• Release Date
• Accreditiation
• Credit Designation
• Target Audience
• Statement of Needs
• Faculty/Staff Credentials and Disclosure
• Identification and Resolution of Conflict of Interests
• General Learning Objectives
• Method of Participation
• Evaluation Methods
• Participation Expiration Date

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One CME activity will appear in each bimonthly issue of Journal of Craniofacial Surgery (6 per year).

Accreditiation

Lippincott CME Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Lippincott CME Institute, Inc. designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

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Target Audience

This CME activity is intended for craniofacial surgeons, pediatric plastic surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, and other physicians with an interest in the diagnosis, management and treatment of craniofacial abnormalities and other congenital disorders.

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Statement of Needs

The craniofacial subspecialty, or “superspecialty” within the surgical subspecialty of plastic surgery in the words of Editor-in-Chief Dr. Mutaz Habal, is growing, and with rapid developments involving tissue-engineered bone repair, distraction osteogenesis, gene expression profiling, platelet gels, and other techniques and procedures, it is of critical importance that craniofacial and maxillofacial surgeons expand their knowledge of the latest advances. A January 2004 readership survey of Journal of Craniofacial Surgery individual subscribers suggested that readers in office-based practices want more review articles covering more “current, cutting-edge” topics to enhance their knowledge base and facilitate more effective treatment of their patients. The American Board of Plastic Surgery also includes a craniomaxillofacial module among its four “tracer procedure” areas in its maintenance of certification (MOC) competency assessments, which also require CME.¹

The volume of literature and the demand for further education in this area are expanding; therefore we have proposed CME activity corresponding to the need to provide practitioners with up-to-date, practical clinical information focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with craniofacial abnormalities and related congenital disorders.

Craniofacial disorders affect a growing percentage of the world’s population—for example, the incidence rate for cleft palate within the US alone is 1 out of every 47,600 people or 5,714 total incidents²—and depending on their severity can cause developmental delays and psychosocial impairment if not in worst case scenarios mortality.

This CME activity will provide information on the advances in craniofacial surgery using methods such as distraction osteogenesis, expression profiling by DNA microarray, and the application of platelet rich plasma preparations. It will also present an assessment of the safety and efficacy of materials such as hydroxyapatite cement and titanium mesh as well as identifying risk factors and treatments for lesser-known deformities such as positional plagiocephaly and giant congenital nevus.

The sheer volume of literature discussing the diagnosis and treatment of craniofacial abnormalities and surgical procedures is exhaustive. A PubMed keyword search for “craniofacial surgery” produces 485 relevant citations from January 2005-August 2006; a keyword search for “distraction osteogenesis” produces 432 citations over the same time span.³ The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has also responded to increased demand for a broad peer-reviewed introduction to craniofacial surgery for the broad-based plastic surgeon with a “Craniofacial Techniques” supplement that mailed with the October 2005 issue of its flagship journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, with future supplements pending. The Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Rod Rohrich, notes “As the guest editor, S. Anthony Wolfe, M.D., points out, many new materials (e.g., hydroxyapatite cement, polymethylmethacrylate, titanium mesh, and bone morphogenic protein) have been developed over the years, and all have distinct and important roles in craniofacial reconstruction…This supplement documents a monumental surgical history, with techniques that have been developed and refined into a fine art”.⁴

This scholarship combined with the growing number of patients suffering from various craniofacial disorders emphasizes the need for ongoing practical education of physicians regarding the therapies and technologies available today as well as those that may become available in the future. As Dr. Habal has noted, “The advances in craniofacial surgery and available treatment for congenital and acquired disorders are always growing with each year’s developments”.⁵ The intent of this CME program and its individual activities is to improve the target audience’s knowledge of and competency in craniofacial surgery and pediatric plastic surgery, thereby improving the quality of patient care provided and patient outcomes affected.

This CME activity will be presented in a journal format, which will be mailed to members of the target audience and available on the journal website. Practitioners will have a self-test opportunity to reinforce their learning experience and to obtain CME credits. An evaluation assessment questionnaire following the CME examination will confirm the quality of the educational activity, the value and use of the learned material in their practice, confirm the activity credit designation, gauge the fairness and balance of the activity, and provide practitioners with the opportunity to suggest topics for future LCMEI CME activities.

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Faculty/Staff Credentials and Disclosure

Mutaz B. Habal, MD, FRCSC (Editor-in-Chief and CME Editor)
Director, Tampa Bay Craniofacial Center
Adjunct Professor of Material Sciences, University of Florida
Research Professor, University of South Florid

Dr. Habal has disclosed that he has no financial relationships or interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Author affiliations and financial disclosure information are procured and printed prior to each CME article in each issue. Other LCMEI/WKH/Other staff financial disclosure information is procured and printed prior to each CME article in each issue.

Identification and Resolution of Conflict of Interests

Lippincott CME Institute, Inc. has identified and resolved any faculty conflicts of interest regarding this educational activity.

General Learning Objectives

Specific learning objectives for each CME activity are provided at the beginning of each individual CME activity.

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Method of Participation

To earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit, participants must first read the CME articles and complete the CME examination and evaluation assessment questionnaire, answering at least 80% of the Examination questions correctly. Participants can mail or fax a photocopy of the Exam Answer Sheet and Evaluation Assessment Form to Lippincott CME Institute, 770 Township Line Road, Suite 300, Yardley, PA 19067; fax (267) 757-0651. Entries must be received by LCMEI by the expiration date cited in each issue’s CME instructions. Acknowledgment will be sent to participants within 6 to 8 weeks of participation. For more information, call (267) 757-3531.

Eight evaluation assessment questions are included as part of the CME Quiz. These questions ensure that LCMEI 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.

Each bimonthly CME activity will expire within one year of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery issue date.

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