Continuing health professional education: objectives and instructional strategies.

The efficacy of continuing health professional education (CHPE) depends upon both the learner and the teacher. The goals of CHPE activities are to improve, enhance, and maintain the learner's professional competence. This article, third in a series of six on CHPE, focuses on two essential components of CHPE program planning: (1) the establishment of clear and concise educational objectives in the learner's language, and (2) the formulation of appropriate instructional strategies for the learner to achieve those objectives.