Background & Objective: Need assessment is can be applied as a tool for a better usage by managers and designers of CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) programs. Hence, this study was conducted to assess general practitioners’ viewpoints about CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION Programs held in Zanjan University of MEDICAL EDUCATION.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on all general practitioners of Zanjan province (450 persons) but only 260 ones participated by filling in the questionnaires.Results: The motive to participate in CME programs in 46.2% of the participants was gaining credit points while updating scientific information was reported in 38.8% of them. 58.8 percent of the physicians believed that the effect of CME programs was moderate to high; 56.5% wanted 5 to 10 CME programs a year. The influence of CME programs’ place was high to very high according to 64.2% of the participants; 51.2 percent preferred weekends whereas 40.7% preferred daily four-hour programs. 58.8 percent were in favor of holding pre-tests and post-tests to determine the qualitative effect of the program.Conclusion: According to general practitioners, CME programs could be more effective. So it is recommended to hold these programs at the weekends, one day a week and four hours a day. Five to ten programs are also suggested in a year.

Background: The aim of CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION is to improve physicians' performance. Unfortunately, most of the efforts which have been done in recent years for achieving this goal have been ineffective. Using ineffective EDUCATIONal methods and techniques are probably the major cause of this deficiency.Consumer-based models such as social marketing model can be used efficiently in the field of MEDICAL EDUCATION. Social marketing is "the use of commercial marketing concepts and tools in programs designed to influence individual's behavior to improve their well being and that of the society". In this paper the main concepts and principles of social marketing model have been explained. Consumer analysis, market analysis, and channel analysis are the main concepts of social marketing that can be used in the field of CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION.Conclusion: Although planning EDUCATIONal programs based on the mentioned principles seems to impose more expenses, it increases the probability of success and can affect physicians' behavior more than other applied programs.

Introduction: One of essential issues that was discussed in word Health organization (WHO) is CONTINUOUS learning and promoting knowledge and healthy skills related to public health. So, CONTINUOUS EDUCATION program as one of practical solution to identify achievement of EDUCATIONal goal should be considered. This study has been done to evaluate CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION from viewpoints of eligible physicians.Methods: this is a cross- sectional descriptive study. data were collected by a questionnaire designed by ministery of health and MEDICAL EDUCATION to assess continuing MEDICAL EDUCATION program, offered to 132 eligible general physicians contributed in three- separate programs. Validity and reliability confirmed by content validity and alpha krobakh (0.92) respectively. data were analysed by SPSS software and descriptive statistic.Results: From the viewpoints of eligible physicians, 43% evaluated CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION program as fair with regard to confirm information also, other subjects including: Presenting new scientific topics, proportion with occupational needs, logical sequences of the lecture, conditions and facilities were considered as moderate. They indicated “gain points and updating information” the most important factors for participating in CME programs. They found group discussion, case- presentation and lecturing as the best EDUCATIONal methods and self- teaching, seminar, codified program and E- learning the most suitable performance of CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION programs.Conclusion: according to the current and similar research findings, and necessity to perform CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION programs in order to updating information and promoting related skills, It seems that using of suitable EDUCATIONal methods, determining priorities in EDUCATIONal needs of eligible physicians, selecting subjects based on EDUCATIONal needs, providing suitable condition and atmosphere and EDUCATIONal equipments can promote impressiveness and efficiency of programs.

Background: CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) programs are those EDUCATIONal activities held after graduation to ameliorate physician's knowledge, skill and professional practice. This study was conducted to evaluate general practitioner’s EDUCATIONal needs about effectiveness of the CME programs held by Zanjan University of MEDICAL Sciences.Methods: This study was conducted by using questionnaires on 450 general physicians working in Zanjan province who have attended CME programs from Nov 2008 to Feb 2009.Results: The five first priorities proposed by physicians were Radiology (26), Gynecology (26), Emergency 2 (25), Pediatrics 2 (24) and Internal medicine 9 (24). The most useful programs were Emergency 1 (58), Poisoning (56), Practical emergency (46), Headache and low back pain (51), and the least were outpatient centers management (35), and occupational medicine (35).Conclusion: The five first priorities of CME programs for general physicians were determined as Emergencies1&2, Poisoning, Asthma-Allergy, and Radiology.

