Journal of CME (11/02/23) Griebenow, Reinhard; Herrmann, Henrik; Smith, Michel; et al.

This editorial discusses the pervasive and systemic effects of burnout on healthcare professionals and how participation in continuing education (CE) can help reduce burnout. The COVID-19 pandemic further strained providers already dealing with an ageing population with high rates of chronic disease. "With additional demands, more working hours and ever more complex responsibilities, doctors and other healthcare professionals are stressed, burned out and emotionally exhausted," the authors note. The strain can lead to reduced care quality, quiet quitting, early retirement and physician migration, among other consequences. "Though concerted professional leadership and political action are undeniably needed to address systemic issues affecting clinicians, learning, skill development and intellectual growth are satisfying and invigorating for healthcare professionals and represent a meaningful opportunity for health system leaders to make an impact," the authors note. However, to be fully effective, they assert, CE must continue to move forward. "CE must ... evolve with learners' preferences and must make the transition to meaningful CE activities that are active, participatory, engaging, relevant and customisable to the learner's needs," they write, adding that costs should be affordable and working time should be used, instead of taking away from learners' limited leisure time. Online and virtual CE opportunities provide greater flexibility while increasing learner control and particularly benefit individuals located in more rural areas. "Continuing education professionals have much to contribute, but with the support of accreditors around the globe, they must evolve their delivery of education that matters, attend to engagement, leverage adult learning theory to create engaging, effective and efficient learning experiences that restore a joy in learning and build professional competence," the authors write. "It is now up to all CPD stakeholders to leverage the full potential of best practices in online and virtual education; doing so is essential to ensure the profession and its professionals can deliver a healthcare ecosystem the public deserves."

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