Continuing Professional Development Courses Research Articles

Orthodontic screening and referral practices of dental therapists in New Zealand

Abstract Background Timely referrals of appropriately screened cases are essential for the effective delivery of orthodontic treatment. Dental therapists are intimately involved with the orthodontic screening process in New Zealand, given that they are the primary oral health providers for child and adolescent patients. Objectives (1) To investigate New Zealand dental therapists’ orthodontic screening and referral practices; and, (2) to quantify the perceived need for supplementary orthodontic resources by New Zealand dental therapists. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed via email to 659 actively practising dental therapists in New Zealand. Participants answered questions related to their socio-demographic characteristics, orthodontic screening and referral practices, and further orthodontic education. Results All surveyed dental therapists viewed orthodontics as an important treatment priority. Most (64.6%, N = 148) agreed that the orthodontic screening process should be a joint undertaking between general dental practitioners and dental therapists. Most practitioners (63.3%, N = 145) had access to (and used) an orthodontic screening guideline. While almost all dental therapists (98.7%, N = 226) were confident in assessing cases that were suitable for orthodontic referral, 63.8% felt that they could gain from further education, and virtually all (99.6%, N = 228) believed that continuing professional development (CPD) courses in orthodontics would be beneficial. Over three-quarters were in favour of a standardised national guideline for orthodontic screening, while the remainder were either satisfied with their current guidelines (15.3%, N = 35) or believed that such guidelines were unnecessary (7.0%, N = 16). Several patterns were observed by therapist characteristics, particularly related to working sector (private or public) and length of professional experience. Conclusions There were differences in the orthodontic screening and referral practices of dental therapists in New Zealand. Dental therapists were receptive to the idea of standardised guidelines for orthodontic screening and there was a perceived need for CPD courses in orthodontics.

Preferences and barriers for continuing professional development among dental practitioners in the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad, India

Introduction: Advances in the field of dentistry is occurring at an exponential rate, and there is an immense pressure and challenge for the dentist to keep up with it to remain competent across the full spectrum of dental profession. Aim: To assess the frequency of attending the continuing professional development (CPD) courses as well as to assess the preferences and barriers for CPD among dental practitioners in Hubli-Dharwad, India. Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire inquired on the frequency of attending CPD courses, and three questions on preferences and barriers for the same among 112 practitioners. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to find any association with gender and qualification with dependent variables. Results: Consent for the study was given by 92.9% practicing dentists. The mean age was 32.3 years. A majority of practitioners (45.2%) said that they attended CDE courses at least once in 6 months, 32.7% attended at least once in a year, and 22.1% attended rarely or never. A majority of dentists preferred esthetic dentistry. Most preferred methods for CPD courses were hands-on treatment on live patients and hands-on in clinically simulated situations. Lack of time was perceived as the most important barrier. Conclusions: A little less than half of the practitioners attended CPD courses once in 6 months with a substantial number attending very rarely or never. Most of them preferred esthetic dentistry and hands-on courses and lack of time was the most important barrier for attending CPD courses by Hubli-Dharwad dentists.

The Impact of Career Development on Employee Commitment of Part-Time Faculty (PTF) in Hong Kong’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Sector

Aims: The development of knowledge-based economy in Hong Kong requires employees with higher education level and more up-to-date knowledge. Information and communication technology (ICT) industry has been growing rapidly which is important for building a knowledge-based economy by providing higher mobility of information, more efficient communication network and sharing of knowledge between business partners. In 2002 the HKSAR Government has set up a Continuing Education Fund to encourage employees in Hong Kong to improve their education and update their knowledge by enrolling into continuing professional development courses. This policy provides opportunities to courses providers to offer continuing professional development (CPD) courses. Since these CPD courses are provided after work so the courses are conducted by part-time faculty (PTF) and there is a need to recruit part-time staff in delivering these courses. Recruitment of PTF gives course providers the benefit of meeting their teaching needs economically and flexibly but educators have often expressed concern over whether Research Article British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science, 4(1): 52-73, 2014 53 the performance of PTF is in anyway affected by the absence of career development opportunities. Study Design: This study was a quantitative study which used [1] five-component commitment model to examine the effects of the perception of value of career development (VCD) on the commitment components of PTF. Place and Duration of Study: The study was taken in Hong Kong between June 2011 and June 2012. Methodology: Sample data from a population of PTF working at the 450 registered CPD course providers in Hong Kong was collected from an online questionnaire. Finally 270 set of data collated together was analyzed by factor analysis, correlation tests and multiple regression respectively. Results: The results of this study suggest that perceived VCD was affirmed to have a significantly positive influence on employee commitment, while perception of the availability of career development opportunities was found to have a moderating effect on the association between perceived VCD and employee commitment. Conclusion: This study has both theoretical and managerial implications. The examination of the complicated relationship between career development and employee commitment of PTF in Hong Kong’s CPD industry can therefore serve as a useful reference point for both academic researchers and education managers. The findings can also help CPD institutes to formulate suitable human resource strategies for attracting and retaining well-qualified practitioners to become PTF.

