title: Unmet needs in continuing medical education programs for rural Chinese township health professionals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to describe the system of continuing medical education (CME) in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and to ascertain the perceived needs related to that system, in order to improve the performance of health professionals in Chinese township health centers (THCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  In-depth key informant interviews were conducted to gain insights into the current CME system. A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered structured questionnaire was also carried out from March to August 2014 in order to identify perceived needs among THC personnel in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Logistic regression was used to identify factors related to respondents' interest in pursuing different levels of degree study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The areas of need perceived by the respondents included general clinical competence and emergency or first aid knowledge. Most respondents wanted to study at medical colleges in order to obtain a higher degree. Respondents aged below 45 years with neutral or positive attitudes about the benefit of degree study for the licensure examination were more likely to attend a bachelor-level CME program than their older peers and respondents with negative attitudes towards degree study. Female respondents and respondents aged below 45 years were more likely to attend a junior college CME program than males and older respondents, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is necessary to develop degree-linked CME programs to meet the need for young health professionals in Chinese THCs; therefore, this programs can improve the expertise of poorly educated young health workers, who overwhelm rural Chinese heath systems.
authors.affiliation: School for International Education, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8690-952X
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand.
authors.forename: Virasakdi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9850-4463
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chongsuvivatwong
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand.
authors.forename: Hutcha
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8483-0460
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sriplung
authors.affiliation: The Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
authors.forename: Guijie
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9404-5108
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9492-1040
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Qiming
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4532-1313
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5781-2048
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8209-5386
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wei
keywords: China; Clinical competence; Continuing medical education, First aid; Health services needs and demand