Survey Reveals Doctors Needs with Medical Education Online
A recent survey of 971 physicians has revealed that doctors like medical education online, but only in so much as it meets their fussy specifications.
Physicians prefer online cme that is immediately relevant to patient outcomes and delivered after work hours (but before dinner). They also much prefer a presenter who does not have a nasally voice.
And oh yes, physicians also prefer to access cme online using their favored computing device. The majority of all physicians (76%) used laptops and desktops for Internet access. 45% owned iPads, while 52% used iphones. Only about 25% reported using smart phones that were not made by Apple.
The findings of the online cme physician survey, co-sponsored by a virtual conferencing group On24, reveal physicians to be much like the rest of us when it comes to sitting through continuing education online.
Below are some statistical highlights from the report.
Online CME – Physician Preferences
- 84% would prefer to complete their cme online
- 63% say early evening is the best time to schedule live online cme
- 50% (about) reported virtual cme is becoming more acceptable compared to live events
- 80% thought a view-on-demand feature was the #1 attractive feature of an online learning event
- 73% already own or are poised to buy a mobile web device – iphone or ipad being the most popular
- 61.8% believe a presenter with a non-nasally voice is a must-have for CME voice events
- 50% like online learning because it lets them avoid the hassles of travel
- 43% report they attend a virtual event or conference “not often”
- Only 6.4% attend virtual events very often
- 75% see web casts increasing in number
- BUT only 26% see them as becoming more relevant to their work
The full report, entitled the Physician Virtual Communication Survey, was sponsored by on24 and the MedData Group. The majority of the 971 physicians surveyed were in their 40s and 50s (62%). They represented all fields of practice with 22% in internal medicine. The doctors were lured online to complete the physician survey the same way as the rest of us – with the undying hope of winning a new iPad. On24 provides webcasts and delivers virtual events.
The online CME physician survey is available free after registration on the MedData website. MedData is a health services information company.