An evaluation of Employee Commitment of Part-Time Faculty (PTF) in Hong Kong’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Sector

Economic crises in recent years have exposed the presence of a large number of poorly educated workers who can barely meet the needs of Hong Kong’s knowledge-based economy. In response, in April 2002 the HKSAR Government set up a HK$5 billion Continuing Education Fund to encourage and subsidize those who want to improve themselves through continuing education. This policy presents unprecedented opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) course providers. To grasp these opportunities, they must act quickly to develop program mixes that match the education needs of potential students and demonstrate excellence in teaching quality by recruiting and retaining well-qualified faculty. As the majority of the courses are designed for those who seek to improve themselves after work, most of the courses are extramural courses conducted by part-time faculty (PTF). Recruitment of PTF raises an employee commitment problem which might affect their performance in teaching and also subsequently the effectiveness of those part-time courses. In addition, the various backgrounds of PTF also might affect the effectiveness of delivering of those CPD courses. So the objectives of this study are to examine the extent of employee commitment of those part-time staff and also the relations of their background towards the employee commitment. A quantitative study was used by applying Wang’s (2004) five-component commitment model to test employee commitment of PTF in Hong Kong. An online questionnaire was used to collect sample data from a population of PTF working at the 450 registered CPD course providers in Hong Kong. The data were analyzed and tested by means of factor analysis, correlation tests and structural equation modeling (SEM). Based on the data collected from 270 respondents, the study suggests that Wang’s five-component model is better than other models for explaining employee commitment in Hong Kong’s CPD industry. All five components of employee commitment of PTF and demographic variables were concluded to have no association with passive continuance commitment, but have varying levels of influences on different components of employee commitment.

The Duality of Continuing Professional Development in Mental Health Social Work: Voluntary and Involuntary Status

In recent years, regulation of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements of accredited mental health social workers (AMHSWs) in Australia has increased. AMHSWs are now obliged to do 10 hours of CPD in focused psychological strategies (FPS) each year to retain their accreditation status. CPD in FPS is often provided by psychologists and is not tailored to the broader context of social work practice. Given that AMHSWs are now mandated to undertake CPD in FPS it is essential that educational opportunities are provided that are appropriate to their ongoing needs. In this paper the findings of a 2010 national study of the CPD requirements of AMHSWs are presented. Just under 50% (n = 566) of social workers accredited with the Australian Association of Social Workers participated in this study. A main finding was that AMHSWs wanted a range of CPD courses offered at different levels that were accessible, affordable and tailored to the context of social work practice. Accessibility to appropriate CPD was particularly an issue for social workers in regional, rural, and remote areas. This was the first comprehensive study of the postqualifying educational needs of AMHSWs in Australia and lays the foundation for CPD development for AMHSWs and further research in this area.

Impact of continuing professional development versus traditional continuing pharmacy education on learning behaviors

To assess the effect of continuing professional development (CPD) on perceptions of learning behaviors compared with traditional continuing pharmacy education (CPE). Randomized controlled trial. Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) from August 2008 to June 2009. Licensed pharmacists employed at KPCO. After completing a basic CPD course, participants were randomized into a control group that continued with traditional CPE or an intervention group that completed three CPD workshops and used the CPD approach for their professional learning needs. At baseline and follow-up, all participants completed a study questionnaire on perceptions of their learning behaviors. Comparison of responses to questionnaire items at follow-up. 100 pharmacists were enrolled. The intervention (n = 44; 7 lost to follow-up) and control (n = 47; 2 lost to follow-up) groups were similar at baseline. At follow-up, a higher percentage of intervention than control participants reported changing their learning behaviors/activities sometimes (41% vs. 0%, P < 0.01) or frequently/always (18% vs. 4%, P < 0.05). More intervention than control participants responded that they frequently/always participated in learning by doing (61% vs. 36%, P < 0.05), identified specific learning objectives (93% vs. 30%, P < 0.01), and documented their learning plan (82% vs. 13%, P < 0.01). A higher percentage of intervention than control participants responded that they adhered to their learning plan partially/to a large extent (80% vs. 15%, P < 0.01) and more than three-quarters of the intervention participants responded that they partially/to a large extent achieved their learning objectives ( P < 0.01). Pharmacists who adopted a CPD approach were more likely to report that various aspects of their learning behaviors improved as a result of education activities compared with pharmacists who participated in traditional CPE.

