Online self-training

Professional knowledge is increasingly being updated online, through largely invisible training mechanisms. This article looks at the case of doctors. After analysing the controversy surrounding the new compulsory professional training system launched by the government (DPC) and strongly opposed by the medical profession, I examine how doctors update their skills informally, using various digital tools such as peer interaction, web browsing and tutorials. At the heart of this article is a model for analysing the intermediation between doctors seeking to update their knowledge and different types of experts. This model distinguishes between three types of knowledge: reference knowledge, practical knowledge, and explanatory knowledge designed for patients. It examines the types of recognition that enable doctors and patients to choose the knowledge they are seeking.