Preserving Continuing Medical Education in a U.S. Community Hospital: A Successful Model and an Alert

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• Accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities have declined over the past decade.
• This decline is multifactorial and contradicts adult learning principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe how a small hospital preserved its CME program.
• To present a model for other small institutions facing similar challenges.

Main Methods:

• The hospital maintained its long-standing program as a Regularly Scheduled Series (RSS).

Main Results:

• The RSS format proved beneficial for medical staff.
• Other healthcare providers also benefited from participation.

Conclusions:

• A Regularly Scheduled Series can be a viable model for sustaining CME in smaller institutions.
• This approach supports continuous learning for diverse healthcare professionals.