - No

If you have any additional comments about the course that you wish to share, please explain here.

It was a good course worth attending; better knowledge of MS than before attending!

Good course; low cost

If MSW’s weren’t getting full credit, maybe you needed to break out MSW so perhaps they were available in ½ day on after the other

Maybe as part of going green theme, you might reconsider creating a 130 page book and make slides available on a website; since they are being projected during talks we don’t really need a tableside copy!

Very well organized; good to excellent presenters

Steroid use on MS is known to increase glutamate and other neurotoxin levels; a study should be preformed to evaluate whether the degree of steroid use correlates with cortical atrophy

Keep on going

“MS Therapeutics” to be included in one of the tracks rather than the general presentations