Healthcare professionals’ continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) are essential for maintaining quality care. This study aimed to identify the perceived CME/CPD needs of healthcare professionals in the United Arab Emirates and explore barriers to professional development. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to all healthcare professionals who participated in CME/CPD activities in Abu Dhabi during 2022. The survey assessed learning experiences, barriers to participation, and perceived priority needs across clinical and professional domains. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were employed for analysis. From 2,620 respondents (75.9% nurses, 12.6% allied health, 11.5% physicians), management of communicable diseases emerged as the highest CME priority (39.1%), followed by pain management (27.7%) and procedural skills (25.5%). For CPD, the top needs included knowledge of the healthcare system (38.2%), communication skills (34.3%), and evidence-based practice (33.5%). The primary barrier to participation was difficulty taking time off (38.4%), with 92.1% preferring live training over recorded formats. Physicians uniquely prioritize medical research (33.0%) and academic medicine (21.0%) compared with other professionals. This first comprehensive needs assessment in the region reveals both shared and professional-specific learning priorities within Abu Dhabi’s diverse healthcare workforce. These findings provide a foundation for developing targeted educational initiatives that address identified needs while overcoming common barriers to participation.
Alameri et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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