New White Paper Surveys Recent Research on CME
The field of medicine is constantly evolving. Every year, new medical treatments and technologies are developed that doctors must learn if they want to continue to provide the best possible care. An effective continuing medical education (CME) system is crucial for keeping diverse medical professionals apprised of advances in their respective fields.
Unfortunately, current CME options are often perceived as less than satisfactory. Like all professionals, doctors want educational experiences that are convenient, engaging, and relevant to their daily work―criteria that not all programs hit. In addition, doctors’ time is valuable, so it can be difficult to create CME activities that feel like they are worth time and money that could otherwise be put toward treating patients. And ultimately, doctors want CME opportunities that demonstrably improve practice quality and patient outcomes. Not so easy.
There is hope, however. While most healthcare research dollars are spent developing new treatments, an increasing fraction is going to research on CME: how to more effectively disseminate new knowledge and skills throughout the medical community. In Next-Generation CME, a new white paper from Web Courseworks, we explore four new directions in CME research that have taken shape over the past few years. The paper summarizes key findings in each area and analyzes their potential impacts on the CME landscape. The four research thrusts are summarized briefly below.
- Point-of-care CME leverages mobile devices and electronic medical records to deliver targeted, relevant learning when and where it’s needed.
- Social media-related research explores using online learning communities to catalyze networking and information sharing among physicians.
- Simulation-based CME has a positive image and good potential for efficacy, but must overcome barriers of cost and unproven patient outcomes.
- Spaced learning acknowledges the value of assessment as a learning tool and builds knowledge using spaced testing questions and immediate feedback.
For in-depth information, expert analysis, and resources for further reading on these topics, download the white paper today.