TABLE. Background Characteristics of mCME Participants, Thái Nguyên, Vietnam, December 2015
IDIs (N=15)FGDs (N=55)Total (N=70)
Gender, No. (%)
    Female8 (53.3)27 (49.1)35 (50.0)
    Male7 (46.7)28 (50.9)35 (50.0)
Age, mean (SD), years38.6 (10.5)40.8 (11.2)40.3 (11.0)
Study arm, No. (%)
    Group 2: medical facts4 (26.7)30 (54.6)34 (49.3)
    Group 3: medical questions11 (73.3)25 (45.4)36 (50.7)
Response rate during study,a No. (%)
    High4 (26.7)29 (52.7)33 (47.1)
    Medium7 (46.6)0 (0.0)7 (10.0)
    Low4 (26.7)26 (47.3)30 (42.9)
Practice setting, No. (%)
    Rural12 (80.0)45 (81.8)57 (81.4)
    Town2 (13.3)8 (14.6)10 (14.3)
    City1 (6.7)2 (3.6)3 (4.3)
Medical specialty, No. (%)
    General medicine8 (53.3)28 (50.9)36 (51.4)
    Obstetrics and pediatrics3 (20.0)11 (20.0)14 (20.0)
    Traditional medicine3 (20.0)12 (21.8)15 (21.4)
    Preventative medicine1 (6.7)4 (7.3)5 (7.2)
Years in health sector, mean (SD)2.7 (0.4)2.9 (0.5)2.9 (0.5)
  • Abbreviations: FGD, focus group discussion; IDI, in-depth interview; mCME, mobile continuing medical education; SD, standard deviation.

  • a High response rate refers to those in the 90th and 75th percentiles for women and men, respectively; medium refers to those between the 10th and 90th percentile for women and between the 25th and 75th percentile for men; low refers to those in the 10th and 25th percentiles for women and men, respectively.