| Continuing
Professional Education
We
each have our own responsibility for our own CPD. You must keep a structured
record of participation in CPD, to simply sign an attendance form is not
acceptable. Please read the Challenges of CPD section and visit the Federation
website of the Royal College of Physicians or download their document
on CPD
for UK Physicians (PDF, 53k). Also worthwhile reading is the GMC
guidance on CPD (select CPD from the GMC's Medical Education
drop down list). Please remember the CME
Journal Geriatric Medicine, Rila Publications, edited by Dr Duncan Forsyth,
now has specially commissioned BGS approved articles - get the journal
for your library or look at it on-line.'
Why
Continuing Professional Development?
The concept
of CPD is not new. Doctors have always recognised their responsibility
to maintain skills, knowledge and competence in their subject and, where
indicated, to do their best to acquire new skills and keep up to date
with basic knowledge by reading scientific or clinical journals and participating
in a range of other learning activities.
CPD is therefore
part of good professional practice. What has changed is the relevance
of CPD to clinical governance, and the requirement to be able to
demonstrate that CPD is being actively maintained.
CPD now forms
part of the appraisal process and through that is a central pillar of
revalidation and license to practise.
What
is Continuing Professional Development?
CPD is an unending process (hopefully):
'..a continuing
learning process that complements formal ... education and training.
CPD requires doctors to maintain and improve their standards across
all areas of their practice ...CPD should also encourage and support
specific changes in practice and career development.' GMC.
'A process of
lifelong learning for all individuals and teams which meets the needs
of patients and delivers the health outcomes and healthcare priorities
of the NHS and which enables professionals to expand and fulfil their
potential': DOH
'The planned
acquisition of knowledge, experience and skills and the development
of personal qualities for the execution of professional and scientific
duties throughout one's working life...'
CPD is a
process which assists clinicians to:
- achieve personal
and professional growth
- keep abreast of
and manage clinical, organisational and social changes which affect
professional roles in general
- widen, develop
and change their own roles and responsibilities over time
- acquire and refine
the skills needed for new roles and responsibilities or career development
- put individual
development and learning needs into a team and multiprofessional context
CME is
a key element in this overall process.
What
do we need to do continue to do and develop as a society?
Broaden and increase
the flexibility of our CME/CPD arrangements by taking account of:
- the changing context
of practice and the essential attributes of the good practitioner
- the benefits of
including more multiprofessional activities related to consultants'
jobs and roles
- the need for consultants
to acquire, update and refine their generic skills
- a wider range of educational and learner support processes
- cost-effectiveness
issues both for the individual consultant and the trusts
- the benefit of allocating 'credits' for educational outputs and achievements
rather than participation
- CPD/CME is tailored
to new and experienced consultants' needs
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