RESTON, Va., November 28, 2005 -- The Society of Nuclear Medicine has debuted its new, convenient online Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment Program, easing the way for nuclear/molecular imaging professionals to demonstrate competence--and accountability--to patients, colleagues, managed care companies and government regulators.

Gone are the days when physician specialists simply took an exam to renew a professional certificate. Nuclear medicine/molecular imaging physicians must pass recertification exams at regular intervals and demonstrate involvement in continuing medical education. With SNM's LLSAP program, nuclear medicine/molecular imaging professionals can easily satisfy one of four components of maintenance of certification, as now required by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

"Informed consumers want assurances that health care providers deliver quality care that is based on the most recent medical knowledge, technology and skill," said SNM President Peter S. Conti, M.D., Ph.D. "SNM's peer-reviewed LLSAP program allows nuclear medicine/molecular imaging health care practitioners to assess their medical knowledge and competency in patient care, in systems-based practice, and in practice-based learning and improvement," added Conti, a professor of radiology, clinical pharmacy and biomedical engineering at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. "This online program is the premier resource for nuclear medicine educational materials," he noted.

"Over the next 14 months, the SNM LLSAP program will offer numerous Web-based self-assessment modules covering the recent developments in nuclear medicine and correlative imaging in the specialty fields of oncology, cardiology, neurology, endocrinology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, musculoskeletal and genitourinary disorders and basic sciences. The topics addressed will include the technical aspects and evaluation and treatment of patients using computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/CT, single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and SPECT/CT and therapy with unsealed radioactive sources," said Dominique Delbeke, M.D., Ph.D., chair of SNM's Committee on Maintenance of Certification (MOC).

"The SNM self-assessment program provides continuing education credit for physicians, technologists, pharmacists and scientists," she added, indicating that AMA PRA Category 1 credit is offered in addition to SNM VOICE credit for nuclear medicine technologists. These self-assessment modules will be approved by the American Board of Nuclear Medicine to satisfy the MOC requirements for the nuclear medicine physician diplomates of ABNM.

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