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.