O'Brien Pott Maureen, Blanshan Anissa S, Huneke Kelly M, Baasch Thomas Barbara L, Cook David A
Planning Services, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Medical Professionals Marketing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
BMC Med Educ. 2021 Mar 19;21(1):168. doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-02595-x.
CPD educators and CME providers would benefit from further insight regarding barriers and supports in obtaining CME, including sources of information about CME. To address this gap, we sought to explore challenges that clinicians encounter as they seek CME, and time and monetary support allotted for CME.
In August 2018, we surveyed licensed US clinicians (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants), sampling 100 respondents each of family medicine physicians, internal medicine and hospitalist physicians, medicine specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants (1895 invited, 500 [26.3%] responded). The Internet-based questionnaire addressed barriers to obtaining CME, sources of CME information, and time and monetary support for CME.
The most often-selected barriers were expense (338/500 [68%]) and travel time (N = 286 [57%]). The source of information about CME activities most commonly selected was online search (N = 348 [70%]). Direct email, professional associations, direct mail, and journals were also each selected by > 50% of respondents. Most respondents reported receiving 1-6 days (N = 301 [60%]) and $1000-$5000 (n = 263 [53%]) per year to use in CME activities. Most (> 70%) also reported no change in time or monetary support over the past 24 months. We found few significant differences in responses across clinician type or age group. In open-ended responses, respondents suggested eight ways to enhance CME: optimize location, reduce cost, publicize effectively, offer more courses and content, allow flexibility, ensure accessibility, make content clinically relevant, and encourage application.
Clinicians report that expense and travel time are the biggest barriers to CME. Time and money support is limited, and not increasing. Online search and email are the most frequently-used sources of information about CME. Those who organize and market CME should explore options that reduce barriers of time and money, and creatively use online tools to publicize new offerings.
继续医学教育（CPD）教育工作者和继续医学教育（CME）提供者若能对获取CME过程中的障碍和支持因素，包括CME信息来源，有更深入的了解，将从中受益。为填补这一空白，我们试图探究临床医生在寻求CME时遇到的挑战，以及分配给CME的时间和资金支持情况。
2018年8月，我们对美国持牌临床医生（医生、执业护士和医师助理）进行了调查，分别抽取了100名家庭医学医生、内科和住院医生、医学专科医生、执业护士和医师助理作为样本（共邀请1895人，500人[26.3%]回复）。基于互联网的调查问卷涉及获取CME的障碍、CME信息来源以及CME的时间和资金支持。
最常被选中的障碍是费用（338/500[68%]）和旅行时间（N = 286[57%]）。关于CME活动最常被选中的信息来源是在线搜索（N = 348[70%]）。直接电子邮件、专业协会、直邮和期刊也分别被超过50%的受访者选中。大多数受访者报告每年有1 - 6天（N = 301[60%]）和1000 - 5000美元（n = 263[53%]）用于CME活动。大多数（> 70%）受访者还报告在过去24个月中时间或资金支持没有变化。我们发现不同临床医生类型或年龄组的回答差异不大。在开放式回答中，受访者提出了八种改进CME的方法：优化地点、降低成本、有效宣传、提供更多课程和内容、提供灵活性、确保可及性、使内容与临床相关以及鼓励应用。
临床医生报告称费用和旅行时间是CME的最大障碍。时间和资金支持有限且没有增加。在线搜索和电子邮件是关于CME最常用的信息来源。组织和推广CME的人员应探索减少时间和资金障碍的选项，并创造性地利用在线工具宣传新的课程。
