Getting CLOSLER ("Closer to Osler"): Developing an Online Community Focused on Clinical Excellence

Clinical excellence is the goal in healthcare delivery, at both the provider and system level. At Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Miller Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence (MCACE) was established to celebrate and promote clinical excellence in hopes of optimizing the care experienced by patients. The MCACE describes clinical excellence as achieving a level of mastery in several areas including, but not limited to, communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism and humanism, diagnostic acumen, and negotiation of the healthcare system. The Academy's definition also puts an emphasis on teaching others to serve our patients and being a role model for clinical excellence. To have a positive influence on those beyond their immediate reach at Hopkins, the MCACE team launched CLOSLER, a free and open access medical education website (closler.org). With the goal of sharing thoughtful clinical stories and perspectives to stimulate reflection about providing exceptional care to every patient, CLOSLER takes its name from William Osler, the founder of academic medicine in the United States and an early champion of patient-centered care worldwide. CLOSLER offers articles written by healthcare professionals relaying pearls and lessons from practice for all, organized into four sections: Connecting with Patients, Clinical Reasoning, Passion in the Medical Profession, and Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence. CLOSLER has ushered in a new era of education that can help to move us closer to Osler and clinical excellence; it pushes the perspectives of outstanding role models to all who are interested in developing in this realm