Continuing medical education. What do Minnesota physicians want?

CONTEXT

Continuing medical education (CME) is necessary for ongoing licensure and is critical in maintaining professional expertise. However, educators may not always consider their students preferences when developing new programs.

OBJECTIVE

To determine physician preference for the format of CME programs and to learn what factors contribute to selecting a CME activity.

DESIGN

Survey with 12 multiple response items pertaining to educational objectives, past educational experiences, and demographic information.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1,967 Minnesota physicians were sent the survey; 385 physicians returned surveys within 2 months of mailing date (20% return rate).

RESULTS

The vast majority of respondents reported participating in traditional CME programs during the preceding two years, and most said they planned to attend a traditional program in the next two years.

CONCLUSIONS

Minnesota physicians overwhelmingly prefer attending traditional CME programs to participating in more interactive, technology-based activities. Before new technology such as the Internet can be widely used in CME, it must be made attractive to the practicing physician.