RETIDIAB®: Assessment of a continuing medical education website for the improvement of diabetic retinopathy management

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a continuing medical education (CME) website to improve ophthalmological management of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods A worldwide website called RETIDIAB ® was created in which, to log on for first time, users had to take a preliminary test to evaluate their baseline level of knowledge. This allowed them free access to the entire website at any time with no time obligation. The website comprised a course of theoretical concepts and different types of training, including multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQ) focused on the course content, interpretation of diabetic fundus photographs and case reports. After perusing the entire RETIDIAB ® website, users could take a second assessment test. Finally, they were asked to fill in a questionnaire evaluating the entire programme. Results A total of 137 users were registered and, of these, 109 took only the preliminary test, while 28 took the second test and evaluated the entire website; of the latter, 75% were residents and 25% were practising physicians, and 15 were male and 13 were female, ranging in age from 26 to 42 (30.2±3) years. Statistically significant progress was seen between the first and second evaluations (37.3±14% correct answers vs 64±10%, respectively), and the average time interval between the first and second evaluations was 40±20 days. In addition, users expressed a high level of overall satisfaction with the site. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrated the value and effectiveness of RETIDIAB ® , a new CME website exclusively devoted to DR management.