Study: online CME as effective as live

A STUDY IN the Sept. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association provides the first evidence that online CME can enhance physician knowledge and improve patient care.

The randomized, controlled trial - the first to examine the effectiveness of eCME and behavioral outcomes - tested

The 97 physicians were split into two groups, with one cohort assigned to an interactive, casebased eCME course that could be completed in multiple sessions, and the other to a single live, small-group workshop.

Both produced "similar and significant" knowledge gains immediately and 12 weeks after the sessions, as measured by the percentage of items answered correctly on post tests, researchers said. Moreover, the Web-based group showed a significant increase in the percentage of highrisk patients treated according to guidelines.

"This study suggests that online CME can be effective," said author Michael Fordis, M.D.. of Baylor College of Medicine, "but this shouldn't be interpreted to say that online is better [than live CME]. because of the numbers... in the study and the high-level performance of the population we happened to look at." - M.I