Trends in online continuing medical education

Abstract

Continuing medical education has the ultimate goal of improving health care quality, safety and efficiency, as one of several strategies available. It is estimated that half of the educational offer used by physicians by the end of the decade will be mediated via Internet. In this article, concepts regarding distance continuing medical education are analyzed, with a focus on Internet-based education. The following aspects are of interest for Institutions planning to adopt it: 1) Its value for the different stakeholders, weighing the following items: a) Trends in Internet usage. b) Reach, in comparison with traditional formats. c) Efficiency, from the perspectives of break-even, cost-efficiency and cost-benefit analyses. d) Impact on clinical practice, in comparison with traditional educational formats. 2) Limitations, challenges and common mistakes with this educational format.