Purpose: Providing quality health care in underserved settings is dependent on the education and training of the health care workforce. Physicians in particular require access to continuing medical education (CME) in order to sustain and improve their professional abilities. We describe a self-assessment tool which can be used to identify physicians’ learning needs in underserved settings. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey of physicians in the six U.S.-associated Pacific Basin jurisdictions (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau) was completed in 2000. Results: Although the majority (71%) of the 143 respondents had access to regular local CME activities, the perceived value of these was generally low. Additionally, only 45% had attended a formal CME course in the previous year. Respondents’ priority learning needs included diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, as well as skills such as EKG, X-ray interpretation, trauma management and cardiac life support. Among the 62% of physicians who said they had access to a medical library, only a minority (7%) found their library useful. Implications: Although physicians themselves perceive the importance of CME, they are often limited by inadequate access to high quality CME events and to medical reference resources. A self-perceived needs assessment is an efficient tool to identify physicians’ CME experiences and priority learning needs in underserved and remote settings. This information will be used to develop targeted CME programs.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the major areas of educational need for physicians in the U.S.-associated Pacific Basin jurisdictions. 2. Articulate the necessity for assessing physicians' self-identified continuing medical education needs in rural and remote settings. 3. Develop an assessment tool for assessing physicians' self-identified learning needs in rural and remote practice settings.
Keywords: Physicians, Needs Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.