Xu Liu, Junrui Pu, Mengmeng Han, Wenfeng Xiao, Hong Zhu, Yusheng Li, Siyu Liu
A total of 1567 publications were identified. Annual publication output followed a quadratic growth pattern and accelerated substantially after 2019. The United States had the highest publication output, while emerging countries such as China showed rapid growth. Institutional analysis highlighted the role of academic medical centers, particularly the University of Toronto and its affiliated University Health Network. CME studies were mainly published in medical education and continuing education journals, including the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, BMC Medical Education, and Medical Teacher. Cocitation analysis showed that the knowledge base of CME research is grounded in early evidence evaluating CME effectiveness and later educational evaluation frameworks. Keyword analyses indicated a recent shift toward continuing professional development.
INTRODUCTION: Continuing medical education (CME) and related continuing education for health professionals support lifelong learning and professional competence, yet a comprehensive synthesis of this CME-centered literature remains limited.
METHODS: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. Original articles and reviews published since 1999 were retrieved. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R were used to analyze publication trends, national and institutional contributions, coauthorship networks, reference cocitation, and keyword evolution.
RESULTS: A total of 1567 publications were identified. Annual publication output followed a quadratic growth pattern and accelerated substantially after 2019. The United States had the highest publication output, while emerging countries such as China showed rapid growth. Institutional analysis highlighted the role of academic medical centers, particularly the University of Toronto and its affiliated University Health Network. CME studies were mainly published in medical education and continuing education journals, including the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, BMC Medical Education, and Medical Teacher. Cocitation analysis showed that the knowledge base of CME research is grounded in early evidence evaluating CME effectiveness and later educational evaluation frameworks. Keyword analyses indicated a recent shift toward continuing professional development.
DISCUSSION: Research on CME and related continuing education for health professionals has expanded substantially over the past two decades and is increasingly embedded within a broader framework of professional learning and competency development. The growing prominence of continuing professional development reflects an evolving emphasis on lifelong learning, performance improvement, and the integration of education with health care system outcomes.