Continuing Professional Development Events Research Articles

The UEMS experience in continuous medical education accreditation process: a ‘quo vadis’ analysis of our global database

Background: The authors systematically appraise a large database of continuous professional development (CPD) and continuous medical education (CME) events against the European Accreditation Council for Continuous Medical Education (EACCME) framework. Methods: The authors performed a retrospective observational study of all CPD or CME events within the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) database between 2017 and 2019, including 91 countries and 6034 events. Assessment of event design, quality and outcomes was evaluated against a validated, expert-derived accreditation framework, using thematic analysis to extract distinct themes, and subsequent quantitative analysis. Results: The authors included 5649 live educational events (LEEs) and 385 e-learning materials (ELMs). Three thousand seven hundred sixty-two [3762 (62.3%)] of the events did not report clear justification in their needs assessment process. Most accreditation applications claimed covering a single educational need [1603/2277 (70.3%)]. Needs assessments were reported to be similar across conferences, courses and other types of events (P<0.01); 5642/6034 events (93.5%) had clearly documented expected learning outcomes; only 978/6034 (16.2%) reported a single expected learning outcome while the rest report 2–10 outcomes. Providers who declared more than one educational need also declared multiple learning outcomes (ρ=0.051, P<0.01). Conclusions: Despite EACCME providing a robust framework for the CPD/CME accreditation process, reporting quality can still be improved, as more than 1 in 2 events fail to provide a clear description of their needs assessment. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the largest educational LEE/ELM database, which can be a starting to revisit the CME/CPD accreditation process.

From field of dreams to back to the future? Exploring barriers to participating in continuing professional development (CPD) programs

BackgroundIn 2009, Yvonne Steinert et al., at McGill University, published a study exploring barriers to faculty development (FD) participation among urban faculty. Over a decade later, we set out to replicate and expand on that study to learn what has changed in continued professional development (CPD) and what the current barriers are to participation in CPD for specialists and family physicians in rural and urban locations.MethodsInformed by a collaborative inquiry research framework, we invited faculty across rural and urban Saskatchewan to focus groups and interview sessions. The results were analyzed for themes.ResultsThirty-four faculty members from both rural and urban areas participated in this study. Of these, 50% were female, 74% practiced in urban areas, and 56% had over 20 years of experience. Frequently cited reasons for nonparticipation included time constraints, organizational and logistical challenges, poor resonance with material and presenters, and lack of recognition for teaching provided. Racism contributed to feelings of disconnectedness among physician faculty members.ConclusionEven after more than a decade, our research uncovered consistent reasons for nonparticipation in locally organized CPD events. New findings highlighted feelings of disconnectedness, notably stemming from racism and workplace discrimination. However, with recent societal developments brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, can we ride these major waves of change to a new future of engagement? The pandemic led to a shift to virtual and hybrid professional development programs, presenting both benefits and challenges. Additionally, the peri-COVID anti-racism movement may positively address previously unidentified reasons for nonattendance. Harnessing these major changes could lead to a new future of engagement for continued professional development.

TEACHERS’ CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) IN ACEH PROVINCE, INDONESIA

Teachers play key roles in preparing excellent students to reach their goals. To produce the exceptional students, teachers should always improve their professionalism. This study aims at investigating the efforts to improve teachers’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Aceh, Indonesia. This mixed study included 37 elementary schools and was carried out in ten Aceh Province districts or cities. Purposive sampling was used to select teachers, principals, and educational ministry officials to be the study's subjects. Information were gathered through meetings, perception and documentation. The steps of data reduction, data display, and verification were used to conduct qualitative data analysis; in the meantime quantitative information were made sense of through rates. Mentoring and/or peer observation and coaching, courses or workshops, reading professional literature, engaging in informal dialogue with peers, attending conferences or seminars, observing and visiting other schools, joining a qualification program, participating in a network of teachers, and individual or collaborative research are among the activities teachers in Aceh engage in to enhance their professional development and competence. Apathy, academic failure, lack of professional inspiration, lack of motivation, ignorance of their professional calling and responsibilities, lack of control, and lack of financial support were also identified as obstacles for teachers to overcome in their efforts to improve their professional competence. The planning and execution of CPD, as well as competency in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes discussed at CPD events, were all evaluated during the Aceh CPD evaluation process, focusing on learning outcomes, organizational support and change, using and sharing evaluation results, and sequentially evaluation.

