Original Release Date: September 2000; Revised Release Dates: September 2003; September 2005

While all of these modalities have proven useful, a need exists for an electronic, computer-based electrocardiogram self-study format that would appeal to students, physicians of all disciplines and experience, and nurses with the following attributes:

• Computer-based interactive educational tool,
• Companion workbook for independent self-study,
• A "library of electrocardiography" of 600 to 800 tracings,
• Immediate feedback with complete electrocardiogram interpretation, explanation and annotation,
• The ability to search for a specific electrocardiogram feature by key word(s),
• Electrocardiograms separated into three sections by complexity: beginning, intermediate, and advanced,
• Within each section of complexity, electrocardiograms placed in a random order to best assimilate clinical practice,
• A comprehensive glossary of electrocardiogram keywords,
• A multiple-choice question specific for each electrocardiogram and keyword in a format that provides more than 800 questions with immediate answer feedback available,
• A test of competency at the end of each section with continuing medical education credits attainable by the healthcare professional, and
• An evaluation assessment instrument to objectively evaluate the self-study interpretive process.

The intent of this electrocardiogram CD-ROM is to educate physicians and healthcare professionals of varying experience in the correct methods of electrocardiogram interpretation. The interested and motivated student will progress through the extensive collection at his/her own pace, completing each section of differing complexity. Each electrocardiogram is unique but have many similar findings that serves to build upon and reinforce previously addressed concepts. This product emphasizes and best assimilates everyday clinical medicine with a true clinical case-oriented approach, purposefully avoiding the grouping of electrocardiograms with similar findings. Instead, this collection capitalizes on its breadth. Once the student of electrocardiography completes the 631 electrocardiogram examples, they will have been exposed to a vast array of electrocardiograms¿one that took a busy electrocardiographer in a tertiary care hospital greater than six years to collect. As the educational collection is successfully completed, the student of electrocardiography will now be invested with the requisite knowledge to proceed confidently as an independent and competent interpreter of electrocardiograms. This has direct relevance to any physician and healthcare professional involved in clinical medicine.

The continuing medical education sections are placed at the end of each electrocardiogram level. Each CME section comprises ten electrocardiograms (30 in total), each devoid of accompanying clinical information. After analyzing the electrocardiogram, a multiple-choice question unique for the individual tracing is presented. A thorough understanding of the didactic material contained within each level is necessary to correctly answer the CME test questions and obtain CME credit.

Eight evaluation assessment questions are included as part of the CME Quiz in each activity. These questions ensure that Lippincott CME Institute determines that each activity’s learning objectives have been met, that the activity was of educational value to the target audience and was unbiased, assess whether or not the CME activity has resulted in a change in physician practice behavior, and offer participants a method of feedback.