Surgeons' participation in continuing medical education: is it evidence-based?

Interactive forms of continuing medical education (CME) are more likely to improve clinical practice than traditional, passive approaches. This study investigated CME participation and preferences among surgeons.

Questionnaire survey of surgeons in New South Wales, Australia.

On average, respondents (n = 418, 77% response rate) committed 364 hours (interquartile range 228-512 hours) to CME per year. Surgeons working at tertiary referral teaching hospitals were twice as likely as those working in other types of hospital to report spending more than 12 hours per month on CME (OR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4-3.1). Overall, reading accounted for 17% of CME time and attending conferences a further 12%. Clinical audit accounted for significantly less CME time (3.5%) (both P < 0.001). Conferences were considered the single most useful form of CME by 28% (95% CI: 24-33%). Over half (55%, 95% CI: 50-59%) ranked reading as 1 of the 3 most useful types of CME, whereas significantly fewer so ranked clinical audit (6%, 95% CI: 4-9%) (chi2 = 230.8, 1 d.f., P < 0.001).

Australian surgeons commit a considerable amount of time to CME, but much of this time is spent in passive educational activities. Development of acceptable and effective CME programmes will benefit both surgeons and their patients.