CTSC:TTIC.081208

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Harvard Translational Imaging Consortium Meeting Minutes August 12, 2008

In Attendance (by T-con):

• Bruce Rosen
• Ron Kikinis
• Ann Schlesinger
• Zeke Bernstein-Hanley
• Bob Lenkinski
• Annick Van Den Abbeele
• Gordon Harris

Action Items:
To have done by next week’s teleconference:
For site core leaders:
1. Decide on course topics for the Fall from list below.
2. Assign leaders for each course (2 per course, from different institutions).
3. Verify course template outline (see below).
For Zeke and Ann:
1. For next week’s meeting, put list of existing CME and HST courses into the Catalyst site template.
2. Look into setting up web casting and/or videotaping courses (talk with Education?).
3. Talk with Laura about CTSC support for CME fees.
To talk about during next week’s teleconference:
1. Consultations.
2. Hiring an imaging-specific research navigator and/or administrative/secretarial help.

Topics covered:
CME courses
Existing training courses
New courses
Consultation

1. CME courses:

+++ Since these courses are usually free to residents and fellows within the institution, but have fees for other participants, it was agreed that ‘CTSC central’ should consider the question of fees for CME courses- Options floated were that the fees could be covered by a CTSC grant for CME courses or that the participants could pay for courses as usual. It was decided that the courses should be posted now so that the community can find them, but until the fee issue is resolved, the courses will be listed with a notice that some of the listed educational opportunities may require fees. Ultimately, CTSC may decide to let the CME fees stand, but if there is a demand for tuition reimbursement, then the CTSC may revisit the issue. Bruce directed the group to a web site with a list of the CME courses
http://cme.hms.harvard.edu/
Ron suggested that they be put on the wiki, but no one volunteered to do so, bringing up the subject of administrative help again. Bruce suggested that the imaging group hire secretarial help, or someone who could also be a go-to person for imaging resources (an imaging specific research navigator). For the CME courses, the research navigators will put the courses on the catalyst site.

2. Training courses:

+++It was decided to put together a site listing exisiting courses and that the courses would be available on an audit option (with instructor approval). A discussion followed about the fact that the courses would need to be open to anyone from within CTSC and some classes might not be able to accommodate all interested auditors. However, intense interest would signal that a separate course showed be arranged. Bruce directed the research navigators to a web site listing appropriate HST courses
Hst.mit.edu
and indicated 6 courses to list:
561
563
580
582
583
584

3. New courses:

+++ For the Fall, it was decided to offer 4-5 courses at an introductory level to introduce imaging. Everyone thought that this would be useful and would help everyone (including the imaging group) to find out about resources available in the Harvard community. It was decided to pick disease topics and talk about all applicable resources (1st two thirds of talk) and 2nd part would cover where the resources are and whom to contact in order to access the facilities. It was decided that two people (from different institutions) would take responsibility for each topic. The first course will be in October, then monthly after that. It was deemed possible that the courses could be announced in a couple of weeks, with instructors, topics and room assignments (but not slides, etc.) determined by then. The slides would be contributed by people knowledgeable in the field, then presented by the two organizers (or only one? with other serving as back-up).
Possible topics suggested:
Oncology (with breast)
Neuro (Bruce and Randy and colleagues)
Cardiovascular
Body imaging
Urologic (GI/GU)
Musculoskeletal
Women’s health issues
Imaging analysis (Ron)
It was decided that a template should be established for all the courses:
COURSE FORMAT- 1 hour long introduction courses
Basic science
Instrumentation
Pre-clinical to Clinical application
Drugs? Receptors and drug action
Resources and contact people
(Handouts, including contact information)
The courses could be offered at two locations, such as Longwood and Fruit St., or done with web casting (see below). The course contents could be compiled to develop a syllabus as the courses progress. This could be done on the wiki. Video capture of the lectures could also be kept on the wiki (although not many people usually watch video of old lectures).
Support from CTSC central to provide room reservations, web casting and video capture was discussed. It was decided that the research navigators would look into this. The issue of proprietary content was discussed, and it was decided that ‘sanitized’ versions of the lectures would be put on the web (although it was suggested that sensitive information should perhaps not be presented at all). Just assume whatever posted is going to be public, so don’t put anything sensitive on the web or don’t use it in the course.
It was decided that this week, the list of topics would be circulated on the wiki and people can sign up to give courses.

4. Consulting service:

+++ Apparently, this topic has not yet been addressed and will be the main focus of the next meeting. Annick is designing a consulting service for use within her institution and suggested that this format could be used by the imaging group. She agreed that it would make sense to find a new person for the consulting service, perhaps for triage. It was suggested that the consulting service might be up and running by this fall.

See action items for specific goals decided upon.