We are in a fast-changing world, shaped in the last decades by the advent of new information and communication technologies (ICT). As forecasted in the McKinsey report (1997) “all modern forms of interaction—whether they be as simple as writing a letter or as complex as solving a problem in a team—are shaped by computing and communications technologies.” Both health care and professional education have been impacted profoundly by technology in the last two decades. As a result, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are now common across disciplines, including Medicine.

In this workshop, it will be contended - and participants will be able to argue for or against - that massive online courses are going to disrupt the CME landscape and become an integral component of how continuing medical education is delivered globally in the next five years: While live events and short online offerings would continue, massive online courses are likely going to become a significant component, in terms of the percentage of time that each healthcare professional dedicates to learning.

First, the concept, history, evolution of the business model and examples of MOOCs will be given. It will be followed by an analysis of the potential for disruption of MOOCs for healthcare professionals and teams, including practical examples, to continue describing the current situation, what are the possible trends and why. Finally, there will be a dialogue with the audience about how likely this forecast is and how these concepts apply to their own settings.

Learning Objectives:

• Upon completion, participants will be able to define the concepts of ""MOOC"" and ""disruptive innovation"" and how they relate to continuing education of the health professions.
• Understand the trends regarding MOOCs in CME.
• Apply these concepts to their own settings.