FDA'S MEDWATCH PROGRAM ANNOUNCES NEW CONTINUING EDUCATION ARTICLE

The medical products reporting program of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), MedWatch, has published a new continuing education article, "Improving Patient Care by Reporting Problems with Medical Devices." The article is intended to offer health care professionals increased insight into the various types of medical device problems and what should be reported to the manufacturer and/or the FDA.

Since health care practitioners are the primary users of medical devices for direct patient care, they are major contributors to the knowledge base related to device use and safety. The FDA is hopeful that by increasing the awareness of these problems among health care providers, proper physician monitoring and reporting will lead to improved patient care and increased safety, both for the patient and for the operator of the device.

The article is approved for up to two hours of complimentary Category I continuing medical education credit and for 2.2 contact hours of complimentary nursing continuing medical education credit.

Health care professionals can request a free copy of the article by calling 1 (800) 332-1088 (press 0), faxing 1 (800) 332-0178, or by writing to MedWatch, HF-2, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. The article also is available via the Internet at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch, and health professionals can take the test electronically. The program expires on September 30, 1999.

NFID TO SPONSOR CONFERENCE ON VACCINE RESEARCH

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is collaborating with other health organizations to sponsor the First Annual Conference on Vaccine Research: Basic Science Product Development Clinical and Field Studies. The conference will be held May 30-June 1, 1998, at the Marriott at Metro Center hotel in Washington, DC.

Sponsored jointly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the International Society for Vaccines (ISV), the 2-1/2 day conference is specifically designed to bring together the diverse disciplines involved in the research and development of vaccines.

Expert faculty from various disciplines will present the latest vaccine-related scientific data, results, and issues via symposia, panel discussions, oral presentations, and poster presentations. Symposia and roundtable discussions will focus on the following topics:

The conference was developed for researchers, scientists, epidemiologists, microbiologists, immunologists, molecular biologists, and public health officials who have an interest in vaccine research.

This activity, which has been planned and implemented in accordance with the essentials and standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the CDC and NFID, will offer up to a maximum of 16 credit hours in category 1 credit of Physician's Recognition Award of the American Medical Association. The CDC is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The conference co-chairs are N. Gina Rabinovich, MD, chief, Clinical Studies Section, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Branch, NIAID, National Institutes of Health; William J. Martone, MD, NFID senior executive director; Peter L. Nara, DVM, PhD, president, ISV; and Bruce G. Weniger, MD, assistant chief for vaccine development, Vaccine Safety and Development Activity, National Immunization Program, CDC.

The registration fee prior to April 24, 1998 is $325; it is $350 after this date and on-site. The registration fee includes a program/abstract book, continental breakfast on each day of the conference, and all scheduled coffee breaks. Space is limited to the first 300 registrants.

Support for this conference is provided, in part, by Aviron, Becton Dickinson and Company, Merck Vaccine Division, Pasteur Merieux Connaught, SmithKline Beecham, and Wyeth-Lederle Vaccines and Pediatrics through unrestricted educational grants.

For more information about registration, call NFID at (301) 656-0003, fax (301) 907-0878, e-mail: kkantelo@aol.com, or visit the NFID web site at http://www.nfid.org/conferences/.

[ Previous Article ][ Table of Contents ][ Next Article ]