The Journal of continuing education in the health professions
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Our understanding about the role of the Internet as a resource for physicians has improved in the past several years with reports of patterns for use and measures of impact on medical practice. The purpose of this study was to begin to shape a theory base for more fully describing physicians' information-seeking behaviors as they apply to Internet use and applications for continuing education providers to more effectively support learning. ⋯ The Internet has become an important force in how physicians deliver care. Understanding more about physician information-seeking needs, behaviors, and uses is critical to CME providers to support a self-directed curriculum for each physician. A shift to increased use of electronic CME options points to new demands for users and providers. Specific information about how physicians create a question and search for resources is an area that requires providers to develop new skills.
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J Contin Educ Health Prof · Jan 2004
Maintenance of certification in the United States: a progress report.
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is working closely with its 24 member boards to implement the four components of a Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Those components include evidence of professional standing, lifelong learning and self-assessment, cognitive expertise, and evaluation of performance in practice. The new MOC program of the ABMS represents a dramatic shift from how graduate medical education, initial certification in the medical specialties, and recertification in the medical specialties are being conducted. This article updates how specialty boards are implementing the four components.
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J Contin Educ Health Prof · Jan 2004
Using Baldrige criteria to meet or exceed Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Standards.
Continuing medical education providers accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) may apply organizational assessment strategies beyond the ACCME Essential Areas, Elements, and Criteria. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program offers an organizational assessment strategy commonly used in business, health care, and education settings. ⋯ Including leadership, governance, and social responsibility, the Baldrige Education Criteria provide a more comprehensive organizational assessment and stronger emphasis on a wider variety of results. The present analysis suggests that a continuing medical education provider could meet, and possibly exceed, the ACCME standards by applying the Baldrige Education Criteria in a "self-study" process to define, measure, monitor, and document fundamental organizational responsibilities and performance.
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J Contin Educ Health Prof · Jan 2004
Historical ArticleA new metric for continuing medical education credit.
The two major continuing medical education (CME) credit systems for allopathic physicians in the United States are administered by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). This article explores the history of AMA and AAFP CME credit and its value to physicians and the patients they serve. Historically, CME credit has been awarded as hours for participation, but this approach is inadequate as a measure of CME and its impact on improving physician practice. New credit systems are needed to measure a CME activity by its value in bettering the physician's knowledge base, competence, and performance in practice.
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J Contin Educ Health Prof · Jan 2004
The contribution of hospital library services to continuing medical education.
Much of the literature relating to continuing medical education programs laments the lack of effectiveness of traditional lecture-based format, the most often used method of presentation in hospitals. A gap exists between the content taught in lectures and the application of that knowledge in actual patient care. ⋯ These three functions (library services, continuing medical education, and quality improvement) are interdependent. Each lends strength to the other, and, ideally, all are coordinated within the hospital structure.