Exploratory Study of Rural Physicians' Self-Directed Learning Experiences in a Digital Age

Curran, Vernon; Fleet, Lisa; Simmons, Karla; Ravalia, Mohamed; Snow, Pamela

doi:10.1097/ceh.0000000000000111

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The second most reported disadvantage was poor design (19%, n = 53), including lack of interaction (between learner and facilitator or between learners); 34 , 51 , 59 , 67 , 70 , 77 , 79 , 84 , 88 , 90 , 104 , 112 , 123 , 135 , 142 , 168 , 208 , 216 , 224 , 239 , 243 , 251 - 256 lack of active participation; 33 , 125 , 159 , 232 , 237 , 257 , 258 logistical issues (e.g., microphone and camera placement, unmuted microphones) 36 , 58 , 59 , 110 , 174 , 232 , 236 , 259 and technology-related logistical issues (e.g., site blocked by institution); 31 , 33 , 59 , 60 , 108 , 117 , 149 , 177 , 187 , 202 , 228 , 259 not user-friendly; 34 , 59 , 66 , 149 , 208 , ...…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 277 It has also led to record attendance numbers in participants and experts that were not previously possible with in-person conferences. 179 Although most VCME activities were focused on general/family practitioners, VCME focused on specialties such as oncology, sports medicine, and plastic surgery have also been positively received, 77 , 174 , 236 suggesting that the benefits of VCME may not be limited by medical specialty. Although we did not detect meaningful differences in gender regarding the convenience of VCME, it should be noted that only fewer than one-third of articles that mentioned convenience as an advantage of CME reported on participants’ gender.…”

Section: Country Of Origin Of Vcmementioning

confidence: 99%

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On the advantages and disadvantages of virtual continuing medical education: a scoping review

et al. 2023

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Introduction: With the COVID-19 pandemic, most continuing medical education activities became virtual (VCME). The authors conducted a scoping review to synthesize the advantages and disadvantages of VCME to establish the impact of this approach on inequities that physicians face along the intersections of gender, race, and location of practice. Methods: Guided by the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley, the search included six databases and was limited to studies published between January 1991 to April 2021. Eligible studies included those related to accredited/non-accredited post-certification medical education, conferences, or meetings in a virtual setting focused on physicians. Numeric and inductive thematic analyses were performed. Results: 282 studies were included in the review. Salient advantages identified were convenience, favourable learning formats, collaboration opportunities, effectiveness at improving knowledge and clinical practices, and cost-effectiveness. Prominent disadvantages included technological barriers, poor design, cost, lack of sufficient technological skill, and time. Analysis of the studies showed that VCME was most common in the general/family practice specialty, in suburban settings, and held by countries in the Global North. A minority of studies reported on gender (35%) and race (4%). Discussion: Most studies report advantages of VCME, but disadvantages and barriers exist that are contextual to the location of practice and medical subspecialty. VCME events are largely organized by Global North countries with suboptimized accessibility for Global South attendees. A lack of reported data on gender and race reveals a limited understanding of how VCME affects vulnerable populations, prompting potential future considerations as it evolves.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Country Of Origin Of Vcmementioning

confidence: 99%

On the advantages and disadvantages of virtual continuing medical education: a scoping review

et al. 2023

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“…Apart from one study of uncertain quality that reported better outcomes for e-learning compared to face-to-face learning or use of text-based learning [ 29 ], this systematic review found good quality evidence that there is little to no difference between e-learning and other CPD approaches [ 25 – 28 ]. CPD using an e-learning approach has increased during the pandemic [ 72 – 76 ] and is also an important strategy for rural practitioners [ 77 , 78 ].…”

Section: Conclusion and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for continuing professional development standards for regulated health practitioners in Australia: a systematic review

Main

Anderson

2023

Hum Resour Health

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Background Health practitioner regulators throughout the world use continuing professional development (CPD) standards to ensure that registrants maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence. As the CPD standard for most regulated health professions in Australia are currently under review, it is timely that an appraisal of the evidence be undertaken. Methods A systematic review was conducted using major databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL), search engines and grey literature for evidence published between 2015 and April 2022. Publications included in the review were assessed against the relevant CASP checklist for quantitative studies and the McMaster University checklist for qualitative studies. Results The search yielded 87 abstracts of which 37 full-text articles met the inclusion criteria. The evidence showed that mandatory CPD requirements are a strong motivational factor for their completion and improves practitioners’ knowledge and behaviour. CPD that is more interactive is most effective and e-learning is as effective as face-to-face CPD. There is no direct evidence to suggest the optimal quantity of CPD, although there was some evidence that complex or infrequently used skills deteriorate between 4 months to a year after training, depending on the task. Conclusions CPD is most effective when it is interactive, uses a variety of methods and is delivered in a sequence involving multiple exposures over a period of time that is focused on outcomes considered important by practitioners. Although there is no optimal quantity of CPD, there is evidence that complex skills may require more frequent CPD.

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“…Self-directed learning in a digital age is also a growing phenomenon with implications for both the learning process and learner attributes (Curran et al, 2017;Fahlman, 2013;Scott et al, 2014). The importance of digital, social, and mobile technologies is also growing within the field of continuing education in the health professions (Curran, Fleet, Simmons, Ravalia, & Snow, 2016;Curran et al, 2017). Mobile technology use among health professionals is increasing and enables greater levels of professional interaction and communications, enhanced convenience and efficiency, and introduces more flexible opportunities for lifelong learning (Bacigalupe, 2011;Baumgart, 2017;Boruff & Storie, 2014;O'Connor et al, 2014;Robinson et al, 2013;Sclafani, Tirrell, & Franko, 2013;Wang, Sandhu, Wittich, Mandrekar, & Beckman, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult learners’ perceptions of self-directed learning and digital technology usage in continuing professional education: An update for the digital age

Curran

Gustafson

Simmons

et al. 2019

Journal of Adult and Continuing Education

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Mandatory continuing professional education is accepted across many professions as a re-credentialing mechanism to maintain professional competency. Self-directed learning is a widely recognized type of learning to meet mandatory continuing professional education requirements. The nature and characteristics of self-directed learning has been transformed with the growth in digital and mobile technologies, however there is minimal understanding of the role of these technologies in the self-directed learning habits of adult learners. This study sought to explore the perspectives of adult learners around the effect of digital and mobile technologies on continuing professional education activities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 55 adult learners from four professional groups (9 physicians; 20 nurses; 4 pharmacists; 22 social workers). Key thematic categories included perceptions of self-directed learning, self-directed learning resources, key triggers, and barriers to undertaking self-directed learning. Digital and mobile technologies emerged as important resources supporting the self-directed learning of health and human services professionals. Increasing usage and dependency on these technologies has important implications for organizational and workplace policies that can support effective self-directed learning processes in a digital age. A conceptual model is introduced to characterize the key factors defining the self-directed learning patterns and practices of adult learners in a digital age.

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Exploratory Study of Rural Physicians' Self-Directed Learning Experiences in a Digital Age

Cited by 8 publications

References 40 publications

On the advantages and disadvantages of virtual continuing medical education: a scoping review

On the advantages and disadvantages of virtual continuing medical education: a scoping review

Evidence for continuing professional development standards for regulated health practitioners in Australia: a systematic review

Adult learners’ perceptions of self-directed learning and digital technology usage in continuing professional education: An update for the digital age

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