10x10 comes full circle: Spanish version back to United States in Puerto Rico.

The adaptation of the 10x10 certificate program in health information systems for a Puerto Rican audience is described. The 10x10 program was initially developed in the USA by the Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), then adapted to Latin America by Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Puerto Rico is in the intersection of the United States and Latin America, in terms of government, health care system, culture and language. Therefore, it seemed reasonable to re-adapt the program back to the USA, in Spanish, taking into account these facts and the experience of the team in delivering blended learning adapted to local needs. Forty professionals from Puerto Rico are currently taking the first version of the course, supported by the Regional Extension Center for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and endorsed by the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).

Teaching tobacco cessation skills to Uruguayan physicians using information and communication technologies.

INTRODUCTION: Since 2004, with the ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Uruguay has implemented a wide range of legal restrictions designed to reduce the devastating impacts of tobacco. This legal process generated an increase in demand for tobacco cessation treatment, which led to the need to train a large number of physicians. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are evolving constantly, creating new opportunities to make online education more interactive. The evolution of ICTs presents an opportunity to develop innovative continuing medical education (CME) experiences to meet the increasing demand for this topic. METHODS: A blended-learning course on tobacco cessation was developed and implemented, combining face-to-face and online activities. Educational strategy focused on (1) facilitating interaction among generalists and between generalists and experts, and (2) providing high impact CME incorporating multifaceted interventions with wiki-type collaborative construction of practical knowledge. Multiple-choice tests and commitments-to-change were used for evaluation. RESULTS: Three hundred thirty-five health professionals participated in the course. Of these, 145 (43.3%) attended the on-site workshop, 216 (64.5%) participated in the online activities, and 109 (32.5%) completed both phases. Fifty of the 105 (47.6%) participants completing the pretest had a passing score, while 78.1% received a passing score on the final test (p < .001). Differences between mean pretest and posttest scores among those who completed both phases compared with those who only did the online phase were statistically significant (p = .003 and p = .009, respectively). DISCUSSION: The need to train physicians on tobacco cessation skills can be addressed via ICTs and educational activities that include participant interaction.