Media richness and social information processing: rationale for multifocal continuing medical education activities

Academic business communication has studied the results of media selection in organizations. Little of this work has been discussed in the context of continuing medical education (CME); however, it may apply to improving the design of educational activities. This article reviews literature on media richness and social information processing theories. The concept of media richness suggests that media choice results from a match between the objective characteristics of the medium and the content requirements of a message. In this context, media include face-to-face conversation and print and electronic media. Social information processing theory suggests that media selection is also based on participants' social norms for how information is communicated in their environment and the participants' familiarity with specific media types. Appraisal of CME with respect to these theories suggests that the complex relationship of CME content and CME participant environments invites the most effective strategies of multiple media experienced over time in what might be called multifocal continuing medical education.