Sermo and Joslin Diabetes Center Partner for Optimal Diabetes Care

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sermo, the largest online community in the U.S. exclusive to physicians, and Joslin Diabetes Center, the world's preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization, today announced a strategic partnership to improve quality and efficiency for diabetes care. According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes has become a national epidemic affecting 8% of the population and one of the leading causes of death in the US. Once diagnosed, sufferers pay twice the annual health care costs as the national average. With such high stakes for such a broad patient population, connecting, informing and stimulating discussion amongst physicians treating the disease is critical.

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The partnership will join Sermo's market research and crowdsourcing capabilities with Joslin's CME certified innovative quality improvement education, tools and resources. The combined reach of the two entities will support among the largest online accessible population of primary care physicians, endocrinologists, and other relevant specialists in the mission to fight diabetes.

"Collaboration amongst and education of clinicians and researchers who treat and prevent diabetes has never been more important," said Jon Michaeli, VP Marketing and Membership of Sermo. "Sermo's platform will enable the largest group of Diabetes experts ever assembled online to collaborate in an interactive setting where insights and conclusions have clear benefits for patients."

"The Sermo physician member profile is one of a leader and early adopter in terms of utilization of online resources and in sharing with peers for the benefit of patients,"  according to Julie A. Brown, CCMEP, Director of Professional Education, Joslin Diabetes Center. "We therefore see Sermo as an excellent partner to promote adoption of our innovative performance improvement educational system and point of care tools and resources to accomplish our goal of standardized best practices for better quality and lower cost when it comes to prevention and treatment for this costly disease."

The collaboration, in part, entails the exchanging of resources whereby Sermo analytic reports and surveys will be distributed to Joslin's network of physicians; and Sermo's platform will be leveraged by Joslin Professional Education to ensure utilization among Sermo members of Joslin's specialized tools and innovative ABIM MOC Part IV qualified longitudinal Performance Improvement PI CME pathways. Additionally, programs and surveys will be jointly developed and distributed.

About Sermo

Sermo is the largest online physician community in the United States, with more than 125,000 physicians spanning 68 specialties. All Sermo members are verified and credentialed physicians who collaborate on cases and exchange observations to improve patient care, discuss drugs and devices and share information on new therapies and innovations. Sermo also provides a way to target and engage physicians by providing access to its community for clients that need fast, actionable insights into treatments, medications and devices.

About Joslin Diabetes Center

Joslin Diabetes Center, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the world's largest diabetes research and clinical care organization. Joslin is dedicated to ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives and offers real hope and progress toward diabetes prevention and a cure. Joslin is an independent, nonprofit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School.  The Joslin Diabetes Center Professional Education Department has been national accredited since 1995 and was awarded Accreditation with Commendation in 2006 by the ACCME, the highest level available.  The department is focused on performance improvement and supports quality diabetes practice for over 40,000 primary care practitioners annually.

SOURCE Sermo