Continuing medical education. Impact on emergency room burn care

The impact of continuing education in emergency room burn care was evaluated in a 20-hospital controlled study. The process of care provided by 298 physicians for 2,492 treated and released patients and 172 admitted patients was significantly improved in experimental hospitals where training had been compared with control hospitals. Outcomes of care, such as mortality, morbidity, compliance with medical regimens, and satisfaction with care, were significantly correlated with process. Two outcomes were influenced significantly between experimental and control patients. In the treated and released group, experimental patients complied more frequently with medical regimens. In the admitted group, experimental patients ahd fewer early complications from their burns. The study demonstrates that practice of physicians can be altered favorably by continuing education; however, there is still room for much improvement in emergency medical services.