Telling a Stronger Story: The Art of Communicating CME Outcomes

Are you measuring CME outcomes effectively or just tacking them on at the end? If you're involved in developing, measuring and reporting on CME outcomes, you know it's become an expected part of the process. But many CME providers still struggle with integrating outcomes throughout program design and implementation. This leads to poor practices like tacking on outcomes at the end, writing vague questions, and creating reports that fail to tell a compelling story. To truly demonstrate the value and impact of your education, outcomes measurement needs to be woven in from the very beginning. In episode 113 of Write Medicine Wendy Cerenzia and Emily Belcher of CE Outcomes share their hard-won insights on outcomes measurements. Tune in to: 1. Learn why and how to integrate outcomes planning into the earliest stages of educational design  2. Discover tips for writing effective outcomes questions that align with learning objectives and avoid common pitfalls 3. Understand what makes a compelling outcomes report that ties the story together for stakeholders Ready to uplevel your outcomes game? Takeaways 1. Outcomes measurement must be integrated from the beginning of educational planning and design, not tacked on at the end. Take action today by reviewing your process for integrating outcomes measurement into educational design. This will help you identify opportunities to involve outcomes experts earlier.  2. Effective outcomes questions align with learning objectives, avoid vagueness and confusing options, and consider the target audience, education format, and intended data use. Work with your faculty to carefully craft outcomes questions that align with objectives and will yield meaningful data. And consider pilot testing questions. 3. A compelling outcomes report ties the story together by connecting program goals, educational design, key findings, and important learnings. When you are writing your next outcomes report, challenge yourself to weave a coherent narrative that demonstrates the "why" behind the education and interprets the data to extract relevant insights. Focus on clearly communicating the impact and value. Connect with Wendy and Emily CE Outcomes [e-mail] Emily Belcher, Director of Research and Analytics: [e-mail] Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 1:05 Measuring Continuing Medical Education Outcomes 2:46 Current State of Outcomes in CME and CPD 5:58 Poor Practices in Measuring Outcomes 10:13 Root Cause of Not Starting with the End in Mind 10:26 Outcomes Standardization Project 18:07 Importance of Internal Consistency in Definitions 19:19 Effectiveness of Outcomes Measurement Frameworks 22:21 Expectations from Supporters in Outcomes Reporting 26:45 Cautious Approach to Using AI in Outcomes Analysis 31:36 Elements of a Good Outcome Story 34:45 Future Directions in Outcomes Analysis and Reporting 38:24 Three Takeaways and Action Steps from Episode 113 Subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform.