BMJ Offers Free High-Quality Online Medical Resources to Support Chinese Medical Institutions Amidst Pandemic-Related School Closures

The face-to-face teaching for the upcoming spring 2020 semester was affected by the epidemic. In response, the Ministry of Education issued a document proposing to “suspend classes but not teaching or learning,” and calling for joint implementation and assurance of online teaching in higher education institutions during the epidemic prevention and control period, so as to ensure the progress and quality of teaching during this time.To support the effective implementation of teaching activities during this period, BMJ Group (BMJ) will provide three high-quality online teaching resources free of charge to Chinese medical colleges and universities, teaching hospitals, and other institutions.

BMJ’s medical teaching resources are widely used worldwide (including in China) and accredited by educational institutions in multiple countries. Grounded in evidence-based medicine, these resources are peer-reviewed, regularly updated, and authoritative and trustworthy. They feature user-friendly and diverse formats, systematic and comprehensive content (covering more than 30 clinical specialties as well as non-clinical specialty courses), and a concise, efficient style. They support personalized curriculum development, self-directed online learning, and even point-of-care clinical decision-making; they provide assessment questions and learning certificates by learning module; and they offer usage reports for individual and institutional users. See below for details.

• Professional online learning resources, authored by experts in clinically relevant fields, and rigorously edited and peer-reviewed using evidence-based methodologies;

• Suitable for use by medical students in their third year or above at Chinese medical schools, clinical graduate students, residents undergoing standardized clinical training, and general practice trainees;

• There are over 700 interactive learning modules (including more than 240 in Chinese), covering 19 clinical specialties, and incorporating multiple non-clinical content modules (such as team-based learning and patient communication skills);

• Most modules are designed based on clinical cases or using the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method, and may include materials such as text, images, audio, and video;

• Each module consists of three parts: pre-learning assessment, learning, and post-learning examination, requiring 1.5–2 hours to complete;

• Supports personalized course creation, learning progress tracking, generation and printing of learning certificates (only upon completion of coursework and passing the assessment), and interactive communication among learners;

• Accredited by more than 70 teaching institutions worldwide, including authoritative bodies such as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians, and the Singapore Medical Council.

Resource Platform: learning.bmj.com

Experience the Free Learning Module:

• Visit: learning.bmj.com

• Click [Log In] in the upper right corner

• After registering for a free account, search for the following modules on the homepage:

1. Motivational Interviewing in Brief Consultations

2. Chronic Edema and Lymphedema

3. Parkinson's Disease: Initial Assessment and Referral

4. Prostate: Clinical Examination

5. Spontaneous Pneumothorax—Evaluation and Treatment

6. How Does Physical Activity Confer Health Benefits?

7. Health Benefits of Physical Activity: Cardiovascular Disease

8. Survival Guide: How to Safely Prescribe Medications for Surgical Inpatients

• World-class evidence-based medicine clinical decision support systems (CDSS) and teaching resources, published in eight languages and widely used globally;

• Updated in a timely manner based on global evidence and evidence-based methods to provide authoritative, comprehensive knowledge for diagnosis and treatment;

• Provides real-time support for clinical diagnosis and treatment decisions, effectively helping physicians optimize treatment plans, reduce medical errors, lower diagnostic and treatment costs, and improve patient outcomes;

• Provides lesson preparation and learning resources for clinical teaching, and knowledge update tools for continuing medical education; suitable for medical students at all levels and physicians with varying years of experience.

• Covering 32 disciplines and over 1,100 groups of disease and symptom assessment topics, all designed according to clinical diagnosis and treatment procedures to cover the entire process of care;

• It can be accessed in multiple formats (web version, mobile app, and electronic medical record integration);

• Automatically records study time and generates learning certificates as proof of assessment for distance education (web version only);

• Ranked first in independent evaluations of multiple international point-of-care clinical resources [1-2], and has received numerous international awards and accreditations, including the UK NHS Information Standards Certification (used nationwide in the UK);

• The Chinese version of BMJ Best Practice (BP) has expanded over the past two years and is now subscribed to by dozens of Chinese medical schools and teaching hospitals. Its positive impact on integration with local clinical information systems has facilitated the publication of research findings [3].

1.Campbell JM, Umapathysivam K, Xue Y, Lockwood C. Evidence-Based Practice Point-of-Care Resources: A Quantitative Evaluation of Quality, Rigor, and Content. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs. 2015 Dec;12(6):313-27

2.Kwag KH, González-Lorenzo M, Banzi R, et al. Providing doctors with high-quality information: an updated evaluation of web-based point-of-care information summaries. J Med Internet Res 2016:18:e15

3.Tao L, Accuracy and Effects of Clinical Decision Support Systems Integrated With BMJ Best Practice-Aided Diagnosis: Interrupted Time Series Study. JMIR Med Inform. 2020 Jan 20;8(1):e16912

Resource Platform: bestpractice.bmj.com

Experience BP Free Theme:

