Effectiveness of Internet Continuing Medical Education
Author Information
Author(s): Linda Casebeer, Sally Engler, Nancy Bennett, Martin Irvine, Destry Sulkes, Marc DesLauriers, Sijian Zhang
Primary Institution: Outcomes, Inc.
Hypothesis
Physicians participating in internet CME activities would make evidence-based clinical practice choices more frequently than physicians who did not participate.
Conclusion
Physicians who participated in selected internet CME activities were more likely to make evidence-based clinical choices than non-participants.
Supporting Evidence
- Participants showed a 45% increased likelihood of making evidence-based choices.
- Interactive case-based activities had a higher effect size than text-based updates.
- Primary care physicians had a higher effect size compared to specialists.
Takeaway
Doctors who took online medical education courses made better decisions based on evidence than those who didn't.
Methodology
A controlled trial using case vignette surveys administered to US physicians and a control group of non-participants.
Potential Biases
Participants may have accessed more medical information online than non-participants, potentially influencing results.
Limitations
The number of clinical vignette questions was limited, and there was a lack of baseline data on practice patterns of CME participants.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 5621 US physicians, with 1377 primary care physicians and 1241 specialists.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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