Physicians' Values as Motivators for Continuing Professional Development: A Cross-Sectional Study

According to Self-Determination Theory, when health professionals see their continuing professional development (CPD) efforts as aligned with their intrinsic values (eg, helping others), they may develop a more desirable motivational orientation toward CPD. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the effect of physicians' values on their CPD motivation.

Practicing physicians in a single Canadian providence were administered an online survey that assessed their motivation for engaging in CPD, the importance they ascribe to three intrinsic and three extrinsic values, and the extent to which engaging in CPD activities is aligned with intrinsic and extrinsic values.

A total of 122 physicians completed the survey. Seeing CPD activities as contributing to helping others was positively associated with intrinsic regulation, identified regulation, and introjected regulation. Seeing CPD activities as contributing to personal growth was positively associated with identified regulation.

As predicted by the Self-Determination Theory, physicians who perceived CPD as aligned with intrinsic values tended to report a more desirable motivational orientation toward CPD. CPD providers can support health professionals' motivation by highlighting connections between CPD activities and intrinsic values in promotional materials.