Continuing Medical Education: A Cross Sectional Study on a Developing Country's Perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice
• Healthcare Professionals

Background:

• Continuing Medical Education (CME) is crucial for healthcare professionals to maintain and enhance their skills.
• General practitioners (GPs) play a vital role in primary healthcare delivery.
• Understanding GP attitudes towards CME is essential for effective professional development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the attitudes of general practitioners (GPs) in Karachi towards Continuing Medical Education (CME).
• To identify the motivating factors and barriers influencing GP participation in CME activities.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 300 licensed general practitioners in Karachi.
• A pre-designed questionnaire gathered data on attitudes towards CME, motivations, and barriers.
• Data analysis was performed using SPSS v16.0.

Main Results:

• Only 67.33% of GPs were aware of CME, and 52% had attended a CME session.
• The primary motivation for attending CME was the need to update knowledge, skills, and competencies (67.30%).
• Lack of knowledge about CME (32.66%) and time constraints (24%) were the most significant barriers to attendance.

Conclusions:

• A significant portion of Karachi's GPs lack awareness and participation in CME.
• Addressing knowledge gaps and time constraints is crucial to improve CME engagement among GPs.
• CME is perceived as valuable for professional development, but barriers need mitigation.