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Characteristics that predict physician participation in a Web-based CME activity: the MI-Plus study
Michael J Schoen1, Edmond F Tipton, Thomas K Houston
1Division of Continuing Medical Education, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0019, USA. mschoen@uab.edu
The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions
|December 10, 2009
Summary
Physicians with more post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients and rural locations were more likely to enroll in online medical education. However, these characteristics did not predict actual course usage.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Digital Health
- Cardiology
Background:
- Physician adoption of internet-based practice improvement tools is growing, yet many remain disengaged.
- Understanding physician characteristics influencing participation in online educational interventions is crucial for effective implementation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between physician characteristics and enrollment/participation in an internet-delivered educational intervention for post-myocardial infarction (MI) patient care.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial recruited primary-care physicians for an internet-delivered intervention comparing an intervention website to a control website.
- Physician characteristics were obtained from commercial data sources and merged with professional databases.
- Enrollment and website usage were electronically tracked.
Main Results:
- Out of 1337 eligible physicians, 177 (13.2%) enrolled.
- Enrollment was significantly higher for physicians with more post-MI patients (≥20 vs <20) and those in rural practice locations compared to urban.
- Physician characteristics did not predict the intensity of internet course use after enrollment.
Conclusions:
- Physician enrollment in internet-delivered continuing medical education (CME) for post-MI care is predicted by patient load and rural practice location.
- These factors indicate interest but not sustained engagement with the educational content.
- Further research is needed to identify determinants of physician engagement in internet CME.
