The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners

There are an estimated 50,000 New Zealanders infected with hepatitis C, although most of these do not know it. Hepatitis C affects a wide variety of people. It can be successfully treated and cured in the majority of New Zealanders, especially if the infection is picked up before the onset of cirrhosis, however, less that 10% of those infected have received antiviral therapy.

More health care professionals need to be aware of the prevalence of hepatitis C and the impact of chronic infection and a more proactive approach is needed to identify people with hepatitis C before they develop liver complications. "The only means of reducing the morbidity, mortality and costs of chronic hepatitis C is through prevention of new infections, and earlier detection and treatments," comments Ass. Professor Ed Gane, Chief Hepatologist at the NZ Liver Unit, who is featured in the modules.

The online Hepatitis C E-Learning Tool offers a flexible and convenient individualised learning structure incorporating video, audio and testimony from real patients. Participants can choose the module topic and pace of the programme at a time and place that suits them. The course can help primary health professionals meet their individual learning needs and provides an attractive option for those short on time as it makes keeping up to date much more convenient.

The Hepatitis C E-Learning Tool is a free online course that has been endorsed by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) and approved for up to 2 hours CME for General Practice Educational Programme Stage 2 (GPEP2) and Maintenance of Professional Standards (MOPS) purposes. New Zealand Registered Nurses who undertake this course are also eligible to report the hours as professional development activity.

LearnOnline.Health.nz is a vocational training resource hub for New Zealand's community of health practitioners. LearnOnline.Health.nz features several professional development courses on a variety of health topics. The site is managed by Kineo and supported by the Ministy of Health.