Global CME Strategies for Orthopedic Trauma Education
How can a global organization make education local?
Research Article
Authors: Ana Maria Montero1, Alexandra Wentschel2, Kodi E. Kojiwar3, Michael R. Baumgaertner4, Jezeh Reichmuth5, Monica Ghidinelli6
Affiliations:
1. Education Institute, AO Foundation, Davos, Switzerland
2. Instituto de Ortopedia, Hospital das Clínicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
3. Department of Orthopedics, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4. Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine, USA
5. Department of Orthopedics, University of Basel, Switzerland
6. Department of Orthopedics, University of São Paulo, Brazil
OPEN ACCESS
PUBLISHED: June 2025
CITATION: MORENO, Ana Maria et al. How can a global organization make education local? Workplace education for surgeons treating orthopedic trauma cases. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 13, n. 6, june 2025. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/6677>
COPYRIGHT: © 2025 European Society of Medicine. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i6.6677
ISSN 2375-1924
ABSTRACT
Continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) events every year, provided by medical societies, medical education providers, or hospitals. Such in-person CME/CPD events require participants to travel to a designated location, posing logistical challenges such as time constraints, travel and accommodation costs, and potential disruptions to clinical practice. Workplace-based CME/CPD initiatives are a viable alternative to address the challenges associated with traditional models. This paper explores how a global organization can adapt educational offerings to local contexts, enhancing accessibility and relevance for healthcare professionals.
Keywords
- Continuing Medical Education
- Workplace-based Education
- Healthcare Professionals
- Local Contexts
Introduction
Continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) events every year, provided by medical societies, medical education providers, or hospitals. Such in-person CME/CPD events require participants to travel to a designated location, posing logistical challenges such as time constraints, travel and accommodation costs, and potential disruptions to clinical practice. Workplace-based CME/CPD initiatives are a viable alternative to address the challenges associated with traditional models. This paper explores how a global organization can adapt educational offerings to local contexts, enhancing accessibility and relevance for healthcare professionals.
Methodology
The module was designed to be flexible; a complete module for face-to-face events contains up to 4 weeks of teaching material. Faculty can tailor the event duration from 60 minutes to 4 hours to meet the needs of the participants and the hospital. The module packages include a user manual for the course director, a pre-and post-course knowledge assessment based on clinical vignettes, pre-reading material, lecture slide sets, cases for small group discussions, a certificate of attendance, instructions for evaluation forms, and an evaluation form. The faculty can select content appropriate for their participants according to their experience level, hospital requirements, and knowledge increase.
Delivery Method
Data were collected from June 2022 to June 2024 (total activities recorded), with a substantial increase in 2023, documenting 76 events (45.0%). Through June 2024 (study endpoint), 52 events were implemented, comprising 30.8% of total activities. Data demonstrated the highest implementation, with 3 events followed by Pakistan (20 events), Egypt (17 events), and Mexico (12 events).
Results
The polytrauma module demonstrated predominant engagement, comprising 65 educational sessions and attracting 1,206 participants (30.5% of the total attendance). The open fractures and geriatric hip fracture standardized initiatives demonstrated notable enhancements in clinical competencies. Statistical validation showed participants’ self-reported knowledge increased significantly post-event, with the highest representation (23.57%) observed in the open fractures module.
Discussion
As expected, the data indicated predominant participation of young professionals who had completed medical school 3-5 years prior, reaching 44.68% in the polytrauma module (below 50% in limb salvage). Within 0-2 years post-qualification, recent graduates constitute a notable majority, with their highest representation (23.57%) observed in the open fractures module.
Educational Outcomes
Learning (Moore’s Level 3) was measured based on participant self-reports of the acquisition of new knowledge relevant to their clinical practice, validating their current clinical approaches. A minimal proportion (2.10%) gained new insights but was unable to implement them, and 0.62% acquired knowledge but opted against the application.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study revealed the significant impact of workplace-based CME initiatives on clinical practice. By addressing these high-priority areas, the modules may contribute directly to reducing trauma-related morbidity and mortality, as supported in similar settings where trauma education has led to improvements in clinical care and patient outcomes.
Limitations
Despite these promising results, several limitations must be acknowledged. While we observed substantial improvements in participants’ competence, the study did not include a long-term follow-up to assess whether these changes translated into sustained improvements in patient care.
Conflicts of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Funding Statement
No specific funding was obtained for this study.
Acknowledgments
We thank all the course chairpersons and questionnaire participants for their contributions.
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