The National Organization for Rare Disorders is seeking a partner to collaborate on the development of educational resources for medical professionals. NORD has published a Request for Proposals inviting accredited CME providers to respond with proposals by November 16.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, NORD has been educating medical professionals about rare diseases for many years, including having published three medical textbooks.
“Now, we plan to expand and formalize those efforts with an active CME program that will include live events and online resources,” said Mary Dunkle, vice president of educational initiatives. “The goals of this program will be to address universal issues related to rare diseases, such as delayed diagnosis, as well as topics related to specific rare diseases or groups of diseases.”
In 2017, NORD offered a CME event for the first time in its history. That event, which took place in Washington DC, was well received by the physicians who participated. Now, NORD hopes to build upon that experience and develop an array of resources and medical education programming to reach a national and international audience.
NORD will work with its nearly 300 member organizations and extensive network of rare disease medical experts to provide accurate, cutting-edge content for medical professionals. In addition, in line with its role as the leading rare disease patient advocacy organization, NORD hopes to share information about the needs and concerns of patients and caregivers, in addition to content about rare diseases and resources for clinicians.
“Years ago, when we attended medical conferences, few medical professionals thought they would need NORD information. They assumed they would not have patients with rare diseases in their practice,” Dunkle said. “Today, there is much greater awareness of the fact that 30 million Americans have rare diseases and nearly all physicians will see patients with rare diseases. We’re delighted at this increased interest and eager to identify the very best partner to help us deliver quality education that will benefit patients and caregivers.”
