Continuing medical education and professional revalidation in Europe: five case examples.

Introduction: Since reliable information is scarce to describe continuing medical education (CME) and revalidation in Europe, we carried out a survey in 5 selected countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom).

Methods: A tested questionnaire was sent to 2 experts per country (except in Germany), during August-September 2004.

Results: In the analyzed countries medical societies, medical associations, and employers are the main CME providers.