Severe acute respiratory syndrome and the delivery of continuing medical education: case study from Toronto.

Davis, Dave; Ryan, David; Sibbald, Gary; Rachlis, Anita; Davies, Sharon; Manchul, Lee; Parikh, Sagar

INTRODUCTION Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) struck Toronto in the spring of 2003, causing many deaths, serious morbidity, forced quarantine of thousands of individuals, and the closure of all provincial hospitals for several weeks. Given the direction by public health authorities to cancel or postpone all continuing medical education (CME) courses, including those sponsored by the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, SARS has had a profound effect on the delivery of CME in Toronto and beyond. METHOD Case study design using existing documents and self-report. RESULTS The immediate, specific response of the University of Toronto CME program to SARS is described for the period from March 2003 to September 2003. DISCUSSION During major outbreaks of infectious disease, continuing education providers should maintain regular contact with public health authorities and learners, enact a rational process for postponing or canceling courses, and implement a disaster plan flexible enough to ensure the deliver, of education using technological advances.