Are We Ever Going Back? Exploring the Views of Health Professionals on Postpandemic Continuing Professional Development Modalities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the ways in which health care professionals engage with continuing professional development (CPD), but the extent to which these changes are permanent remains unknown at present. This mixed-methods research aims to capture the perspectives of health professionals on their preferences for CPD formats, including the conditions that inform preferences for in-person and online CPD events and the optimum length and type of online and in-person events. A survey was used to gain a high-level perspective on health professionals' engagement with CPD, areas of interest, and capabilities and preferences in relation to online formats. A total of 340 health care professionals across 21 countries responded to the survey. Follow-up semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 respondents to gain deeper insights into their perspectives. Key themes include CPD activity before and during COVID, social and networking aspects, access versus engagement, cost, and time and timing. Recommendations regarding the design of both in-person and online events are included. Beyond merely moving in-person events online, innovative design approaches should be adopted to capitalize on the affordances of digital technologies and enhance engagement.

Dental continuing professional development - Part II: The Malta CPD Pilot Project.

Continuing professional development (CPD) remains voluntary in nine European countries. Evidence suggests a move towards mandatory CPD across Europe with the objective of harmonisation of dental CPD. Although the importance of CPD is acknowledged, the literature regarding its effectiveness is limited and under debate. The main aim was to measure the effectiveness and success of a new CPD programme with the objective to devise a strategy, guidelines and recommendations for the establishment of a dental CPD programme in Malta. This project was divided into two phases; Phase 1 was the analysis of a survey sent out to 135 members of the Dental Association of Malta. Phase 2 involved the evaluation of eight verifiable CPD events, through pre-event and post-event tests and feedback forms, to investigate the effect on short-term knowledge retention and the respective satisfaction levels of participants at each event. The survey had a response rate of 78%. The CPD events in Phase 2 all showed statistically significant improvement in short-term knowledge retention on each subject (p<0.05). Satisfaction levels ranged from 70% to 99%. The information gathered from this project was used to provide guidelines and recommendations for the local regulatory body and CPD providers for the set-up of a dental CPD framework and programmes in Malta, a country where dental CPD is still voluntary. This article is the second article from a two-part series of articles about the Malta Dental CPD Pilot project.

English as a Foreign Language High School Teachers’ Expectations of Continuing Professional Development Activities

&lt;p style="text-align:justify"&gt;This paper investigated (1) English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ expectations of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities in a Vietnamese context, and (2) factors related to teacher demographics affecting their expectations of CPD activities. The study followed a mixed-methods approach, using a questionnaire to collect quantitative data from 224 Vietnamese EFL teachers, and individual semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data from six teachers. The results revealed that among five domains in light of the Vietnamese English Teacher Competence Framework, including subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, learner knowledge, professional attitudes and values, and knowledge of teaching practice and context, the participants desired to learn about pedagogical knowledge the most (M=4.14). The study also indicated that factors related to age, teaching experience, and field of study at undergraduate level differentiated the teachers’ expectations of CPD activities. Basically, the younger and less experienced teachers desired to participate in the CPD activities more than their counterparts. Moreover, the teachers with degree in teaching EFL expressed their eagerness and willingness to participate in the CPD events more than those holding a degree in English Linguistics and Literature. This paper also suggested recommendations for further studies in the field of CPD.&lt;/p&gt;

Each for Equal: Gender Inequity in Dentistry in Australia.

While there is an increasing number of women entering the dental profession, they are still underrepresented in leadership roles in major dental organizations, academia, and journal boards. Keynote and invited speaking roles in professional and scientific conferences recognize expertise and leadership and are key factors in career advancement and academic promotions. The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in representation at dental continuing professional development (CPD) events and conferences in Australia. An analysis of the gender of speakers was conducted with CPD and conference programs that are publicly available online from the federal and Victorian branches of the Australian Dental Association, the peak national body for dentists. The planned 2020 Victorian Branch CPD program featured 30 events, with a mean 2.5 speakers per event. There were 58 scientific presentations in the schedule, 22 (38%) of which were allocated to female speakers. Seven CPD events in 2020 included only female speakers, and 13 included only male speakers.The 37th and 38th Australian Dental Congresses featured 25% and 36% of female speakers, respectively. All keynote speakers were male for both events, and men accounted for 86% and 93% of international speakers. While women are approaching parity in local and state-level CPD events, there is a large discrepancy in the male-to-female speaker ratio for major national conferences. Suggestions to improve gender imbalance include having women on the convening committee and developing and implementing policies to address the imbalance. There has been significant progress in addressing gender inequity in dentistry, but gender-balanced leadership in major conferences still needs to be addressed. The findings of this study show that while women may be approaching parity with small continuing professional development events, they are still underrepresented as speakers in major conferences. It is recommended that active policies be implemented to reduce the imbalance to ensure gender-balanced leadership in one aspect of the dental profession in Australia.

