Webinars can be great educational and motivational tools that accommodate large audiences while retaining a small-group learning atmosphere. Many businesses and organizations use webinars to share information with their audiences, build relationships and spur discussion. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) hosts monthly webinars to encourage health care providers, service members and families to learn about relevant and timely information on topics related to psychological health and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Let’s look at some other features of the DCoE webinar series. Presenters are subject matter experts from leading military medical institutions around the country. Polling questions are used throughout the presentation, followed by a question and answer session where participants can dialogue with the experts. Most webinars offer health care providers continuing education credit through an accredited university. Once concluded, audio podcasts and transcripts are available online, along with presentation slides and resources connected to the webinar topic.

Dr. Lolita O'Donnell, chief of planning and logistics at DCoE, manages the DCoE webinar series. “The 2014 series will continue to address topics in psychological health and TBI in an effort to support clinical providers, service members and leadership as they address deployment-related concerns,” said O'Donnell. “As we have learned from our past experiences in conducting webinars, collaborative and dynamic interaction with the participants is one of our goals.”

Among the compelling topics this year were presentations on military sexual trauma, suicide prevention, how to alleviate chronic pain and dizziness symptoms associated with TBI, reintegration challenges of military families and violence risk assessment.

One of the most popular webinars of 2013 explained revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), fifth edition, published in May. Health care providers who attended had the opportunity to better understand and ask questions about DSM-5 changes to the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder.

Looking ahead, DCoE webinar topics continue to focus on education and collaboration. Beginning next year, DCoE will host two webinars each month, one presenting psychological health topics and the other on TBI. The series will include treating sleep disorders, mild TBI and co-occurring psychological health disorders, family functioning and TBI, post-traumatic headache, depression, and gender difference and TBI. For a complete schedule, view and download the 2014 webinar series flier.

The first webinar of the new year kicks off 1-2:30 p.m. (EST) Jan. 16. Join us for a discussion on cumulative concussion. For information about registration or continuing education credit, visit dcoe.mil/webinars.