Doctors start to practice what they read in journal CME

More than half of physicians using journal-based CME say they are changing their practice habits as a result of what they learn.

By Jay Greene, AMNews staff. Feb. 26, 2001.

San Francisco -- With more than half of the states requiring continuing medical education credits as a condition of re-licensure, it's not surprising that surveys show more and more physicians using CME.

Thanks to a push by the CME accrediting body, CME providers are now assessing the outcomes of their programs and in some cases, learning that physicians are indeed putting into practice what they learn.

However, most experts and physicians agree that substantial changes come after several CME courses and often after physicians have discussed what they've learned with colleagues.

Bernd Wollschlaeger, MD, a family physician in North Miami Beach, Fla., reads medical journals regularly to keep up to date with the latest clinical information. While he occasionally applies the knowledge into his daily practice, Dr. Wollschlaeger said he doesn't incorporate changes without talking with peers.

"Reading an article doesn't change my practice," Dr. Wollschlaeger said. "It deepens my practice and stimulates my interest. It can lead me to a long-term change in my practice behavior or prescribing. Interacting with colleagues, exchanging e-mails, helps me test the ideas. ... It is just part of the process of learning."

In a review of evaluation forms physicians submit for CME credit, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia found that more than two-thirds of physicians said they either changed or planned to change their practices.

"Doctors don't make big changes after a CME event, but they do believe it adds value," said Jeanne Cole, Jefferson's CME managing director, at a recent meeting of the Alliance for CME. [...]