But earning the credits still is a key driver for more than just PI CME: 93 percent said their primary reason for participating in CME activities is to obtain credit for licensure or other requirements. Still, it's not all just about the credits: 72 percent said one of their main reasons for participating is obtaining the latest clinical data regarding patient treatment-management options; and 71 percent said they do it to validate their current patient treatment-management strategies. Having a dialogue with clinical experts was important for 31 percent of respondents, and another 23 percent value the opportunity to network with peers that CME provides.

Not much changed between 2008 and 2009 when it comes to the formats respondents said would motivate them to change their behavior. The most effective format, they said, is still a lecture that includes a Q&A session, followed by case-based learning. Hands-on skill-building sessions were the next-most-motivating format, followed by consulting with colleagues, small-group interactive sessions, and lectures without a Q&A segment.

Get Out of Town

While the economy may be holding some people closer to home, out-of-town meetings still are the most popular with docs. Respondents said they received 33 percent of their credits via out-of-town meetings, and 23 percent at local meetings that don't require overnight travel.

Twice as many female as male respondents said they didn't obtain any credit hours through out-of-town activities — in fact, half the female docs surveyed said they got their credits only locally, online, or through enduring materials. The older-than-55 age range was the only one that had a percentage who reported getting 100 percent of their CME through out-of-town meetings (4 percent); those younger than 45 and those in the 45-55 age range were roughly the same in the percentage of credits they got through non-local activities.

When asked how many out-of-town meetings they attended in the past year, 28 percent said just one, 21 percent said two, and just 3 percent said more than five. Looking forward to 2010, however, only 20 percent said they weren't going to get out of town for their CME, compared to 27 percent who said the same for 2009. Those who plan to attend at least one out-of-town event also rose to 34 percent, from 31 percent; and those who plan to go to two rose to 33 percent, up from 25 percent reported by those surveyed in 2008 about their 2009 intentions. But while more docs may be planning to go to one or two, when it comes to more out-of-town meetings than that, the numbers drop from the 2008 survey: 7 percent said they'd go to three, down from 10 percent in 2008; and those who said they plan to attend four or more dropped to 5 percent from 7 percent in the previous year's survey.

What makes it worthwhile to get on that plane for CME? Location, location, location, said respondents, giving the meeting site a 5 on a 6-point scale, where 1 equals “not at all important” and 6 equals “extremely important.” The length of the meeting also was of primary concern, earning a 4.9 rating, as was the date, which came in at 4.7. Credits came in fourth, rating 4.6. Speaker reputation; not being able to find a local equivalent for the education offered at an out-of-town activity; and travel, food, airfare, and lodging costs all came in at 4.4; while reduced availability of flights, increased hassles of flying, and the ability to tie the meeting to a family vacation all rated 4.1 with survey respondents.

CME Isn't Just for Meetings

While online services came in a distant third behind long-distance and local CME activities, at 16 percent, that represents a percentage point rise from last year's survey. Journals followed at 15 percent. Along with PI CME at the bottom of the heap were audio conferences (1.9 percent) and DVDs and CDs (2.5 percent).

For those who do use online services, an average of 76 percent of the credits earned online came from Internet point-of-care (online self-directed learning), up from 62 percent last year. While those younger than 45 were more likely to get their credit through online self-directed learning than those older than 55 (74 percent versus 68 percent), the biggest adopters of Internet point-of-care learning are those in the middle: 83 percent of those 45-55 years old said they obtained a percentage of their credits through POC.

While docs may love to listen to their iPods while they're working out at the gym, they don't seem to be listening to CME on them. Less than 1 percent of online credits were earned through MP3s or podcasts, down from almost 5 percent last year. Again, the 45-55 age group was most likely to earn credits through podcasts, trailed by the under-45s. Webcasts seemed to hold steady, with respondents saying they earned roughly 9 percent of their credits through live Internet activities. In this case, though, the generational stereotype kicked in, with 12 percent of the younger-than-45 age group earning a percentage of their credit hours through webcasts, as compared to 9 percent of the 45- to 55-year-olds and 8 percent of those over 55. The number of credits earned through enduring Internet activities (i.e., pre-recorded presentations) fell to 13 percent this year, from a high of 20 percent in 2008.

Fifty-three percent said they planned to earn credits through Internet POC learning, 15 percent through performance improvement, and 9 percent through MP3s and podcasts (35 percent said they planned to get their credits through other methods; 21 percent didn't answer).

Sidebar #1: Methodology

This is the 17th Annual Physician Preferences in CME Survey. It is the longest-running horizontal study of physician preferences and participation in CME. Penton Media mailed postcard alerts on November 2, 2009, followed by cover letters and questionnaires, to 1,500 U.S.-based physicians selected from an American Medical Association file provided by KM Lists, Marlton, N.J. A follow-up mailing was sent to nonrespondents. Letters in the first mailing were affixed with first-class stamps to differentiate them from competing direct-mail pieces, and contained a one-dollar incentive and a postage-paid response envelope. We received 127 usable surveys, a response rate of 8.7 percent.

Past Performance

Top 10 Factors Affecting Decision to Travel

Point-of-Care Most Popular

Physicians earned
76%
of their online credits through Internet point-of-care activities.

53%
planned to earn credits through point-of-care activities during the next 12 months.

Credit Drop

Respondents earned an average of 46 credits during the 12 months prior to the survey, down from an average of 51 credits reported in last year's survey.

36% find CME activities extremely effective in meeting their needs; an additional 57% find them somewhat effective.

Making the Case

When attending a CME meeting covering new clinical information, how effective are each of the following formats in motivating you to change your practice behavior?

Ratings are based on a 6-point scale where 6 represented “extremely effective” and 1 represented “not at all effective.”