Continuing medical education is designed to improve the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals. This article describes the benefits of continuing education programs, their costs, and accreditation. It also discusses the differences between traditional classroom education and online continuing medical education. This article will examine the differences between online and live teaching, and we will discuss the role of enduring materials and accreditation in continuing medical education. There are three primary purposes for continuing medical education.
Continuing medical education
The primary purpose of continuing medical education is to improve clinical performance, improve patient outcomes, and provide high-quality learning opportunities for family physicians. However, practitioners may be motivated by altruistic concerns or practical considerations. For example, continuing medical education is often required to maintain a medical license or specialty board certification accreditation. In addition, CME compliance is often a condition of hospital medical staff membership. Finally, CME compliance is frequently required for participation in specific health plans.
Continuing medical education is typically conducted in live classrooms or online via distance learning. These types of knowledge should be evidence-based and geared toward addressing professional practice gaps among learners. Most forms of CME can be categorized as either interactive or non-face-to-face, with each having its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Whether participants attend live courses or study at home, the goal should be the same: stimulating the doctor to make changes in clinical practice.
Accreditation
Accreditation of continuing medical education (CME) is an essential tool for physicians and is a commitment and obligation of health care administration. However, the decline in the number of accredited CME activities is multifactorial and contradicts many adult learning principles. This article describes how one small hospital within a more extensive system has maintained a longstanding program as a Regularly Scheduled Series. The series is beneficial to both medical staff and other healthcare providers and may be replicated in different smaller healthcare settings.
The growth of CME in the United States, Europe, and Asia has mainly been attributed to the development of online accredited CME activities. For example, the Massachusetts Medical Society initially accredited 121 providers in its state; since then, it has decreased to 45. The decrease has been mirrored in other states, as well. However, the growth of online CME activities will continue to spur the development of high-quality CME.
Lifelong learning
As the name suggests, continuing medical education (CME) refers to the process of continuing professional development. CME enables healthcare professionals to learn new skills and maintain their certification. The purpose of CME is to improve medical knowledge and improve patient care. Today, CME credits are often required for physicians by their state or hospital, and doctors need to earn a certain number each year to keep their licenses.
Stanford Medicine’s continuing education programs draw on the expertise of its interprofessional faculty. The content is evidence-based, references best practices, and is commercially neutral. The target audience for these courses includes doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. The Stanford Center for Continuing Medical Education (SCME) serves international, national, and local learners. Its goal is to enhance team experiences, increase retention and improve practice.
Cost
Continuing medical education (CME) is essential for physicians. It helps them improve patient outcomes in several areas. However, CME is also expensive, and many employers cover some or all of the cost. Luckily, there are several ways to keep the cost of CME to a minimum. Here are a few tips for reducing your costs. Also, consider the time and space required to complete CME courses.
Physicians pay nearly $2.25 billion a year for CME, and about half of this money comes from drug and medical device manufacturers. Unfortunately, this practice skews medical professionals’ decisions and allows the industry to skirt laws against off-label advertising uses of drugs. For these reasons, a more balanced discussion about CME is needed.