[Evaluation of continuous education: from the satisfaction to the impact. With regard to a formative programme in minor surgery in a health area].
OBJECTIVE: To compare the evaluation of reaction of an activity of continuous education (CE) in minor surgery (MS), with the impact in the realization of MS in a health area. DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. Setting. 27 centers in a health area that offer MS between their services. MEASUREMENTS: The valuation was studied in a scale from 1 to 10, of 9 theoretical-practical activities of CE in MS and the consideration of its utility. The number of activities of MS (NMS) carried out in all the units, was picked up during one year, and a model of lineal regression was built. The independent variable was the NMS, and the explanatory ones the assistance pressure (AP), the postgraduate formation (PF), the staff of the unit, the equipment (E), and the carried out CE. RESULTS: The valuation of the CE had a median of 8 (with interquartile range 1), 85.1% of the people who realized CE in MS said that this would be of utility. However in the explanatory regression model the PF was the only significant variable (beta = 6.7; 95% CI, 0.12-12.22). Neither the CE, nor the AP, nor the E, explained the variability among the NMS. CONCLUSION: The CE in MS with conventional methodology has a very positive reaction evaluation, but its impact in the later realization of MS is not significant.