Correspondence
Evaluating CME Speakers
N Engl J Med 1998; 338:1163-1164April 16, 1998
- Article
To the Editor:
We recently analyzed the results of the evaluation forms for nine speakers who participated in a continuing-medical-education (CME) symposium. There were 245 attendees, of whom 94 (38 percent) submitted evaluation forms. One speaker had to withdraw abruptly because of an unforeseen event before the scheduled presentation. The remaining eight speakers were graded very high (80 percent of the attendees gave them “excellent” or “good” mean scores for quality of presentation). The missing speaker was graded by 21 percent of the responders. The evaluations of the canceled presentation ran a little better than the mean; 88 percent scored it as excellent or good. These results probably reflect the positive view the audience had of the presenting speakers but raise troubling questions about the evaluation process for CME activities.
Timothy F. Christian, M.D.
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905Robert O. Bonow, M.D.
Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
