Perceptions on continuing medical education credit system: a cross-sectional study in Sichuan Province, China

The continuing medical education (CME) credit system is a core and indispensable component of CME management. Despite its critical significance, empirical research on this system in China remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of CME administrators and healthcare professionals regarding the CME credit system in Sichuan Province, China. Combined on-site and online surveys were conducted using self-designed questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants' demographic characteristics and CME administrators' perceptions on the credit system. Comparative analyses were performed using the Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test, with the Bonferroni correction for post hoc pairwise comparisons. A total of 51 CME administrators and 590 healthcare professionals were enrolled. Administrators identified standardized credit verification and the development of a unified credit management information system as two top priorities. Nurses reported a significantly higher proportion of obtaining CME credits through off-disciplinary training than public health personnel (61.6% vs. 0.0%). Healthcare professionals at grassroots institutions showed the highest proportion of acquiring credits via off-disciplinary training, whereas those at provincial-level institutions had the lowest (85.5% vs. 3.6%). Grassroots staff also relied least on academic conferences for credits, while provincial-level staff relied most on this approach (56.6% vs. 100.0%). Conversely, grassroots staff exhibited the highest utilization of distance education while provincial-level staff showed the lowest (22.4% vs. 0.0%). Additionally, provincial-level professionals were much more likely to perceive current CME credit requirements as "too high", with grassroots professionals demonstrating the lowest tendency (57.1% vs. 23.7%). Compared with public hospital staff, professionals in private hospitals had higher proportions of prioritizing credit acquisition by attending CME activities (91.8% vs. 78.6%) and choosing off-disciplinary training (79.6% vs. 52.1%). CME administrators attached great importance to standardized credit verification and the construction of a unified information system. Nurses, as well as healthcare professionals working at grassroots and private medical institutions, commonly took off-disciplinary training to obtain mandatory credits, and grassroots professionals preferred distance education. In contrast, provincial-level professionals perceived current credit requirements as overly demanding. Private hospital professionals generally prioritized credit acquisition as the core motivation for CME participation. For CME administrative authorities, it is recommended to accelerate the development of a unified digital CME information platform, optimize credit rules for healthcare professionals across all institutional levels, rationalize the allocation of CME resources, and strengthen CME governance in private hospitals.