Effectivness of Continuing Medical Education

TLDR

Recent increases in mandatory CME policies and their national cost frame the review, yet conventional wisdom still questions CME effectiveness. The study reviews evidence on CME effectiveness across physician competence, performance, and patient health, and calls for further research. The authors examined existing studies evaluating CME impact on physician competence, performance, and patient health. CME activity is increasing, and about half of 47 studies since 1960 show improvement in at least one end-product, but methodological flaws prevent definitive attribution to CME.

Abstract

Evidence regarding the effectiveness of continuing medical education (CME) is reviewed in terms of three possible end- products : physician competence, physician performance, and patient health status. Results of this review are presented in the context of recent increases in mandatory CME policies and the corresponding cost of such policies to the nation. The number of CME activities is evidently on the increase. Yet, according to conventional wisdom, CME is not effective. To the contrary, about half of the 47 evaluation studies published since 1960 reported demonstrable improvement in at least one of the three end-products following CME. However, methodological shortcomings in many of these studies make it impossible to conclude that the improvements were caused by the CME. The authors discuss the need for more research surrounding the subject of CME and its effectiveness.