Outcomes and Observations of On-line CME Activities during the Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic created an environment where the majority of continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) activities needed to be delivered digitally. Producing digital materials for 16 separate learning activities (four learning journeys for each of four topic areas) in 2021 provided challenges and raised points of interest and discussion for a small, Italy-based provider of CME and CPD. This study presents outcome metrics from four live, interactive webinars. A variety of promotional efforts, including the strategic use of social media, generated interest and participation; feedback from the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education standard questionnaire to participants provided rates of satisfaction; subject knowledge and self-reported competence was measured by responses to pre- and post-event and follow-up (after 3 months) questionnaires. Post-event analysis of processes prompted introspection on the learning journey outcomes and methods of analysis. This paper discusses these observations, including potential innovations for future activities (e.g. reconfiguring the e-learning platform to capture time spent on learning activities), and also discusses issues in learner behaviour that impact CME provision and evaluation.

KEYWORDS:

• Outcomes
• continuing medical education
• continuing professional development
• digital learning
• participation
• knowledge
• competence

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Linda Edmondson and Rebecca Mant (UK-based freelance medical writers) for editorial assistance and Flaminia Masprone (Employed by the Scientific Seminars International Foundation at the time of the activities) for management and support of the learning journeys and outcome metrics.

Disclosure Statement

The activities described were funded through independent educational grants received from Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by independent educational grants received from Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.