Analysis on situation and demands of continuing medical education among 333 health technicians in district and county-level maternal and child health care institutions

Objective To analyze the situation and demands of continuing medical education (CME) among 333 health technicians in district and county-level maternity and child care institutions (MCH) in China, and provide reference for the further development of CME for health technicians in MCH.Methods Using the cluster sampling method, the health technicians from four district and county-level MCH in Zhangqiu District, Tiexi District, Gujiao City and Pengyang County were selected, and surveyed their basic information, situation and needs of CME.Results 87.7% of the respondents had trained/advanced studies. The last training time was mainly 3 days. The venue was mainly for their institute. The form was mainly for academic topics, and the content was mainly for professional new progress. Credit acquisition channels are mainly online classes and their institutions training. The top two discipline demand for CME are gynecology and paediatrics. The top three content demand are the new developments and progresses, the treatment of critical illnesses, and treatment of common diseases. The top two form demand are expert lectures and short-term study at a higher level institution. Different health technicians have some differences in the demand for CME.Conclusion Health technicians in district and county-level MCH has a large demand for CME. It is recommended to improve CME system in district and county-level MCH and to develop a personalized and diverse CME based on demand.