Postgraduate educational program for primary care physicians in remote areas in Lebanon

• Published in: The Journal of continuing education in the health professions Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 168 - 172
• Main Authors: Saab, Bassem Roberto, Kanaan, Nabil, Hamadeh, Ghassan, Usta, Jinan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Birmingham Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 2003; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Continuing medical education (CME); Developed Nations; education policy; Education, Medical, Continuing - organization & administration; Educational Measurement; family medicine; Family Practice (Medicine); Family Practice - education; Foreign Countries; Graduate Study; Humans; Instructional Effectiveness; Lebanon; Medical Education; Participant Satisfaction; Physicians; primary care; Professional Continuing Education; Program Evaluation; Rural Areas; Rural Population; Lebanon
• ISSN: 0894-1912; 1554-558X
• DOI: 10.1002/chp.1340230308

Introduction: Continuing medical education (CME) is a requirement in many developed countries. Lebanon lacks such a rule; hence, the dictum “once a doctor always a doctor” holds. This article describes a pioneering postgraduate educational program for primary care physicians in remote areas of Lebanon. Method: The Lebanese Society of Family Medicine introduced a 2‐year structured CME program to four remote Lebanese areas. Thirteen family physicians provided 33 activities to 1,073 primary care physicians tackling 22 subjects chosen from a list of 53 common clinical problems approved by community medical leaders. Each attendee was requested to complete an evaluation form at the end of each session. Results: The activities were attended by 1,073 physicians, 914 of whom filled out the evaluation forms (85.2% response rate). The analysis of the response of the attendees revealed that 65% of the attendees completely agreed that they benefited from the activities, 68% completely agreed that the presentations were clear, 86% thought that the methods used were adequate, 57% agreed completely that the presenters were prepared, and 69% replied that enough time was available for interction. Discussion: The CME programs were conducted with minimal costs. They were well received by attendees. It is recommended that the Lebanese health authorities make CME a requirement to promote the knowledge and behavior of primary care physicians and improve health.