An evaluation of CPD activity of dentists in Wales

Ongoing professional education is essential for dental professionals to maintain and update their clinical skills and knowledge. There is a current trend towards mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for dentists within Europe and beyond. Mandatory CPD will ensure high professional standards and enable mobilisation of the dental workforce within Europe. In 2002, the UK General Dental Council (GDC) implemented a system of mandatory CPD for dentists practicing in the UK. The Wales Deanery is situated in the School of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education, Cardiff University. It provides verifiable CPD courses for dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) currently practicing in Wales and has recorded professionals' attendance on these courses since 2001. The project aimed to investigate the CPD activity of dentists in Wales, using these data. The Wales Deanery database holds data on the CPD courses undertaken by 1178 dentists working in Wales since 2001. A number of hypotheses were investigated using a variety of statistical methods. Dentists were undertaking significantly fewer hours of CPD in Mid and West Wales compared to the North and South of the principality. Sole practitioners were found to engage in less CPD than those in group practices, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Dentists who employed a hygienist or therapist completed more hours of CPD than those who didn't employ either. There were no gender differences in engagement in CPD. CPD participation was consistently and significantly higher in mid and late career than in early career. This study provides a greater understanding of the CPD habits of the dental workforce in Wales. Practice staffing levels, location of practice and time since graduation were found to have the greatest impact on engagement in CPD activity. These findings will be used by the Deanery to inform future education provision for dental professionals in Wales.

‘It is a case of changing your thought processes, the way you actually teach’: implementing a complex professional learning agenda in Scottish physical education

Background: It has been proposed that twenty-first century physical education needs to be reorientated and restructured to meet the lifelong learning needs of pupils from diverse socio-cultural, emotional, and developmental backgrounds. It follows that quality physical education (PE) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for practising professionals are needed to support these aims. In Scotland, professional and policy-making groups have specifically called for at least 120 minutes of quality physical education to be delivered each week by appropriately trained staff. Purpose: This paper highlights three phases of PE CPD beginning in 2001 that have been structured to include teaching professionals working in Scottish primary schools. We illustrate how collaborative learning communities emerged through the PE CPD. While emphasising the merits of collaborative learning principles, we also describe how these learning communities operated as complex educational systems. We specifically discuss how these communities were linked in a ‘nested’ relationship with local schools and local authorities. We also discuss how learning communities self-organised and innovated in relation to the instigation of ‘turbulent’ practices and knowledges. Findings: The study follows ten practitioners who participated in Basic Moves PE CPD programmes over the past 10 years in Scotland. During the initial phase (2001–2004), the participants were enthused about the reflective and collaborative learning model that was used in regular workshops and courses. These members felt that this approach to PE CPD improved on traditional one-day and generic courses. In Basic Moves PE CPD courses, administrators provoked critical and even uncomfortable discussions in order to challenge teachers' pre-existing views of physical education. Consequently, the group organised and emerged as a ‘community of practice’. Many of the study participants continued to work together and even became Basic Moves PE CPD instructors themselves. However, as the programme increased in popularity and expanded to a national level in 2004, the PE CPD followed an ‘empty vessel’ model, whereby new participants were given course material over a short duration in a few centralised workshops. Feedback suggested that this ‘top down’ approach would not facilitate the emergence of learning communities, as many of those involved in local PE delivery became isolated and felt marginalised in their practice. Subsequent discussions led to the development of learning communities that were supported in local communities by former and current participants. These ‘tutor networks’ reflected the complex relationships that existed between pupils, teachers, headteachers, PE specialists, local authority managers and policy makers. Conclusion: Our analysis suggests that the PE practitioners in our study worked alongside a range of educational stakeholders within a broader ‘nested system’ that was constantly evolving and changing. Accordingly, we argue that contemporary PE CPD must challenge practitioners to become critical and innovative learners in the context of dynamic learning communities. This version of PE CPD requires sustained support at the local level and directly involves PE practitioners, their peers, and local authority leadership in the planning and operational phases.

