Developing musculoskeletal education programs for physicians and the general public: findings from a needs assessment

To assess the educational needs and learning preferences of primary care physicians and the general public in receiving musculoskeletal health education.

Prospective surveys were mailed simultaneously to 2,250 primary care physicians and 2,250 members of the general public. The surveys included questions about demographics, motivation for attending programs, and preferred education program formats.

The 68 responding physicians attend continuing medical education programs mainly based on topics, speakers, and timing. They prefer lectures and find question and answer sessions least helpful in supporting learning. The 96 responding members of the general public attend programs mainly based on topics, speakers, and fees. The general public stated that question and answer sessions best support learning in programs. A large percentage of responding physicians provide health education to their patients, but a small percentage of the general public respondents stated that they receive health education from physicians.

Responses from physicians and the general public were generally not surprising but revealed interesting contrasts between learning preferences. While physicians and the general public both value speakers and topics, the physicians want to increase their knowledge about disease, whereas the general public wants practical information. Physicians and the general public also appear to take different approaches to learning. The contrast between availability and provision of health education is also striking. We cannot generalize our results with absolute confidence because the return rates for the surveys were so low. Nonetheless, we support the need to educate physicians and the general public in ways that match their preferred learning methods and educational needs.