Physician preferences for educational media

BACKGROUND: Although educational media have expanded in variety, information on physicians' preferences for types of educational media remains limited. METHOD: An assessment form was distributed to 14 medical societies evaluating their members' medical education media preferences and society antimicrobial-resistance educational offerings. RESULTS: These 14 medical societies represent 349,685 physicians. All supported educational offerings, most frequently as professional meetings, followed by audiotapes, computer programs, Internet sites, or print-based self-study materials. Only 5 (36%) societies had measured how many members used their educational offerings. Eight (57%) societies had made antimicrobial resistance an educational priority for their medical societies. Antimicrobial treatment was the most commonly offered educational topic on antimicrobial resistance. CONCLUSIONS: These 14 medical societies help to educate over one half the practicing US physicians. However, less than one half of the societies knew how many of their members used the educational materials they offered, or how their members would prefer to obtain medical education. Understanding how physicians want to obtain medical information potentially could improve the delivery of medical knowledge to physicians.