Obstacles to effective professional education programming by a voluntary health association: findings from a national...

The American Cancer Society (ACS) conducted a nationally representative survey of ACS professional education committee volunteer chairpersons and ACS staff responsible for professional education programs in Divisions and Units of the Society. The survey questionnaire included a set of 25 items (15 in the chairperson questionnaires) representing potential obstacles to effective professional education programming. Subjects rated these obstacles on a four-point scale indicating the extent to which they were perceived as problems in professional education. The survey identified which potential obstacles to professional education programming by a voluntary health association were considered to be most problematic. These included competition from other providers of oncology professional education, outdated audiovisuals and publications, and the recruitment and retention of physician volunteers. The survey verified that there were differences within the organizational structure of the association. In particular, small Units of the Society faced more problems than did Divisions and large Units. The survey found differences in perceived problems between volunteers and staff, particularly in that staff found outdated audiovisuals and publications to be more of a problem than did chairpersons. In general, however, there was a commonality of opinion among all respondents as to which obstacles posed more of a problem than others in professional education.