Does CME for Physicians improve Patient Health Outcomes?

The Impact of CME on Physician Performance and Patient Health Outcomes: An Updated Synthesis of Systematic Reviews

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi?DOI=10.1002%2Fchp.21290

"(1) CME does improve physician performance and patient health outcomes, and (2) CME has a more reliably positive impact on physician performance than on patient health outcomes. The 8 systematic reviews support previous research showing CME activities that are more interactive, use more methods, involve multiple exposures, are longer, and are focused on outcomes that are considered important by physicians lead to more positive outcomes."

This review reinforces confidence in good design principles of interactivity, multiple delivery methods, multiple exposures, over longer periods, and on important topics.