[Family physicians, the internet and new knowledge. Utilization and judgment of efficiency of continuing education media by general physicians and internists in family practice].

BACKGROUND AND
OBJECTIVE: The application of new information technologies has a lasting impact on the physicians' working environment. Not only practice administration is undergoing substantial change, increasingly, individual learning preferences and continuing medical education are influenced by new media. This survey is designed to demonstrate current methods of and demand for continuing medical education by primary care physicians.
METHODS: Standardized survey of 72 primary care physicians (21% female, 79% male) regarding three topics: medical knowledge acquired after medical school, current use of and expectations for continuing medical education tools.
RESULTS: Primary care physicians estimate the fraction of their knowledge which was acquired after medical school at 60%. For their continuing medical education primary care physicians predominantly use scientific journals, colleagues and quality circles. The internet, scientific staff at research institutions and pharmaceutical representatives were less valued and less used. The most favored attributes for continuing medical education tools were: reliable, relevant for daily practice, and user-friendly.
CONCLUSION: Continuing medical education is important and necessary. Thus far, new media still have a minor role among the relevant educational media for primary care physicians. The introduction of modern information technologies may become more successful if primary care physicians' preferences are better understood and education tools are designed according to these preferences.