Continuing training survey (EFO-Z)




Continuing education undoubtedly is part of the traditional self-understanding of the medical and dental profession. It is only by the medium of continuing education that the tremendous rate of new knowledge in medical and dental sciences can be kept pace with and can be put into the practice routine. Thus it is not surprising that both – expert boards and the public – claim greater transparency and more information on the quality with respect to the wide field of continuing professional development.

The purpose of the present survey entitled

Continuing education of dentists:
Participation and assessment
– Results of a nation-wide survey –

was to explore the different forms, the amount and the assessment of continuing education activities seen under the aspects of dentists working in free practice.

The reference period for the questionnaire sent to a systematic random sample of more than 1.000 dental practice-owners were the first six months of 2004. The questionnaire dealt amongst others with the topics general assessment of ”good” or ”bad” continuing education, personal motives for and the different patterns of utilisation of continuing education.

The results show that dentists are engaged in continuing education activities to a very high degree; they intensively take part in continuing education organised by the Dental Chambers (including their relevant institutes), scientific societies and other institutions. Furthermore it becomes apparent that dentists – seen from their subjective point of view as users - have clear and explicit wishes and expectations regarding the topics and the didactic structure of the continuing education offered.

The present study was carried out by the Agency for Quality in Dentistry (zzq) and the Institute of German Dentists (IDZ). The authors of the IDZ-Information are: Dipl.-Soz. Barbara Bergmann-Krauss/-Cologne, Dr. disc. pol. Wolfgang Micheelis/Cologne and Prof. Dr. med. dent. Winfried Walther/Karlsruhe.

Additional copies of the IDZ-Information No. 2/2005 can be ordered free of charge from the Institute of German Dentists/Cologne. Download version see under www.idz-koeln.de.