Descriptive epidemiological study of the use of antimicrobial drugs by companion animal veterinarians in New Zealand

AIM: To describe the patterns of use of antimicrobial drugs by veterinary surgeons treating commonly presented bacterial infections in companion animals in New Zealand. METHODS: A postal survey of 800 randomly selected companion animal veterinarians practicing in New Zealand was conducted between August and December 2008. Data were collected regarding the antimicrobials prescribed for recent cases of skin, ear and urinary tract infections; the use of culture and susceptibility testing; and veterinarian characteristics such as proportion of time spent treating companion animals and recent attendance at continuing professional development (CPD) events. Potential associations within the data were explored using extended mosaic plots and multivariable regression models. RESULTS:Completed surveys from 393 respondents were available for analysis, providing data on systemic antimicrobial drug use for 1,799 cases of presumptive bacterial infections. The most frequently prescribed drugs were amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (864 cases, 48%), cephalexin (558, 31%), and fluoroquinolones (198, 11%). Of 359 cases of canine superficial pyoderma, 157 (44%) were treated with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and 155 (43%) were treated with cephalexin with median reported treatment durations of 7 and 10 days, for these two drugs respectively. Culture and susceptibility tests had been used in 376 of 1,984 (19%) of all reported cases and 160 (43%) of these were suspected urinary tract infections. Practitioners that spent 100% of their time treating companion animals and who had attended a CPD course related to companion animals within the 12 months prior to completing the survey were more likely to submit a sample for culture and susceptibility testing and to prescribe longer courses of antimicrobials for the treatment of canine pyoderma than practitioners who spent less than 100% of their time treating companion animals and had not attended a CPD course in the last 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Broad-spectrum drugs considered by the World Health Organisation to be critically important for human health, such as fluoroquinolones and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, are amongst the most frequently prescribed antimicrobials in companion animal medicine, and these drugs are often prescribed without submitting a sample for culture and susceptibility testing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Many cases of superficial pyoderma were treated for less than the recommended duration of 21 days, which may contribute to a higher rate of recurrent pyoderma and the development of drug resistance within the causal bacteria. Veterinarians should be aware that the use of fluoroquinolones, in particular, should be based upon the results of a culture and susceptibility test.

Implementing evidence in practice: do action lists work?

Much continuing medical education is known to have a limited impact on subsequent clinical behaviour. An option to improve this is to ask participants to develop specific actions about their clinical behaviour changes. We aimed to investigate the content and outcomes of GPs' action lists produced on a one-day continuing professional development (CPD) course. Actions were recorded during a one-day course, and followed up six months later. Of 1696 delegates attending the nine courses, 306 (18%) provided their action plan and 139 of these responded to the questionnaire at six months (response rate 45%). The 306 delegates recorded a total of 1443 actions (4.7 per delegate). Of these, 359 were subsequently explored by follow-up questionnaire at six months of which 147 (41%; 95% CI 36%-46%) were 'successful', an average of completed actions of 1.9 per GP. Four significant facilitators and four significant barriers to success were identified. Delegates attending the one-day CPD course recorded an average of 4.7 intended practice changes, and completed 41%. Further research is needed on how to increase the number of planned and completed actions.

Opinions of chiropractors in the Netherlands on the importance of general diagnosis

Summary Objective The objective was to determine how important chiropractors in the Netherlands feel that knowledge and skills in general diagnosis are, how confident they are in their abilities in this domain, and whether or not there is a demand for continuing professional development (CPD) in this area. Methods A questionnaire was sent out to all members of the Netherlands’ Chiropractic Association at the beginning of September 2008. Non-respondents were contacted by telephone 3 weeks later. Results The response rate was 63% (n = 139). In total, 72% (n = 100) of the respondents felt knowledge of, and skills in, general diagnosis are important, but only 52% (n = 72) of the respondents felt confident in referring patients based on general diagnosis examinations. Even fewer respondents (44%) felt confident in their performance of these procedures and only 23% (n = 32) felt confident in making a diagnosis based on those examination findings. It was found that there is a demand for CPD, with 68% (n = 83) of respondents saying they would be interested in attending a course to update their skills and knowledge in this area. Conclusion Chiropractors feel it is important to be able to perform general diagnosis examinations but their confidence in performing these procedures is relatively low. The majority of the respondents to this survey would be interested in a CPD course to update their skills and knowledge in general diagnosis.

