Continuing Medical Education for Rural Learners: Addressing Knowledge and Access Gaps in Eastern North Carolina

Rural populations are a cornerstone of American society, both in terms of the healthcare workforce and patient populace. This study was designed to examine how healthcare providers in eastern North Carolina experience rural clinical practice and to gain a general understanding of their access to relevant continuing medical education. The study was guided by three research questions: What is the experience of rural healthcare professionals who are serving patient populations in eastern North Carolina? What role does rurality play in accessing relevant and accredited continuing medical education? What actions should continuing medical education providers take to better serve their rural-based constituents? The theoretical framework for this study was adult learning theory, which is guided by four pillars: learner autonomy, hands-on education, problem-solving approach, and content relevance. As a basic qualitative study, data collection was conducted via interprofessional focus group interviews and document reviews. The findings from the interprofessional focus groups addressed all three research questions of this study, and a document review of post-event survey data was conducted to address the third research question specifically. After several rounds of descriptive coding of both the focus group transcripts and the post-event survey data, six overarching themes were constructed during thematic analysis: healthcare provider shortages, opportunities to leverage in rural communities, resource scarcity, policy roadblocks, educational optimizations, and COVID-19 changes. When planning CME programs for rural healthcare providers, organizers should consider the following topics based on the results from both qualitative data collection methods: diabetes, cardiovascular health, pediatric/school heath, agricultural education, mental/behavioral health, and environmental health. In addition to the topic area findings, the logistical implications for CME professionals to consider for future practice include shortened course agendas, autonomous registration capabilities, and the continuous offering of required courses to reduce the out-of-office burden for rural healthcare environments. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]