Black box towards glass box: 'Mapaloguing' a typology of public health CPD activities in UK in 2011/12.

Abstract

The 1996 Faculty of Public Health study of specialists continuing professional development (CPD) diaries indicated forward-looking approaches. There has been little substantive research on public health CPD records since. Mixed methods research assessed 795 CPD records/reflective notes from 2011/12. The quantitative methods aimed to analyse types of new learning; a qualitative sub-sample analysis of reflective standards will be reported elsewhere. Many current CPD categories were non-specific and situational, including conferences/workshops and learning as part of the job. These were later classified to a new CPD typology of 13 learning-orientated categories with sub-types. Most (572 = 71.9%) activities fell into current FPH CPD categories that did not identify the learning topic. The new categorization identified four most common CPD learning types: about health protection topics, key specialist knowledge/skills, experiences handling new public health systems and educator/trainer requirements. This new typology illustrates wide-ranging CPD activities, including work-based opportunities from shifts in organizations and policies. A CPD 'Mapalogue' is proposed, with 'Mapaloguing' as an analytical research process, combining mapping of influences and direction of CPD alongside cataloguing actual CPD undertaken. This could inform individual professionals' choice menu for CPD and personal development and increase the profession's transparency and understanding of long-term trends.