CREST® is Now Available!

ColoRectal Educational Systems Template, commonly known as CREST® is the premier online educational portal for physicians interested in colorectal surgery. CREST® aims to assist healthcare providers achieve high-quality patient care by providing an interactive venue regarding all aspects of colorectal disease.

Covering the six "pillars" of colorectal disease: anorectal, colorectal and anal malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease, pelvic floor disorders, and endoscopy—CREST® provides a robust curriculum in support of the mission of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

Watch the instructional video located on the CREST® information page or read the detailed login document which describes how to login to CREST®. Members have the option of simply reviewing topics that interst them or they have the option of purchasing CME credits for the Weekly Curriculum Modules. Additional modules will be posted on a weekly basis so check back often!

Check out our newest CREST® Weekly Curriculum module, Lynch Syndrome: Overview, Diagnosis, and Surveillance! This module discusses the history, genetics, diagnosis and surveillance of patients with Lynch syndrome. Included in the module are a narrated presentation, full-text articles from Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, and a brief posttest.

CREST® Weekly Curriculum modules provide a quick, easy way to refresh your knowledge on a topic and earn an hour of continuing medical education (CME) credit. Upon completion, the module is eligible for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. To access the CREST® site, please log in and click MY ACCOUNT in the top right-hand corner of the page. Click on the CREST® Online Learning Center link to enter the learning center.

CREST® Weekly Curriculum modules are free to members. Not a member of ASCRS? Learn more about the benefits of membership in The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

The ASCRS’s second webinar, "Management of Rectal Cancer in the 21st Century," is now available as a CREST® module and is eligible for 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

This module focuses on the technical "how-tos" of high quality rectal cancer surgery and implications for the future - including the role of laparoscopic surgery.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain techniques that will allow for a safer, more complete resection for rectal cancer.
• Identify quality issues in rectal cancer surgery.
• Distinguish oncologic principles of rectal cancer surgery.

To access this module, log in at the top of this page, click on MY ACCOUNT, then follow the link to the CREST® Online Learning Center. Not a member of ASCRS? Learn more about the benefits of membership in the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

The ASCRS’s first webinar, "Socioeconomic Update: What the Future Holds," is now available as a CREST® module and is eligible for 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

This module will discuss the importance of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 and the Medicare Access and CHIP Authorization Act (MACRA) of 2015, and explain why these two laws will continue to change physician reimbursement over the next five years and beyond. Educating our society members on the impact the MIPS and the APM systems of payment is important as they will directly impact physician reimbursement. With the knowledge gained from participating in this webinar, members can better prepare for the significant and impending changes.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the reason for changing physician reimbursement from Fee-for-Service to Value-Based Care.
• Recall the Merit-Based Incentive Payment Systems.
• Describe how CMS is currently moving toward more bundled payments through the Alternative Payment Models.

To access this module, log in at the top of this page, click on MY ACCOUNT, then follow the link to the CREST® Online Learning Center. Not a member of ASCRS? Learn more about the benefits of membership in the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

This module will include a review of pruritis ani and extramammary Paget's disease.

Upon completion of this module, participants should be able to:

1. Identify causes and risk factors for pruritis ani.
2. Describe a treatment algorithm for pruritis ani.
3. Identify and treat extramammary Paget's disease.

As a Weekly Curriculum module, it is eligible for 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

To access this module, log in at the top of this page, click on MY ACCOUNT, then follow the link to the CREST® Online Learning Center.

Not a member of ASCRS? Learn more about the benefits of membership in the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.