A Decision-Making Approach to Needs Assessment and Objective Setting in Continuing Medical Education

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Abstract
This study was designed to describe educational needs assessment and objective setting strategies in continuing medical education (CME) program development. A general model por traying needs assessment, objective setting, and program development was developed from descriptions of practice at ten major medical schools. Research methods used to guide the inquiry were those of grounded theory. Results indicated that the predominant stimuli of program ideas were social structural forces external to the CME organizational unit. Planners responded by recognizing a possible problem in medical practice, identifying and gathering resources for analyzing a program idea, refor mulating the program idea, and proposing a change in learner behavior. Three types of planning behavior—coordinative, administrative, and consultative—enabled CME program planners to facilitate systematic decision-making by planning groups.