WebSurg & McMaster University

These activities have been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through joint sponsorship of  McMaster University, Continuing Health Sciences Education and WebSurg.
The Continuing Health Sciences Education Program at McMaster University takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of these CME activities.

As an organisation accredited to sponsor Continuing Medical Education for Physicians, by both the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education of the United States, the Continuing Health Sciences Education Program at McMaster University designates these educational programs as meeting the criteria for:

• The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
  These educational programs are approved as an Accredited Group Learning Activity under Section 1 of the Framework of CPD options for the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (MAINCERT) for a maximum of 24 hours. Each physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  
  
• American Medical Association PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM
  These educational programs are designated for a maximum of 24 hours in Category 1 Credit(s)^TM towards the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Overall Goals, Objectives, and Format

This educational web site is designed to provide the learner with access to current, interactive and clinically relevant activities that foster the effective management of patients requiring laparoscopic surgery. The website utilizes a combination of text, video, and still imagery in an Internet-based format.

Upon completion of the educational activities within the WebSurg website, the learner should be able to:

1. Describe the indications, contraindications, and proposed outcomes for specific disease entities that are managed through laparoscopic surgery.
2. Identify the current standards of care for the management of patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for specific disease entities.
3. Describe the current surgical approaches including equipment, pre-operative, and post-operative management for identified disease conditions.

The format for the WebSurg website incorporates text-based chapters on the surgical interventions for specific disease entities with still images, videos, and other multimedia tools to provide an interactive, self-paced learning environment for physicians and other healthcare professionals. Each chapter and learning session is a self-contained learning opportunity that can be viewed independently. Self-assessment questions in the form of a posttest following each learning session provide the validation of important concepts in the learning activity. An 80% score on the posttest is the criterion for successful retention of the content and the award of CME/CEU credit.

WebSurg was originally revised in January 2007.

Faculty disclosure

As a provider accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the Office of Continuing Medical Education of McMaster University, Continuing Health Sciences Education must ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its individually sponsored or jointly sponsored educational activities. All authors and peer reviewers participating in an ACCME sponsored activity are expected to disclose to the activity participants any significant financial interest or other relationship (1) with the manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s) and/or providers of commercial services discussed in an educational presentation and (2) with any commercial supporters of the activity (significant financial interest or other relationship can include such things as grants or research support, employee, consultant, major stock holder, member of speakers bureau, etc) The intent of this disclosure is not to prevent an author with a significant financial or other relationship from making a contribution, but rather to provide users with information on which they can make their own judgments. It remains for the learner to determine whether the author's interests or relationships may influence the content with regard to exposition or conclusion.

The list of the Faculty specific to the CME activity contains names of authors, and reviewers with their credentials.

Faculty Disclosures and Biosketches

Disclosure of United States Food and Drug Administration approved uses for pharmaceutical and/or medical devices

McMaster University, Continuing Health Sciences Education, as an ACCME accredited provider, requires that all authors, peer reviewers, and contributors identify and disclose any US FDA "off-label" uses for pharmaceutical and medical device products.
In the event that an off-label use for a pharmaceutical or medical device is discussed in WebSurg, McMaster University, Continuing Health Sciences Education recommends that each physician fully review all the available data on new products or procedures prior to instituting them with patients.