Lifelong learning along the education and career continuum: meta-analysis of studies in health professions.

INTRODUCTION: Lifelong learning is an integral part of health professionals' maintenance of competence. Several studies have examined the orientation toward lifelong learning at various stages of the education and career continuum; however, none has looked at changes throughout training and practice. The objective of the present study was to determine if there are differences between groups defined by their places on the education and career continuum.

METHODS: The authors performed a group-level meta-analysis on studies that used the 14-item Jefferson Scale of Physician Lifelong Learning or its variants. Eleven published articles, which reported on studies with post-secondary health professions students, residents, and practicing health professionals met the inclusion criteria. In total, there were 12 independent data sets, with four data sets per group.

RESULTS: In total, over seven thousand students, residents, and practicing health professionals responded to the Jefferson Scale (N=7.269). Individual study means tendency to be high, suggesting a high orientation toward lifelong learning among the trainees (students and residents) and practicing health professionals. Meta-analysis results indicated that the orientation toward lifelong learning tended to increase gradually along the education and career continuum. Significant differences in the group means were found between the trainees and practicing health professionals.

CONCLUSION: In the reviewed studies, the orientation toward lifelong learning among students, residents, and practicing professionals was high. Nonetheless, although based on separate cohorts, it appears that the orientation toward lifelong learning continues to develop even after the completion of formal training.