The OpenDTC Collaboration
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Why is
exchange of practical information important in the healthcare process?
The young healthcare
practitioner would realize soon after induction that theoretical knowledge does
not always apply directly on the field of practice and that some level of
processing of theoretical information is necessary against a background of
preexisting experience. The formation of The OpenDTC Collaboration was
motivated by the philosophy that excellence in medical practice depends less
(around only 40 per cent) on theoretical knowledge and very much (around 60 per
cent) on practical experience gathered on the field of practice. Considering
the immensity of practical information as an important resource in the
healthcare process and bearing in mind the fact that an individual healthcare
practitioner will at all times be limited in scope of experience already
attained, there was identified the necessity of having in place a system or mechanism
by which practical information could be exchanged between practitioners across
all practice environments.
- Who can join
The OpenDTC Collaboration?
The OpenDTC
Collaboration is an interdisciplinary platform for networking healthcare
practitioners from various professional backgrounds and the full spectrum of
clinical practice settings. The other important prerequisite for membership is
that the practitioner should be duly registered and in good standing with the
designated professional regulatory authority.
- How do I
apply for membership?
Membership is granted
after completing the designated form for registration of the practitioner's
personal and professional data with the Secretariat. Kindly consult the
Secretariat for further assistance.
- How much do
I pay for membership?
Both the initial
registration and membership of The OpenDTC Collaboration are free of charge at
all times.
- What is the
difference between a member and subscriber?
The designation of
Subscriber is applied only for the purpose of discussions on the official
Channel of The OpenDTC Collaboration on the Telegram app. All members
automatically become subscribers to the Channel after registration.
- Why do I
have to subscribe to the Channel?
The official Channel
of The OpenDTC Collaboration on the Telegram app is the sole medium for
exchange of practical information among members of the Collaboration. Messages
posted on the Channel are case studies or reviews from individual members after
going through and passing a process of peer-review.
The Channel is linked
to an external group discussion page on the same platform to enable members to
comment on and discuss messages posted.
- What are
case studies or case reviews?
A case study is
defined as the active study or attentive monitoring of an individual patient, a
cohort of patients, an intervention, a procedure, or a medical technology on
the field of practice in an attempt to answer yet unresolved questions or find
new practical information. The case study must of necessity be a firsthand
experience on the field of practice and either confirm an existing knowledge or
expand the frontiers of practical information available for the healthcare
process.
On the contrary, a
case review differs from case study in being retrospective in approach.
- What is the
attribution policy for case studies published?
Case studies or
reviews that are published on the official Channel after successful peer-review
ordinarily are appended with the names, professional titles and affiliations of
authors who contributed them. However, a member also has the option to have
case studies or reviews published anonymously on the Channel.
- What happens
during peer-review of case studies or reviews?
The Secretariat has
in place an editorial committee made up of eleven (11) members for each
particular health profession or specialty of medical practice for the purpose
of peer-review and approval of case study reports before publication. After
receiving the script for a case study or review report, this is forwarded to
members of the appropriate editorial committee to review the content and assess
the practical relevance of that material on the basis of predetermined
criteria. All case study reports will either be rejected or accepted for
publication on the recommendations of the editorial committees.
- Can I serve
on an editorial committee?
Definitely. Kindly
verify with the Secretariat for vacancy on the editorial committee for your
profession.
- How does The
OpenDTC Collaboration contribute to continuous professional development of
healthcare practitioners?
The reality is that
the individual healthcare practitioner will never get the opportunity of
exposure to all practice environments throughout a lifetime, but still a wealth
of practical experience gathered on the front of diverse practice settings is
an aid to professional excellence. It is therefore imperative that the
healthcare practitioner depends on the experiences of colleagues, from which
wealth of information he or she can draw when faced with similar situations.
The Channel provides a mechanism for unifying practical experience across the
full spectrum of the healthcare sector by means of the published peer-reviewed
case studies and reviews.
The OpenDTC
Collaboration is accredited by various professional regulatory authorities as a
provider of continuous professional education (CPD/CME/CPE) to healthcare
practitioners. Every member of The OpenDTC Collaboration is awarded with two (2)
credit points annually for membership. Kindly consult the Secretariat to verify
CPD accreditation status for your profession.
An individual
practitioner additionally will be awarded with credit points for publishing
case studies or reviews on the Channel, as explained in the following section.
- What CPD
credit point award scheme is applied?
Beside the award of
two (2) CPD credit points annually for membership of The OpenDTC Collaboration,
a member also obtains additional CPD credit points for case studies or reviews
successfully peer-reviewed and published on the Channel. Two (2) CPD credit
points are awarded to an author for presenting a total of five(5) case studies
or reviews through the peer-review process. The tally of count of published
contributions from the same author may extend over one calendar year but once
an award has been issued the same case studies do not qualify for re-award.
However, an already published case study or review may be republished multiple
times.
- What is the
meaning behind the name OpenDTC?
OpenDTC is an acronym
for Open Drugs and Therapeutics Committee, a DTC unlimited by geographical
boundaries and practice settings. Globally the DTC is an organ of healthcare
institutions responsible for clinical governance and quality assurance of the
healthcare process, and is usually constituted with representatives from the
various health professions.
The OpenDTC
Collaboration has a nationwide scope of activity.
- How can I
contact the Secretariat?
Send an email message through fleshandbrain@live.com, or call +233242162382, +233206120649.
