Continuing medical education across Europe: the role of EBAP and the ERS in facing the challenges of life-long learning.

I n medicine, good professional training and education are pivotal, and these include initial medical studies and, even more importantly, continuing medical education (CME). Learning on the job is an important and indisputable part of continuing medical education but, in itself, it is not enough. Attending meetings, reading journals and books, seeking expert advice and, in recent years, getting information from web-based sources are the usual ways by which doctors learn and keep up to date. However, because CME is not only necessary for the physician but is also associated with better patient care, it should be done in a structured and validated way. This concept is currently being incorporated in the legislation governing medical practice in many countries. From this has stemmed the need for CME credits and associated accreditation processes. Initially, CME accreditation required only attendance at meetings but, in recent years, CME journals and books, as well as various other forms of accessible and interactive e-learning activities, have been added. All these now come under the heading of CME, which has been defined by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education in the USA as ‘‘educational activities that serve to maintain, develop or increase the knowledge, skills and professional performance and relationships a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public or the profession’’.