Association between participation and compliance with Continuing Medical Education and care production by physicians: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Physician participation in Continuing Medical Education programs may be influenced by a number of factors. To evaluate the factors associated with compliance with the Continuing Medical Education requirements at a private hospital, we investigated whether physicians' activity, measured by volumes of admissions and procedures, was associated with obtaining 40 Continuing Medical Education credits (40 hours of activities) in a 12-month cycle.

Methods: In an exclusive and non-mandatory Continuing Medical Education program, we collected physicians' numbers of hospital admissions and numbers of surgical procedures performed.

Physicians' attitude towards tobacco dependence in a private hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

Objective: To investigate how often physicians identify and treat tobacco dependence and whether characteristics as gender, age, marital status, medical specialty and smoking status can influence their attitude towards this question.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 515 physicians working in a private hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, using a confidential voluntary questionnaire sent and answered electronically.

Results: We found that 89% of physicians who answered the research questionnaire often or always asked their patients about smoking habits, but only 39% often or always treated patients' tobacco dependence.