title: Do Continuing Medical Education (CME) events cover the content physicians want to know? A content analysis of CME offerings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study is to assess whether annual refresher session offerings match the needs of physicians by coding and comparing session syllabi to physician questions collected electronically at the point of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen syllabi from annual refresher continuing medical education (CME) events offered to family physicians in Canada were collected and their session titles and descriptions entered into a database. Titles and descriptions were coded using the International Classification for Primary Care version 2 (ICPC-2). Titles and descriptions were further coded depending on whether the sessions involved a drug treatment/medication component. Syllabi content was compared to previously determined questions asked by physicians at the point of care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the original 701 session titles, 625 (89.2%) were suitable for analysis. CME sessions focused on musculoskeletal, digestive, skin, urologic, and general categories were underrepresented in comparison to point-of-care questions. The reverse was true for the psychological/mental health category.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences between questions asked by physicians at the point of care and the content of contemporaneous CME refresher courses can be analyzed to identify gaps in CME offerings. This knowledge could be used to develop CME curricula and highlight areas of need for inclusion in refresher courses.
authors: Lise M
authors: LM
authors: Bjerre
authors: Nicholas R
authors: NR
authors: Paterson
authors: Jessie
authors: J
authors: McGowan
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Hogg
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: Campbell
authors: Gary
authors: G
authors: Viner
authors: Douglas
authors: D
authors: Archibald
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: continuing medical education; continuing professional development; education; evidence-based medicine; family practice/education; syllabi needs-assessment