Global Trends in interest in сontinuing professional development in healthcare

Abstract

Changes driven by digitalization and emerging requirements for lifelong learning can vary significantly by sector, a factor crucial to the business models of continuous professional development (CPD) providers. Objective. This study aims to assess global trends in interest regarding CPD in healthcare using Google Trends. Methods. Google Trends is a web application designed to analyze the search behavior of Google users. Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) regarding countries leading in search volume for the term "CPD in healthcare" were used to identify associated global trends. Results. A stable level of Google user search activity related to CPD was observed. A significant proportion of English-language searches for "CPD in healthcare" originated in the United Kingdom, Australia and the Philippines. Analysis of search queries revealed a growing global interest in CPD within medical education among Google users. A marked increase in interest has occurred in recent years. Conclusions. Using the Google Trends web application can serve as an additional tool for assessing healthcare professionals' interest in CPD. Recognizing the global priority of CPD in healthcare enables higher medical education institutions worldwide to remain competitive and leverage the strengths of their established medical schools.