NAHSL Conference 2014, October 19-October 21, 2014: Continuing Education

NOTE:  ALL COURSES TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19th. AND ALL HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR 4 HOURS OF MLA CE CREDIT.

Sunday, October 19

8:00 am to noon

Concepts in Genetics -Susan McClatchy, MS

Continuing our series of clinical classes, this will cover basic concepts in genetics. The material presented will coordinate with the afternoon class, Introduction to Genetics Databases.

Susan McClatchy is a bioinformatician and research program manager at the Center for Genome Dynamics at the Jackson Laboratory, one of fifteen National Centers of Excellence in Systems Biology. She teaches Independent Studies in Computational Biology, a research course for talented youth. She received the AAAS Science Prize for Inquiry-Based Instruction in May 2013, and enjoys working and teaching at the interface of biology, computing, and math.

Simply Put: Writing in Plain Language - Nancy Goodwin and Margo Coletti

Participants will identify the problem of low health literacy, its definition, and how it impacts patient outcomes. Using three broad principles of writing in plain language they will critique and rewrite poorly worded sentences and brainstorm in small groups how to rewrite a sample handout. The workshop begins with a PowerPoint lecture on basic concepts of health literacy. A lecture with a handout for participants to follow on creating patient handouts is next. Using sample handouts the participants will do several hands-on activities to practice their new skills. We’ll end with a group discussion on health literacy roles that librarians have taken, starting with the instructors’ experience.

Nancy Goodwin is the director of the Library & Knowledge Services Department at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT.  She has chaired the Patient Family Education Committee since 2009, working to make the principles of health literacy a part of every patient interaction.

Margo Coletti is the director of Knowledge Services, a division of Information Systems at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in
Boston, where she has worked since 1981. Margo teaches clinicians and researchers at BIDMC how to integrate Plain Language principles and practices into the Informed Consent process.

1:00 to 5:00 pm

Introduction to Genetics Databases - David Osterbur, Ph.D.

This class will complement material learned in the morning class, Concepts in Genetics, by teaching participants about basic genetics databases and how to search them.

Deciphering Clinical Statistics - James McLellan, Ph.D.

Not so confident about confidence intervals? Not sure what a p value is? Want to know how researchers calculate power? Come learn about these and other statistical topics. Strong math skills not required.

QUESTIONS ABOUT CONTINUING EDUCATION? CONTACT JEANNINE GLUCK (jgluck@echn.org)

Widen the Lens as NAHSL comes to Maine in 2014.  More information forthcoming.