EBAC data collection survey: Help shape the future of independent continuing education

We are supporting an EBAC-led data collection project exploring how independent continuing education contributes to healthcare professionals’ everyday clinical practice.

Across Europe and beyond, accredited education providers develop independent, high-quality programmes designed to support learning, reflection and practice improvement. While considerable work has been done to evaluate the effectiveness of individual educational activities, less is currently known about the unique role these educational resources play within the wider mix of information sources healthcare professionals use to support clinical decision-making.

This survey forms part of a broader EBAC initiative to better understand how healthcare professionals access, use and apply educational information in their daily work. The findings will help build a clearer picture of the value and impact of independent continuing education across different clinical settings, specialties and professional roles.

All data collected as part of this project will be handled centrally by EBAC. Responses will be anonymized before analysis and will contribute to a wider dataset being gathered by education providers across the EBAC system.

We would be very grateful for your contribution. Your insights will help strengthen the evidence base for independent continuing education and support future improvements in educational design, delivery and evaluation.

By answering the questions below, you consent to participate in this survey.
1.Which of the following best describes your gender identity?
2.Which of the following best describes your age group?
3.Which of the following best describes your profession?
4.Which of the following best describes your primary specialty
or area of practice?
5.In which of the following regions do you primarily practice?
6.In general, based on your experience, to what extent does
CME/CPD influence each of the stages of clinical practice
change listed below?
No influence
Low Influence
Moderate Influence
High Influence
Very High Influence
6.1: Becoming aware of new evidence or recommendations
6.2: Reviewing and evaluating the evidence or recommendations in more
depth
6.3: Reevaluating previous clinical assumptions or established practices
6.4: Determining whether the change is clinically sound and worth pursuing
6.5: Assessing the feasibility of the change within your own clinical context
6.6: Trying the change in selected patients
6.7: Seeking additional information or clarification based on early clinical
experience
6.8: Adjusting the approach based on real-world experience and/or additional
information sought
6.9: Incorporating the refined approach into routine practice
7.In general, how often do you use information from each of
the following sources to guide and inform your clinical
decision-making?
Never
Very Rarely
Occasionally
Frequently
Very Frequently
7.1: Independent medical education websites
7.2: Educational training modules or activities offered by your workplace
7.3: Peer-reviewed articles in medical journals
7.4: Live medical congresses and conferences (in-person or virtual live)
7.5: Websites of scientific societies
7.6: Subscription-based clinical databases/resources (e.g., UpToDate,
DynaMed, Lexicomp, Micromedex)
7.7: Other online publishers of medical information (e.g., WebMD, Mayo
Clinic, Healthline)
7.8: Podcasts or digital audio/video education apps
7.9: Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.)
7.10: Peer discussion or consultation with colleagues
7.11: Information directly provided by pharma or medical device industry
7.12: Government health agency websites (e.g., NHS, CDC, Santé.fr)
7.13: Social media platforms (e.g., Mastodon, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, YouTube,
TikTok, Facebook, Instagram)
8.I have the following comments to make