Educational outcomes provide a way to assess whether medical education is translating into meaningful change in terms of shaping knowledge, confidence and clinical decision-making in practice.
Following the Alliance 2026 Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA, USA earlier this year, Joel Turner, Head of Outcomes and Data Insight at Touch Medical Media, shares his perspective on the evolving role of outcomes measurement, why it matters more than ever and his key takeaways from this year’s discussions.
Why are outcomes measurement becoming increasingly important in continuing medical education (CME)?
Outcomes are almost always one of the most important ways to determine the success (or failure!) of CME programmes. There is increasing focus on data integrity, with greater scrutiny of methodology and analysis. For me, the biggest shift in outcomes delivery has been the ability to tell a clear story for the supporter. Having a strong narrative running through the report, making it accessible to multiple stakeholders and highlighting key takeaways they can use to inform their strategy have become equally, if not more, important.
How should outcomes data influence the design of future medical education programmes?
I think it should be at the forefront of how we approach medical education. One of the quotes that really resonated with me from the Alliance Annual Conference, and one that will likely stay with me, came from keynote panellist George Mejicano, who called for a focus on evidence-based education, mirroring the well-known approach to evidence-based medicine.1
Using outcomes data to understand not only what HCPs (healthcare professionals) learnt, but also how they responded to it, is now standard. But what really matters is digging into what is left on the table by identifying unmet educational needs and using these insights to shape future education.
Which presentation or session had the biggest impact on you, and why?
I’m really interested in qualitative data and what we can learn from the comments we gather on change in practice following a learning activity, especially the sentiment behind what’s said and the likelihood of follow-through. It’s an area we’ve been exploring as part of our touchIME Learner to Patient Impact (LPI) Framework, so the sessions aligned with this were naturally of interest to me.
Cecilia Peterson and Joannie Ham from the Medical Learning Institute ran a session on balancing quantitative and qualitative evidence in outcomes reports, and shared some practical ideas for strengthening qualitative capture that I’m hopeful we can implement.2
Was there a speaker or idea that particularly shaped your thinking on outcomes measurement?
My outcomes mentor, Derek Deitz and his concept of the “number needed to learn” were of particular interest, and it was also great to meet him in person, which is a rare opportunity given he is based in the USA and I’m in the UK.
It was also a nice surprise to find myself sitting next to Brian McGowan at lunch one day. I made sure to let him know I’m a big fan of his outcomes newsletter, which is an incredible volume of recommendations, curating content from across the world of outcomes and data, and definitely worth a read.
References
- Mejicano G. Opening Keynote – Alliance Past Presidents Panel. 2026. Presented at: 2026 Alliance Annual Conference, Atlanta GA, USA, 17 February 2026.
- Peterson C, Ham J. See the Full Picture! Adding Qualitative Data to your Outcomes Reports. 2026. Presented at: 2026 Alliance Annual Conference, Atlanta GA, USA, 18 February 2026.
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