The premise behind requiring Continuing Medical Education (CME) is keeping physicians up to date – allowing for a better quality of care and increased patient safety. It’s a great concept, but until recently doctors were forced to read medical journals or lose time and money traveling to live events to earn CME credits.
Now there is the option of online CME, giving physicians the comfort of learning from their own offices or homes. While convenient, there are still more questions to answer about online CME.
Will I actually learn anything?
If a desire to do something is a good indicator of how engaged you will be when doing it (and it is), then online CME succeeds on that front. A recent survey from ON24 and MedData Group found that 84% of physicians would prefer to attend online CME events.
Physicians simply view it as a better option than the “hassles and costs” of traveling to live CME events.
Of course, convenience doesn’t matter if the knowledge obtained isn’t up to par. But a study from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney found online CME to be just as effective as the face-to-face delivery model of traditional CME.
What are my options?
There is a type of online CME format available for every physician. You should be able to find an effective format no matter what type of learner you are.
There are more traditional options such as slide-only, where you simply read through a PowerPoint presentation. But there are more interesting options as well, such as this offering from Discovery Channel, which gamifies the CME credit experience.
If you’re the type of physician who is always on the go, download a CME podcast and listen on your mp3 player throughout the day.
Will online options satisfy my state’s CME requirements?
Each state has its own CME requirements, with a few having none at all, but online CME does apply towards requirements no matter what state you’re in. The key is verifying exactly what types of credits are required.
The vast majority of states require that at least some of the credits be AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. This designation simply means the CME provider is authorized by the AMA to award these credits due to its accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.
Unless you have already met your state’s Category 1 Credit requirements, remember to check for a provider’s accreditation before taking any course.
Where can I find online CME courses?
There is no shortage of providers offering online CME. A simple Google search will turn up an abundance of options.
One important term to include in your search is “free.” The cost of a CME course doesn’t necessarily reflect its quality. The Cleveland Clinic offers free online CME courses that meet the Category 1 Credit requirements.
CMEList.com is a great resource for finding online CME options that meet the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit requirements. Site author Bernard Sklar, MD, collects and rates every website offering Category 1 Credits.
To recap, online CME is just as effective as in-person CME, comes in many formats, helps you meet CME requirements and are sometimes offered for free. It’s easy to see that online CME is a viable alternative to more traditional, time-consuming CME options.
