Amman, Jordan: The Initiative provides clinicians and healthcare professionals with evidence-based online tools and resources, including BMJ Best Practice and BMJ Learning, to improve the diagnosis, treatment and management of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Produced by international experts, the tools are available offline, online through www.elm.jo and via mobile devices. The programme is fully supported by The Electronic Library of Medicine (ELM) programme by Electronic Health Solutions (EHS) for the benefit of the Ministry of Health and the Royal Medical Services (RMS) in Jordan, as well as the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Higher Education in Iraq.

To celebrate the initiative a reception was held at the British Ambassador's residence in Amman on the evening of March 11th.

The event was attended by representatives of Ministries of Health in Jordan and Iraq, senior Iraqi officials from the Ministry of Higher Education and key stakeholders within the heathcare sector in Jordan. After the event, the team commenced their visits to four leading hospitals across Jordan to deliver training to groups of healthcare professionals.

The first stop was Al Basheer Hospital in Amman, followed by King Hussein Medical Hospital in Amman, Prince Ali Hospital in Karak and Princess Basma Hospital in Irbid.

H.E. Edward Oakden, British Ambassador to Jordan, said: “This excellent new partnership between BMJ and EHS will help to ensure that healthcare providers in Jordan are equipped with the necessary tools to deliver the best service possible for the people of Jordan. I am delighted that our two countries are sharing the medical expertise needed to improve both patient treatment and healthcare more broadly in Jordan.”

Mitali Wroczynski, Head of Strategic Partnerships at BMJ, said: “We are delighted that the Jordan MoH, RMS and EHS are collaborating with us on this important training initiative, and we look forward to sharing our expertise with the medical workforce. The agreement will provide clinicians in Jordan with the very best tools to develop their knowledge and skills, practice evidence-based medicine, and improve outcomes for their patients.”

Dr. Rami Farraj, Chairman of EHS, said: “We aim to provide our medical personnel with access to the latest guidelines and the most relevant medical research wherever they are in Jordan, regardless of their geography, so they can deliver the best care to our people. We expect to see a positive impact on the rate of implementation of best practices within our healthcare institutions throughout the coming years.”

Dr Shakir Mahmood Muhammed, Assistant Director of the National Centre of Training and Human Development at Ministry of Health, Iraq, said: "Control and treatment of Infectious diseases have been the biggest achievement human beings have made in their quest to promote health in the last century. Iraq needs to aspire to this to start its journey of health reform and management of infectious diseases. The BMJ Clinical Decision Support training initiative provides rich, comprehensive resources to detect, diagnose and manage infectious diseases. These are exactly the types of resources our country needs at this time. I am confident, based on my previous experience with BMJ Learning and BMJ Best Practice, that this initiative is going to be a success and a guide for change amongst doctors in Iraq."

BMJ Best Practice is an online decision support tool that gives doctors fast and easy access to the latest information when making diagnosis and treatment decisions. Updated daily, it draws on the latest evidence-based research, guidelines and expert opinion to offer step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention.

BMJ Learning is an online learning resource that offers healthcare professionals a fast and efficient way to test their knowledge and keep up to date with the latest developments in medicine. It features over 1,000 evidence-based, peer-reviewed learning modules across 70 specialty areas.

BMJ is a global healthcare knowledge provider with a vision of helping to create a healthier world. We work to transform health outcomes and partner with diverse international organisations to deliver results.  We focus on global health and health security priorities in four ways: building an evidence base, strengthening health systems, convening people and sharing knowledge. bmj.com/company/global-health

The Electronic Library of Medicine "ELM" is an online national library that provides healthcare practitioners and university students of diversified scientific specialties in Jordan with evidence-based medical resources for free through its portal www.elm.jo

Electronic Health Solutions (EHS) is an innovative technology-driven, private, non-profit company that effectively provides automated solutions to enhance the quality and efficiency of Jordanian public healthcare services.

© Press Release 2018