An investigation into the participation and attitudes of dental technicians in Wales towards continuing professional development

The study The objective of this study was to investigate the participation and attitudes of dental technicians based in Wales towards continuing professional development (CPD). A self-completion postal and online questionnaire was designed and sent to all registered dental technicians in Wales (n = 258). The overall response rate was 83 (32.1%); four of the responses were not used due to incomplete answers, leaving 79 for analysis. Just over a quarter of respondents (27.8%) stated that they find it difficult to keep up-to-date with gaining CPD hours. Lack of time, suitable courses, geographical location and cost were all perceived as significant factors hindering technicians from gaining CPD. The findings highlighted the need for more regional CPD courses in Wales, which could alleviate the geographic barriers. Further research should be considered into the way that courses are delivered, to see if alternative course delivery could alleviate the barriers found in this study.

The Impact of Continuing Professional Development Versus Traditional Continuing Pharmacy Education on Pharmacy Practice

The Institute of Medicine states that the new vision for continuing education (CE) for health-care professionals will be based on continuing professional development (CPD); however, information on the utility of CPD is lacking. To assess the effect of CPD, compared with that of traditional continuing pharmacy education (CPE), on perceptions of factors related to pharmacy practice. This 10-month, nonblinded, randomized controlled study recruited licensed pharmacists employed at a health maintenance organization (HMO). After completing a basic CPD course, participants were randomized to the intervention or control group. The control group was instructed to continue with traditional CPE. The intervention group participants completed 3 CPD workshops and were instructed to utilize the CPD approach for their learning needs. At baseline and follow-up, all participants completed a study questionnaire on perceptions of their pharmacy practices. The outcome measures were comparisons on follow-up and changes from baseline to follow-up in responses to the study questionnaire. One hundred pharmacists were enrolled. The intervention (n = 44, 7 lost to follow-up) and control (n = 47, 2 lost to follow-up) groups were similar at baseline. At follow-up, a higher percentage of intervention participants reported that they had better interactions with other health-care providers (always/frequently 32% vs 6%, respectively) and initiated practice/work changes (always/frequently 21% vs 0%, respectively) (both p < 0.01) as a result of their education activities. Compared with control participants at follow-up, intervention participants reported that their education activities improved patient care changes (46% vs 23%), professional knowledge (34% vs 6%), skills (48% vs 17%), and attitudes/values (43% to 11%) (all p < 0.05). However, intervention participants reported more often that time was a barrier to completing education activities (75% vs 32%, p < 0.001). Pharmacists who participated in CPD reported more often that their perceptions of various aspects of their pharmacy practice improved as a result of their education activities compared with pharmacists who participated in traditional CPE.

Evaluation of a professional development course for pharmacists on laboratory values: can practice change?

The practice environment in Alberta has emerged as the most unique in North America, including access to laboratory values, a province-wide electronic health record and legislation to support additional prescribing authority for qualified pharmacists. A course to help pharmacists integrate laboratory values in their medication management of patients was introduced to prepare pharmacists for these changes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacists' experience with a continuing professional development (CPD) course and its impact on pharmacists' knowledge, confidence and change in practice. A 12-week CPD course for pharmacists on interpreting laboratory values was delivered as a 2-day interactive workshop followed by three distance-learning sessions. The evaluation explored pharmacists' knowledge and confidence using laboratory values in practice, changes in practice and effectiveness of course delivery through pre- and post-course surveys and interviews. Pharmacists' knowledge about laboratory tests and confidence discussing and using laboratory values in practice significantly improved after course completion. The blended delivery format was viewed positively by course participants. Pharmacists were able to implement learning and make changes in their practice following the course. A CPD course for pharmacists on integrating laboratory values improved pharmacists' knowledge and confidence and produced changes in practice.

Continuing Professional Development Is Associated With Increasing Physical Therapists' Roles in Arthritis Management in Canada and the Netherlands

This study explored the relationships among the roles assumed by physical therapists in arthritis care and their previous participation in arthritis courses for continuing professional development (CPD). A cross-sectional mail survey was conducted. A total of 600 Canadian physical therapists and 461 Dutch physical therapists practicing in orthopedics were randomly selected to participate in a mail survey. The questionnaire covered areas related to their clinical practice, previous participation in arthritis-related CPD courses, and roles in the management of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Poisson regression was used to explore the associations between physical therapists' participation in arthritis-related CPD courses and the number of roles they assumed in OA and RA care, after adjusting for personal characteristics, arthritis caseload, and country of practice. The survey response rates were 47.7% in Canada and 50.5% in the Netherlands. A total of 424 participants (Canada=224, the Netherlands=200) had treated patients with OA in the previous month, and 259 participants (Canada=68, Netherlands=191) had treated patients with RA in the previous month. The most common roles reported by participants were providing traditional physical therapy interventions and providing postsurgical care. Arthritis-related CPD courses significantly increased (ie, multiplied) the expected number of roles assumed by physical therapists by a factor of 1.32 (95% confidence interval=1.11, 1.56) in OA management and 1.69 (95% confidence interval=1.34, 2.13) in RA management. Physical therapists' roles in arthritis management were obtained through self-reporting, which might differ from their actual clinical practice. This exploratory analysis highlights the association between participation in arthritis-related CPD courses and the roles assumed by physical therapists in OA and RA management. Further research is needed to understand the effects of CPD activities on other areas of physical therapist practice and on patients' outcomes.

