An estimated 70 million people suffer from sleep problems. Despite an increasing appreciation of the relationship of sleep disorders to a number of illnesses, evidence suggests that many practitioners lack the skills to detect, evaluate or treat sleep disorders. The purpose of this SBIR is to develop a CME-accredited Website program for primary care physicians about sleep disorders. The program will employ an innovative, problem-based learning approach to demonstrate a range of patients exhibiting sleep disorders typical of those presenting in primary care settings. Moving beyond the traditional text- book didactic approach, the program will provide background information on sleep disorders and lead the user through a series of interactive case presentations, using a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. Hypertext links will lead to relevant scientific and patient materials.
The specific aims of this Phase I application are to 1) develop the content, design and format of a web-based program; 2) develop a script and storyboard for one segment of the program and produce a prototype on the Web; 3) evaluate the feasibility of the program; 4) initiate CME accreditation and 5) develop a plan for Phase II during which the content will be finalized, the program produced and evaluated.
No similar web-based products exist. There is a strong market potential in health care fields (with over 650,000 primary care practitioners). Worldwide distribution will be made possible through a collaborations with Silver Platter Education, the premier publisher of educational products for the medical community.
