Course on Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Testing and New Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Course for Health Professionals

Introduction: An online course, “Strategies for Improving Rapid Influenza Testing in Ambulatory Settings (SIRAS)” was jointly developed by The Joint Commission (TJC) and CDC, to educate health professionals about appropriate use of rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs). SIRAS was launched in Oct., 2012. In 2013, the course was updated and reorganized from a single contiguous course to four 30-minute modules. Additionally, specimen collection videos were offered on the website and on YouTube for easy access . To promote awareness and use of SIRAS, a social media campaign was launched in Oct., 2013. User feedback communicated the need for a new pandemic preparedness course for health professionals which was developed and launched in 2015.