Dedicated web site for PKU medical education to be launched at 2010 SSIEM Annual Symposium

- A New Tool is Targeted to Specialists in PKU, Offering an Advanced Educational Pathway Consisting of CME Accredited e-Learning Modules

PKU specialists around the world can now count on a brand-new, authoritative website entirely dedicated to this rare genetic disorder, which affects one out of every 10,000 to 20,000 live births worldwide.

The web site will be launched during the 2010 SSIEM Annual Symposium (Society for the Study of the Inborn Errors of Metabolism) held in Istanbul from August the 31st to September the 3rd. This meeting provides a prestigious platform from which scientists and physicians will have the opportunity to share their opinions and experiences on the vast array of metabolic problems.

The PKU Academy website (http://www.pkuacademy.org) meets the full range of educational needs of healthcare professionals dealing with PKU, and provides many educational tools including CME-accredited online courses, a glossary, a bibliography and FAQs. The website has two main areas: the PKU Academy section, which provides the users with simple educational tools enabling them to acquire a basic and up-to-date knowledge of the disease; and the PKU Masters, an area addressed to specialists offering a more advanced educational pathway consisting of CME-accredited e-learning modules.

"Continuous medical education is a must," said Nenad Blau, Professor of Clinical Biochemistry at the Division of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, and a member of the PKU Editorial Board of the new PKU web site, "and PKU specialists around the world can now count on the most up-to-date source of medical knowledge by top worldwide experts on each aspect of the disease including genetics, diagnosis, and treatment."

"This kind of authoritative knowledge," added Professor Blau, "will be provided through user-friendly educational tools and e-learning modules, which will enable the users to refer to this new web site in a self-tailored way according to personal and professional needs, time and skills."

The user-friendly educational tools within the Academy area of the web site include a dedicated PKU Glossary - an evolving tool and core reference of key terms that will provide rapid updates and explanations of all terms related to the disease and mentioned in the web site - and a Frequently Asked Question section providing the most authoritative answers to even the most common questions asked about the disorder.

Healthcare professionals seeking a more in-depth understanding of PKU can also undertake the online courses addressing topics from pathophysiology and diagnosis, to management of PKU. The professionals completing the online courses are entitled to CME credits.

The Secretary of the Board of Directors Mr Jean-Daniel Baki reported that the Board is proud of this new step and accomplishment, which reflects the long term commitment of Serono Symposia International Foundation to cover the medical educational needs of a wide range of diseases, including so-called "rare" diseases.

Healthcare professionals already working in PKU will find the e-learning modules of the PKU Masters area of the new web site an invaluable way of deepening and broadening their understanding of this difficult condition.