Are continuing medical education activities effective in improving the competence and performance of clinicians? Evidence from activities for primary care clinicians who manage patients with acute coronary syndromes.

An estimated 610,000 new cases of myocardial infarction (MI) and 325,000 recurrent MIs will occur this year in the United States, accounting for 1 MI every 34 seconds. Despite the advances in acute coronary syndrome management, recurrent events and the mortality associated with acute coronary syndromes are also high. There is clear evidence that knowledge, competence, and performance gaps exist among clinicians, contributing to the lack of adherence, premature discontinuation, and the increased risk of cardiovascular events in patients. As primary care clinicians manage these patients during the chronic phase of treatment, educational activities addressing identified gaps were developed and presented nationally. Outcome measurements using pre-, post-, and follow-up surveys showed that knowledge, confidence, competence, and performance significantly improved resulting in better patient outcomes as reported by activity participants. Thus, continuing medical education activities developed with the clear goal of changing clinician behavior can be effective in improving outcomes among patients with coronary artery disease.