McMaster University launches first online training on bleeding disorders in
Canada

New continuing education program launched through machealth.ca website

HAMILTON, ON, Dec. 10 /CNW/ - McMaster University, in partnership with the Canadian Hemophilia Society and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, has launched Canada's first online, interactive educational program on bleeding disorders. The program, Emergency Management of Bleeding Disorders, is available free to all Canadian health professionals to learn about the signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of bleeding disorders.

The program, located at www.eHemophilia.ca, was developed by the Division of e-Learning Innovation of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and leading Canadian specialists in bleeding disorders in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and hematology. The program is relevant to family physicians and other health care personnel working in emergency medicine, as well as medical students and residents. It has been accredited by McMaster's Continuing Health Sciences Education program for both family physicians and specialists for professional development credits.

"Our eHemophilia.ca program demonstrates McMaster's continued commitment to educating healthcare professionals and ultimately improving care for all Canadians," said Dr. Anthony Levinson , an associate professor and director of the Division of e-Learning Innovation and machealth.ca online education portal.

"The eHemophilia.ca program is an unique and important tool to educate healthcare professionals who want to be aware of the most current information and treatment options about bleeding disorders. As the program is online and can be viewed globally, this will really show Canada's leadership in this area," added Dr. Levinson .

The content of eHemophilia.ca will help a variety of health care professionals to best manage patients with congenital and acquired bleeding disorders, adopt a simplified approach to patients suspected of having bleeding disorders, and review treatment guidelines to rapidly restore homeostasis in the emergency setting.

The eHemophilia.ca program also provides professionals with first-hand patient cases and interactive animations allowing them to expand their knowledge and understanding about bleeding disorders by engaging them in the diagnosis and treatment process.

"The Canadian Hemophilia Society recognizes the importance of this e-learning tool and its ability to further educate professionals about managing bleeding disorders and the Society's Factor First guidelines program," said Pamela Wilton , President, Canadian Hemophilia Society. "There is not a lot of time spent on bleeding disorders during medical training, so this program is a valuable resource to assist physicians with the identification and diagnosis of these disorders."

"With the launch of the eHemophilia.ca program, Bayer continues to expand on its commitment to Canada's bleeding disorders community," said Doug Grant , Senior Vice President and Head, Corporate Affairs, Bayer Inc. "Bayer has a strong commitment to educating Canadian professionals about hemophilia and improving the lives of patients. Partnering with McMaster on eHemophilia.ca is another example of Bayer's focus on innovative programs in response to the needs of healthcare professionals and patients across Canada ."

One in 100 Canadians carry an inherited bleeding disorder gene, and 1 in 10 of these, or 35,000 Canadians, have symptoms severe enough to require medical care.

"Bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, are quite rare in Canada , but they can be crippling and can be fatal if not identified and treated immediately," said Dr. Anthony Chan . He is a professor of pediatrics heading up the Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, who also contributed to the development of the program. "eHemophilia.ca arms healthcare professionals with up-to-date diagnostic assessment information that they may not have prior knowledge of, and identifies proven treatment options that can potentially save lives and improve the patient's quality of life in the long run."

For further information: Veronica McGuire, Media Relations, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, [phone], ext. 22169, [email protected]; Tiana DiMichele, Business Communications Partner, Bayer Inc., [phone], [email protected]; Collin Matanowitsch, MS&L, [phone], [email protected]