Problem-based learning (PBL) is an interactive, case-based educational forum that is well suited for continuing medical education (CME) and promotional pharmaceutical company sponsored programs. The primary purpose of continuing medical education is to improve patient outcomes by changing practitioners’ behavior toward following evidence-based guidelines with new information about treatment options. Studies have shown that didactic lectures, which are the most common type of continuing medical education, do not have an impact on health care providers’ professional practices and do not change their behavior or patient outcomes.
However, studies have shown that interactive programs (PBL) change physician behavior and do produce measurable positive changes in professional practices leading to improved patient outcomes.
A traditional lecture is a passive event in which clinicians are presented with slides and data to be memorized and later applied to clinical situations. However, this learning “in abstract” is not the best approach to long term retention. In contrast, PBL is an interactive case-based format that progressively discloses relevant clinical data while participants are encouraged to actively think through the case just as they would in their offices or clinics. A skilled PBL facilitator guides the discussion and interaction of the group as they work together to solve a clinical problem. This “role playing” approach enhances the mastery and application of clinical data by imprinting the case in the clinicians’ minds. This type of “true learning” is also called “learning in context.” In addition, studies have shown that participants overwhelmingly enjoy PBL more than traditional didactic lectures.
PBL has been used effectively for educational programs for physicians in psychiatry, asthma/allergy, diabetes, chronic headaches, heart failure, hypercholesterolemia, and osteoporosis. In addition, this model has been successfully applied to programs for dentists, veterinarians, nurses, optometrists, physical therapists, and respiratory therapists. PBL has been used in nonmedical education from kindergarten through graduate education, in business & law schools as well as medial schools. PBL cases can be developed and applied universally with respect to any problem when the case is presented by a properly trained “skilled facilitator.”
“THE place to become a skilled PBL facilitator…just learn from the masters like you. Agree interactive learning is the way to go and hopefully will become the standard and not the exception.”
— Dennis Ledford, M.D., Past President of the AAAAI and Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of South Florida School of Medicine, Tampa, FL
“It was an excellent program and thoroughly enjoyable and instructive at the same time.”
— Mark Boguniewicz, MD, Professor, National Jewish Hospital and Research Center
“There is no question in my mind that interactive educational activities such as problem based learning programs are far superior to didactic “promotional talks”. I believe that both of you have done a wonderful job in training physicians in PBL techniques and have vastly improved industry sponsored educational activities as well as CME presentations that employ your teachings”
— Myron Zitt, M.D. Past President of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology
“After training with the techniques that you taught me, I felt that I could facilitate a group of mechanical engineers, even though I knew absolutely nothing about building a car.”
— Steven Weinstein, M.D., Director, Allergy & Asthma Specialists, Huntington Beach, CA
“I have attended a million pharm meetings, and have learned absolutely nothing at 90%of them over 20 years of trying. Imagine my surprise when I attended today and have a complete re-thinking of the teaching process! THANK YOU! I have been skilled, but not inspired, for years. You have restored the inspiration…”
— Mark Mehle, MD, FACS, Assistant Clinical Professor Northeast Ohio Medical University, ENT and Allergy Health Services, Cleveland, Ohio
“I have known Ray and Don for over 20 years and have participated in many of their educational initiatives. They are without peer the best at developing and executing educational programs which fully engage the participants. Their training of speakers in PBL techniques is at the cutting edge… They have developed unique perspectives in how to create cases to best convey the educational goals at hand.”
“I highly recommend you utilize their services to develop PBL programs..”
— Lawrence DuBuske, M.D. Clinical Professor of Medicine at The George Washington University School of Medicine in the Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine at George Washington University.
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Example Problem Based Learning (PBL) Session
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