Exploring Continuous Medical Education Programs for Licensed Medical Professionals in Iran and Suggesting Quality Improvement Strategies

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.

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 inIran 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.

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.

Consequently, the use of virtual reality and personalization of CME programs based on Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining were proposed.