Analysis of CME Participation and Credit Compliance Among Healthcare Professionals: A Five-Year Study (2019-2023) From a Hospital in Guangdong, China.

OBJECTIVE

Continuing Medical Education (CME) is vital for maintaining and improving the competencies of healthcare professionals. Despite the recognized importance of CME, disparities in CME engagement across professional roles remain underexplored in China. This study aims to addresses this gap by analyzing the participation and credit compliance of healthcare professionals in CME programs at a hospital in Guangdong Province over a five-year period (2019-2023) and to explore the differences across different professional titles and specializations.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 5,156 records from the hospital's proprietary electronic CME management system. All full-time clinical staff were included. Descriptive statistics quantified annual average participation and credit compliance rates. Chi-square tests (χ²) assessed differences by title and specialty.

RESULTS

The results indicate that over the past five years, both CME participation and credit compliance steadily increased. Significant differences were observed in participation among healthcare professionals with different professional titles ( =38.02, <0.001), with intermediate-title staff exhibiting the highest participation (98.8%) and junior-title staff the lowest (95.4%). Credit compliance rates also differed significantly among professional titles ( =43.88, <0.001), with intermediate-title group reaching the highest credit compliance rate (97.1%) and senior consultant-title group the lowest (89.1%). Additionally, there were significant variations in credit compliance rates across different specialties ( =233.10, <0.001), with nursing professionals at the top (99.3%) and technicians at the bottom (90.6%).

CONCLUSION

Significant disparities in CME participation and credit compliance were observed across professional titles and clinical specialties. The findings suggest that CME programs should be tailored to the specific needs of different professional groups. These insights provide valuable recommendations for policymakers and hospital administrators seeking to optimizing CME program design, enhancing participation, and improving healthcare quality through continued professional development.