Development for DCPs: a growing success story

On 1 August 2008, mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) was introduced for dental care professionals (DCPs). To maintain registration with the General Dental Council (GDC), DCPs are required to undertake 50 hours of verifiable CPD over a five-year period. The CPD requirement is an important part of regulation and professional responsibilities, and the increasing availability of CPD programmes and courses provide an additional opportunity for DCPs to develop their careers and raise standards of patient care.

Participation in continuing professional development by Victorian dental practitioners in 2004

Continuing professional development (CPD) has been long considered an integral component of professional practice across a range of health professions. It is believed to ensure the maintenance of practitioner clinical competence and knowledge of current concepts. This study investigated the participation in and attitudes of Victorian dental personnel to CPD activities. A self-administered cross-sectional survey of a random sample of registered dental care providers (n = 451) was conducted from March to June 2005 using an anonymous, postal, self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was low (48.1 per cent). Nearly 90 per cent of respondents attended a CPD course in 2004, with the mean hours of attendance ranging from 8.3 to 36.9 hours, depending on registration category. Nearly half of the dentists attended more than 20 hours of CPD courses, while less than 20 per cent of prosthetists attended more than 15 hours of CPD courses. Three-quarters of respondents supported mandatory CPD as a condition of registration. There was a high level of participation in continuing professional development activities by surveyed Victorian dental care providers in 2004, although more than half of the dentists and specialists, and nearly two-thirds of therapists, hygienists and prosthetists would fail to meet the new DPBV mandatory requirements for CPD.

Higher education provision for professionals working with people with dementia: A scoping exercise

This paper reports on the first national UK survey of higher education provision related to dementia care. A questionnaire was distributed to lecturers in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in England and Wales seeking information about the amount of coverage of dementia within their pre-registration and pre-qualifying courses for health and social care professionals, and continuing professional development (CPD) courses on dementia care. Information was sought regarding the content of courses, and their relation to a published "dementia curriculum" [Pulsford et al., The contribution of higher education to dementia care, Journal of Dementia Care 11(4) (2003) 27-29]. Results show that coverage of dementia within the mental health branch of pre-registration nursing programmes is very variable, and may be related to the presence of an experienced and committed lecturer within the HEI. Coverage of dementia on adult branch programmes is limited, and sometimes non-existent, despite reported deficits in the ability of general nurses to work effectively with people with dementia. Occupational Therapists and Social Workers receive similar input to adult branch nurses. CPD courses are provided by around 70% of HEIs overall, but there is a shortage of specialised diploma and degree level courses on dementia care. Most areas of the dementia curriculum are covered in both pre-registration and CPD courses, but culture and diversity, young onset dementia, and physical health care may be less well addressed. Recommendations are made for developing higher education provision for professionals working with this group of people.

Continuing professional development – global perspectives: synopsis of a workshop held during the International Association of Dental Research meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, 2003. Part 1: access, funding and participation patterns

There appears to have been little previous research interest in continuing professional development (CPD) of dentists and the oral health team. This paper presents data and information on the following aspects of CPD in 17 countries in Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America: availability of different types of CPD, its providers, data on uptake of CPD courses and activities, and funding of CPD. The results indicate that lectures and hands-on skills courses were held in all 17 countries but the use of the Internet to deliver CPD was by no means universal. CPD was funded from a variety of sources including universities, governments and commercial companies. However, the only universal source of funding for CPD was dentists themselves. Data on participation were available from only three countries. Research issues based on these results will be listed in a second paper.

Evaluating online CPD using educational criteria derived from the experiential learning cycle

A set of educational evaluation criteria for online continuing professional development (CPD) courses is developed using Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle theory. These criteria are used to evaluate five courses provided by online CPD websites. It was found that these online CPD courses neglect parts of the learning cycle. Suggestions for improvements in these areas are given.