March 2009 Press Release
NEW CME GUIDELINES ADVISE PARADIGM SHIFT IN PHYSICIAN EDUCATION
CME Experts Suggest New Approach for Educators and Learners
(NORTHBROOK, IL, March 5, 2009)—New evidence-based educational guidelines evaluate the
effectiveness of current continuing medical education (CME) practices and provide the first set of
recommendations on how those practices need to change in the future. Published in the March issue of
CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), Effectiveness
of Continuing Medical Education: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Educational
Guidelines suggests the majority of CME is based on didactic education, the least effective form of
adult education, where the physician-learner is not actively engaged in the learning process. This
finding has prompted a strong recommendation for the entire medical community to offer CME that
provides a more diversified set of instructional models, strategies, methods, and media. Furthermore,
CME experts are calling for all CME providers and physician educators to adopt a consistent set of
CME terminology, methodologies, as well as a standardized approach to CME research.
“CME as we know it today is entering a paradigm shift,” said Lisa K. Moores, MD, FCCP, Co-
Chair of CME Guidelines Panel. “Although lecture-based learning is effective when combined with
other modalities, as a single mode of instruction it is the least effective form of learning for physicians.
CME providers will need to acknowledge this shift in education and adapt their programs to reflect a
more diverse learning experience.”
The CME Guidelines Panel, consisting of a number of CME experts from the American
College of Chest Physicians and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), evaluated
all CME literature to determine what CME tools and techniques are most effective in improving
physician knowledge and skills. Based on the literature, didactic education, including traditional
lecture style teaching, as a single mode of instruction, was found to be the least effective form of
learning, in terms of physician knowledge retention, skill application, and patient outcomes. In
contrast, the most effective CME incorporates a diversified approach to education, utilizing a
combination of multimedia, multiple instructional techniques, and multiple exposures to topic areas.
“By alternating didactic learning with other methods of instruction and multimedia, physicians
may retain more information and be able to apply what they’ve learned more readily in a clinical
situation,” said Dr. Moores. Although a diversified approach to CME is advised, it is not clear which
combination of these diverse modalities results in the most effective learning experience. “Additional
research is needed to identify which combination of modalities, like simulation education, case-based
learning, etc., provides the most impact.”
However, CME research provides its own set of challenges. During the literature review
process for the new guidelines, the guidelines panel discovered extensive variation in terminology used
to define educational interventions, target audiences, learning objectives, content areas, and
educational teaching methodologies. This variation has led to a lack of standardized CME approaches
and CME research including research controls, making comparison difficult and quantitative syntheses
impossible. As a result, the guidelines advocate for a more standardized approach to CME research
made easier by the adoption of a consistent set of CME terminology and methodologies.
"The ACCP is to be applauded for its efforts in the area of CME," said John E. Prescott, M.D.,
Chief Academic Officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges. "Although the research in
this field has been clear for two decades about the need for a changed model, this guideline confirms
the importance of CME and its effect on changing provider performance--especially when it uses
multiple teaching methods or truly engages the clinician. The Association of American Medical
Colleges has similarly embraced new methods in--and the centrality of—a more robust presence for
CME in the academic medical center, highlighted by its efforts in continuing education and
performance improvement."
“Recognizing the impact of multi-modality education on knowledge retention and application,
physicians should actively seek CME opportunities that provide a combination approach to education,
rather than single-modality instruction,” said James A.L. Mathers, Jr., MD, FCCP, President of the
American College of Chest Physicians. “Likewise, CME providers and physician-educators should
incorporate multiple instructional methods into their education programs and individual presentations.”
To download a copy of the new CME guidelines, visit www.chestjournal.org.
The ACCP represents 17,400 members who provide patient care in the areas of pulmonary,
critical care, and sleep medicine in the United States and throughout the world. The ACCP’s mission is
to promote the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest through leadership, education,
research, and communication. For more information about the ACCP, please visit the ACCP Web site
at www.chestnet.org.
Contact:
Jennifer Stawarz, (847) 498-8306
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