• Visit the URL: bestpractice.bmj.com/info/cn/subscribe/free/

• Click the topic title to view the full text

• Professional systematic courses co-developed by BMJ and the University of California, San Francisco (supporting degree education in clinical research);

• Suitable for junior researchers, graduate students in clinical specialties, doctoral candidates, and professionals specializing in clinical study design;

• Includes 8 sub-courses (all in English), with a total of 52 learning modules and over 200 hours of instruction:

1. Establish a good research topic;

2. Establish a solid foundation for your research and publications;

3. Select the optimal research design and methodology;

4. Ensure compliance with research ethics;

5. How to ensure research articles are recognized and utilized;

6. Special Considerations in Clinical Trials;

7. Submit and publish research articles in journals;

8. Understand and avoid academic misconduct;

• The course primarily adopts a format comprising video lectures, reading materials (including real-world cases), and post-study assessments;

• The learning module primarily adopts a format comprising video lectures, reading materials (including real-world cases), and post-learning assessments, requiring 1.5–2 hours to complete;

• User features support course customization (individual users can select modules for study), learning progress tracking, certificate printing (available only upon completion of coursework and successful test passage), and peer interaction among learners.

Resource platform: rtop.bmj.com

For Undergraduate Students in Medical Schools: BP and Learning

For graduate and doctoral students in medical schools, as well as residents in standardized residency training programs at teaching hospitals: BP, Learning, and RtoP

For Clinical Faculty at Medical Schools and Hospitals: BP, Learning, and RtoP (Lesson Planning and Course Design)

Note: All three resources support unit/module-based recording, assessment, and certificate printing or issuance. Both teachers and students may select options as needed to design curricula (including elective and compulsory components) or study plans, and to record and manage progress at any time. BMJ can provide usage reports on an institutional basis.

The BP content is structured around diseases, symptoms, and specialized medical fields, covering the entire clinical workflow—including foundational disease knowledge, epidemiology, real-world cases, the latest diagnostic criteria, diagnostic and treatment procedures, therapeutic regimens, and patient follow-up. This facilitates systematic and efficient learning of clinical knowledge and the development of clinical reasoning skills among undergraduate medical students. It also enables graduate medical students and clinical trainees to apply clinical knowledge in real-time, standardize diagnostic and treatment protocols, optimize clinical decision-making, manage complex cases, and participate in clinical training. The BP platform features learning tracking and certificate printing capabilities, serving as an internal and external educational resource to support just-in-time teaching, reporting, and management.

Learning is an in-depth, case-based learning and assessment module designed to evaluate clinical knowledge and clinical reasoning skills. It features learning summaries and downloadable certificates, serving as both curricular and extracurricular instructional courses, while supporting real-time teaching, assessment, and management.

Due to constraints in manpower and time, this initiative is primarily open to applications from medical schools and teaching hospitals. To apply, please submit your request through the relevant department or office at your institution, such as the Library or the Education Division. Should you require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours.

Application Process:

1. The applying institution submits an application email to BMJ and provides the following information:

• Institution Name

• Resource Name

• Trial Account Information (if a trial account is required) (Name, Job Title, and Email Address)

• Institution IP Address Activation

• Target User Group and Required Number of Accounts

• Planned Usage Time

• Contact Person and Phone Number

2. Upon receiving the confirmation email from BMJ, the applying institution shall confirm and sign the "BMJ Resource User Copyright Protection Agreement" (electronic version).

3. BMJ provides training (written materials or video conferences) to applicant institutions and grants access to resources

To apply, please contact Ms. Liu (xliu@bmj.com, 15810468095) by March 31, 2020. For inquiries regarding teaching-related professional matters, please contact Dr. Du (xdu@bmj.com).

Note: BMJ reserves the right of final interpretation for this activity and will grant access and provide training only for applications approved under reasonable and feasible conditions and within the applicable scope.

BMJ Group (BMJ), established in 1840 and affiliated with the British Medical Association, has evolved over nearly two centuries into a leading global not-for-profit provider of medical knowledge. Our vision is to help create a healthier world by continuously sharing professional expertise and experience.

To better assist researchers and clinicians worldwide in addressing critical healthcare challenges, advancing global health development, and improving patient outcomes, BMJ has expanded its business scope from medical journal publishing to include clinical decision support, medical education, healthcare quality improvement, conferences and exhibitions, and more. BMJ’s flagship journal, The BMJ, is acclaimed as one of the world’s four leading general medical journals. BMJ’s resources serve over 8,000 healthcare institutions and organizations globally, are published in 14 languages, and reach more than 5 million users across over 150 countries.

BMJ China was established in 2015. As a key regional hub, BMJ China has developed first-class resources and tools tailored to the Chinese healthcare environment, designed to help healthcare professionals and medical institutions improve the quality of care. These include localized evidence-based clinical decision support tools (BMJ Best Practice), online learning platforms and courses (BMJ Learning), as well as training programs for medical research and manuscript publication.