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.
Centre for Collaborative Health Professional Education, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Nfld.
Vernon R
VR
Curran
David
D
Keegan
Wanda
W
Parsons
Greg
G
Rideout
David
D
Tannenbaum
Normand
N
Dumoulin
Fran
F
Kirby
Lisa J
LJ
Fleet
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*