Mass. Medical Society Relaunches Improved Website

WALTHAM — The Mass. Medical Society announced it has relaunched its website at www.massmed.org with a modern technology platform that provides new tools for members and easier access for users of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.

“This is the most significant major technology upgrade on the MMS website in nearly a decade,” said Corinne Broderick, the society’s executive vice president. “It creates a foundation for future growth and strengthens the society’s position as the leading voice and resource for physicians in Massachusetts.”

MMS Chief Digital Strategist and Director of Communications Frank Fortin said the site now uses an innovative software development approach called ‘response design’ that automatically recognizes the kind of device a visitor is using and renders a page that fits the dimensions of the device. Mobile phone users, for example, will see a home page that features links to the latest news, education content, and calendar of events without having to pinch or zoom the screen.

The site will also feature advanced new search technology that will enable users to find content more easily. It’s based on the same technology that drives Microsoft’s search engine Bing.

Other new features include updated sections for the Mass. Medical Society and Alliance Charitable Foundation and Physician Health Services, an enhanced section on continuing medical education (CME) with multi-media content, a new patient-care section with clinical and public-health content for physicians and patients, and a variety of tools that add value for member physicians of the society.

The new CME section, for example, will offer courses with video and audio and other multi-media content. Some courses will incorporate pre-course and mid-course questions, as well as post-course exams, to optimize the online learning experience.

The site will also feature a comprehensive portal, called MyCME, where CME users can track credits earned, download certificates, and bookmark their place in course content. MMS members will also be able to self-report and track CME credits that they have earned at non-MMS venues.

The Mass. Medical Society, with more than 24,000 physicians and student members, is dedicated to educating and advocating for the patients and physicians of Massachusetts. The society publishes the New England Journal of Medicine, a leading global medical journal and website, and Journal Watch alerts and newsletters covering 13 specialties. Founded in 1781, MMS is the oldest continuously operating medical society in the country.