Background & Objectives: With due attention to the modem technology developments in MEDICAL sciences, human resource training and optimization looks necessary. Although its importance and necessity has been regarded by many investigators and scientists and they have emphasized its accurate and comprehensive execution, unfortunately, the training of nurses has encountered some problems, the solution of which demands great attempts. This study has been done to determine the state of CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) from the view of the nursing personnel working in the hospitals under Ardabil University of MEDICAL sciences in 2002.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 386 nursing personnel working in hospital under Ardabil University of MEDICAL sciences. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software.Results: 79% of the sample was female and 81.9% were nurses. 35.6% of them had not participated in CME courses. 28.6% of them had information about CME law. 25% found the lectures less practical and 56.5% of them apprised moderate the subjects presented. 60% of them believed in the positive influence of conferences in hospitals on their better functioning. 59.8% said that their EDUCATIONal needs are not evaluated before the conference is held. 75.4% stated that new books in nursing are not available in the hospitals. 49.7% have appraised EDUCATIONal programs in the hospitals as moderate. 43.8% stated that the operation of modem MEDICAL equipment is not trained completely and only 4.6% said that specialists have scientific discussion with nurses. Overall, 55.2% of the nurses evaluated EDUCATION by specialists as moderate.Conclusion: 50.8% of nurses assigned a moderate value to CME. It seems necessary to reconsider the subjects and the execution procedures and perform needs analysis prior to this EDUCATION.  

Background: It has often been observed that continuing MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) programs offered to MEDICAL specialists did not meet the expected results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate current CME programs and provide solutions, suggestions and novel models to improve CME programs for professionals in the fields of medicine and pharmacy. Methods: The format and models of CME programs held for professionals working in the fields of medicine and pharmacy were assessedat the Continuing EDUCATION Center of the Ministry of Health and MEDICAL EDUCATION in Iran and in several prominent which claimed to have more successful results. Moreover, comparative studies of the patterns and strategies used in various countries were assessed. Results: A high proportion of both physicians and pharmacists agreed that use of media such as films, videos and slides will lead to enhanced learning. A low proportion of both physicians and pharmacists believed that virtual classes are more productive. Conclusions were drawn after analyzing the obtained results and reviewing the strategies and models used by various countries in the region and abroad. Conclusion: Consequently, the use of virtual reality and personalization of CME programs based on Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining were proposed.

Introduction: As there are different content formats for electronic CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION (e-CME) we need documented evidence for comparing them. In this study, we determined the proper e-content format for CME activities in Iran.Methods: We devised a questionnaire to gather the opinion of the faculty members who had the experience of e-CME content development about the proper e-CME content for Iranian MEDICAL society. Based on their opinion, we developed 20 e-CME contents and delivered them to the MEDICAL society. Learners’ evaluation of the contents provided us with the evidence for assessing the experts’ opinion.Results: There was a significant difference among scores that faculty members had given to different types of contents (P<0.001). They believed that case-based interactive e-contents would improve learners’ performance and increase their interest more than other formats. But they declared that this kind of econtent development is more difficult and time-consuming than developing other types. Learners rated the programs as 4.56 (SD= 0.65) on the 1–5 Likert-type scale, which shows that they are satisfied with this econtent format.Conclusion: Considering the need for comparing different e-learning strategies and developing national models, the results would help designers and providers of e-CME programs in decision making. But more studies should be performed to determine these programs’ learning outcomes.

Background: Necessary to making constant revisions in the CONTINUOUS EDUCATION programs and updating the physicians’ knowledge in accord to the needs of society seems to be essential. The present study was conducted to conformity of CONTINUOUS EDUCATIONal programs’ content of radiology department with needs of CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION learners, Markazi province, 2008.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, in 2008, the opinions of 40 physicians falling under CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) were collected through a questionnaire on a Likert scale in more than 30 instructional topics. Before EDUCATIONal program performance, priorities in EDUCATION were assessed and after performance, rate of coverage and requirements conformity with content was determined.Results: The most EDUCATIONal need was indication of chest x-Ray with mean of 4.21 and the less need was wrist MRI with mean of 2.42. After program performance, the greatest conformity of needs with EDUCATIONal content was indication of mammography (mean=83.1) and wrist and shoulder MRI (mean=53.2) which was the least required. Though, there was a general correlation between need and content coverage in both areas of graph indication order and interpretation, but was not base on priority needs. There was significant relationship between physicians needs with EDUCATIONal needs (p<0.001). But about gender and work experience was not significant relationship.Conclusion: Lake of complete coverage of needs base on EDUCATIONal priority of CMS learners will seek greater attention and emphasis or scientific secretary and lecturer on needs in special EDUCATIONal objectives frame for accelerating of CONTINUOUS EDUCATION effectiveness.