Family physicians' continuing professional development activities: current practices and potential for new options.
BACKGROUND
As part of needs assessment processes, our Faculty of Medicine (FOM) continuing professional development office investigated the differences between physicians who do and those who do not frequently participate in planned group learning to gain insight into their interest in new forms of continuing professional development (CPD).


METHODS
We sent a 19 item questionnaire to 485 randomly selected physicians of the 1050 family physicians in Eastern Ontario. The questionnaire examined present participation and satisfaction with CPD activities and perceptions regarding the potential impact of those; and appetite for new opportunities to meet their learning needs.


RESULTS
Of the 151 (31%) physicians responding, 61% reported attending at least one FOM group learning program in the past 18 months (attenders) and 39% had not (non-attenders). Non-attenders indicated less satisfaction (p = 0.04) with present opportunities and requested development in newer approaches such as support for self-learning, on-line opportunities, and simulation.


CONCLUSIONS
Although there are high levels of satisfaction with the present CPD system that predominantly offers large group learning options, a substantial number of physicians expressed interest in accessing new options such as personal study and on-line resources.
Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa.
Elizabeth
E
Lindsay
Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa.
Eric
E
Wooltorton
Office of Continuing Medical Education, University of Ottawa.
Paul
P
Hendry
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa; Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa.
Kathryn
K
Williams
Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa; University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Cardiovascular Research Methods Centre, Ottawa, ON.
George
G
Wells