A comparative analysis of the perceived continuing medical education needs of a cohort of rural and urban Canadian family physicians.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the perceived continuing medical education (CME) needs of a cohort of Canadian family physicians.


METHODS
We distributed a questionnaire survey to Canadian family physicians who became Certificant members of the College of Family Physicians in 2001 and practised outside the province of Quebec. Main outcome measures were self-reported CME needs, professional development needs and preferences for CME delivery methods.


RESULTS
We distributed 482 surveys and 197 questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 40.9%. Significant differences between rural and urban respondents' self-reported CME needs were found in the clinical areas of dermatology, endocrinology, emergency medicine, musculoskeletal, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, psychiatry and urology. Generally, a greater proportion of rural respondents reported significantly higher CME needs in emergency medicine. Urban respondents reported a significant preference for consulting colleagues as a method of CME, while rural respondents reported a significant preference for videoconferencing.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported CME needs and preferences for CME delivery methods differ on the basis of region of practice and size of the community in which family physicians' practise.
Curran
Vernon R
VR
Centre for Collaborative Health Professional Education, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld.
Keegan
David
D
Parsons
Wanda
W
Rideout
Greg
G
Tannenbaum
David
D
Dumoulin
Normand
N
Kirby
Fran
F
Fleet
Lisa J
LJ
D002170:Canada; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*