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Lyme Disease Case Study Course

IDSA is now offering a free, online course to help physicians, nurses, and other clinicians recognize and diagnose Lyme disease, and treat it promptly and effectively.

The course was supported by an educational grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Hmmm....I wonder what THAT'S all about.

Check out the names involved in this CME.
I have a feeling it's not a good thing.



[ 07-14-2009, 09:16 PM: Message edited by: AliG ]

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Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner.

Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006  |  IP: Logged | 

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Originally posted by AliG:
The course was supported by an educational grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The program features up to two weeks participation in the care of various challenging early and chronic cases including: discussions of the patient's medical history, disease progression and health issues that inform evidence-based treatment plan choices.

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Evidence-based Practice

ILADS physicians have successfully treated thousands of Lyme disease patients using evidence-based medicine.

The published ILADS guidelines concluded that there are large numbers of chronic Lyme disease patients presenting with a poor quality of life despite antibiotic treatment.

More than 30% of Lyme disease patients in a Massachusetts and New York cohort remained ill years after antibiotic treatment.

The quality of life for chronic Lyme disease was worse than patients who have Type 2 diabetes or a recent heart attack in two National Institutes of Health trials.

ILADS and The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines differ substantially, revealing the wide variation in diagnosis and treatment.

The IDSA guidelines recommend one-time, short-term antibiotic therapy.

Physician demands for better outcomes led to the ILADS recommendation that antibiotics be administered for 4 weeks or longer - or that a patient be retreated - when clinically appropriate.

Professionals attending the Physicians Training Program gain experience using evidence-based medicine for the treatment of Lyme and associated diseases.

Both the ILADS and IDSA guidelines are listed on the government sponsored National Guideline Clearinghouse at www.guideline.gov.

A full text copy of the ILADS guidelines is available at ]www.ILADS.org.

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Full Physician Training Program

There is a stipend available for a physician to train with a designated ILADS Lyme literate physician (LLMD). This includes physicians with MD, DO, or ND degrees. The clerking physician completes the application.

After the training by the ILADS physician the trainee will fill out a brief report of what they learned and how this will affect their future practice.

Their tax ID is also required. Receipts for travel, and living expenses including lodging and food will be sent to ILADS.

The trainees will be reimbursed up to $200 per diem for five days and a training stipend of $2500 per week for up to two weeks. Reasonable transportation costs will be reimbursed.

The hosting physician receives $400 to cover minimal administrative costs


Medical Assistant Training Program

A NP, RN, or PA may train with a designated ILADS Lyme literate doctor or other approved person. The clerking medical assistant practitioner completes the application.

When accepted by the ILADS Lyme literate trainer, the clerkship participant can expect to receive up to $200 per diem for up to five days and a stipend of $500 for a five day week.

Each hosting ILADS member may receive $400 to cover minimal administrative costs.

All candidates must submit receipts to the ILADS business office including a brief form indicating what was learned and how the training might influence their future practice.

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Tick-borne Disease diagnosis & treatment can't be adequately taught in a little 15 minute CME.


To me, the "CDC educational grant" would seem as though the CME is ENDORSED by the CDC as providing some educational value.

If our tax money goes to pay for that nonsense, shouldn't it also be going to fund some ACTUALLY continuing medical education?

Who shall we complain to?

Perhaps ILADS could offer a CME that just conveys an understanding of THEIR guidelines? I can't imagine that they would do that, because physicians might use that CME completion to infer that they had an adequate understanding, just like those taking the IDSA "course".

MAYBE physicians should only be offered PARTIAL credit for the IDSA "CME", partial credit for a CME showing understanding of the ILADS guidelines & then the balance of the credit issued for completion of a test demonstrating an understanding of the differences between the two & the reasons for those differences?!!!!

I think I might view THAT as continuing medical education of value for my tax dollars.

I think that's why this Lyme bill is so important. If we had a government entity to oversee all of this, perhaps we could get some kind of worthwhile CMEs established (instead of wasting our money on this IDSA farcical NONSENSE ).

[ 07-16-2009, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: AliG ]

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Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner.

Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006  |  IP: Logged |