Non-compliance with continuing professional development requirements: Perspectives of emergency medical care practitioners in a resource-poor setting

IntroductionIn 2002, the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) made continuing professional development (CPD) a mandatory requirement for all registered healthcare practitioners. However, the latest (2017/2018) HPCSA report states that there is still a generally low level of compliance to CPD requirements by emergency medical care practitioners (EMCPs) nationwide.MethodsThis was a descriptive study that made use of a questionnaire survey administered to 261 EMCPs.ResultsOf the 261 questionnaires that were distributed, 247 were returned, giving a response rate of 94.6%. More than half (50.6%) of the EMCPs indicated that they lack knowledge on the HPCSA-recommended CPD requirements for EMCPs, and 54% stated that they do not have CPD portfolios. EMCPs listed the factors that hinder attendance of CPD activities: lack of information about the CPD activities (72.7%); cost of attending CPD events (70.6%); limited availability of CPD activities (70.6%); transportation problems (68.5%); timing of CPD activities (68.2%); difficulty in getting nominated to attend CPD activities (65.5%); and lack of personal funds (65.1%). Furthermore, EMCPs indicated that lack of internet access (45.5%) and poor knowledge of how to use the internet (15.2%) hinder them from accessing the internet for professional learning.ConclusionTo provide the best care to patients, healthcare professionals must commit to lifelong learning. Participating in CPD activities has been endorsed as a means for maintaining and updating professional competence. Identifying and alleviating barriers that limit engagement in CPD activities will ensure that EMCPs attain the required professional competence.

Why Do Veterinary Pathologists Attend CPD Events?

Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for veterinary pathologists and participation is encouraged. The Charles Louis Davis and Samuel Wesley Thompson DVM Foundation organizes the annual Davis Thompson Foundation European Symposia (DTFES). An online questionnaire was sent to 446 previous delegates. Sixty-three delegates responded giving a response rate of 14.12%. The key conclusions were that the conference topic, reputation of speakers, cost and the chance to network were the most important attendance factors. The conference social events, tourist attractions of the conference host city, and scheduling were the least important attendance factors.

Using Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAMed) for Emergency Medical Service education

Background: Continuous professional development (CPD) is a registration requirement for all healthcare professionals in South Africa. The shift-driven work environment of emergency and critical care providers often means it is logistically impractical to attend CPD events. FOAMed and online learning could make CPD activities more accessible. The aim of the study was to determine to what extent available FOAMed resources could be used to supplement the outcomes for successful completion of a CPD course. Methods: A retrospective content analysis was used to review FOAMed resources posted within a two-month period for their ability to cover outcomes of the Ambulance Emergency Assistant (AEA) refresher course (a CPD course). Data were subject to a three-step process of content analysis that was matched to 17 identified course outcomes (themes). Results: A total of 441 FOAMed posts were reviewed during a two-month period. Of the 441 posts, 269 (61%) were excluded, and 172 (39%) FOAMed posts were determined relevant to cover the 17 identified themes of the AEA refresher course. The two most frequently observed themes were related to (i) professionalism, with 45 (26.2%) posts, and (ii) other general medical emergencies, with 39 (22.7%) posts. The remaining 15 themes had 88 (51.1%) posts distributed between them. Conclusion: The study highlights the potential of FOAMed resources to supplement the delivery of education, such as a CPD course. Given that the outcomes were unequally represented, educational institutions should be aware that despite the value of FOAMed, due caution must be given to the critiques and limitations of this educational approach.

Development and validation of interprofessional learning assessment tool for health professionals in continuing professional development (CPD).

IntroductionInterprofessional learning (IPL) is increasingly recognized as a promising strategy in addressing the burgeoning challenges in healthcare. Its assessment remains to be perplexing and requires accurate measurements. Thus, this study intended to develop a valid and reliable reflective tool in assessing IPL as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) outcome.MethodsA one-group post-posttest pre-experimental design with tool development was employed to establish the validity and reliability of the “Inventory of Reflective Vignette–Interprofessional Learning” (IRV-IPL). This tool was developed from an extensive literature review and designed with three segments to assess interprofessional competencies before, after, and what if scenarios using vignettes. After it was validated by education experts (n = 5) and written consent forms were signed by the participants, the IRV-IPL was pilot tested among healthcare professionals (n = 10) for analysis and improvement. During the actual implementation, it was administered to healthcare professionals (n = 45) who participated in a university-provided CPD event. Collected data underwent validity and reliability testing.ResultsIRV-IPL generated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.98), and across all segments of collaboration (α = 0.96), coordination (α = 0.96), cooperation (α = 0.96), communication (α = 0.97), and commendation (α = 0.98). Items exhibited significantly positive large correlations (r > 0.35, p < 0.05) in all segments showing beneficial measures for postdictive validity in recalling prior interprofessional competencies, and predictive validity in estimating interprofessional learning as an outcome of CPD and alternative interventions.ConclusionThis study provided a piece of groundwork evidence on the use of IRV-IPL as a reflective assessment tool for interprofessional learning in CPD contexts. Further studies are essential to explore the educational utility of IRV framework in crafting relevant assessments and to establish construct validity of IRV-IPL using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

Personal Commitment Statements: Encouraging the Clinical Application of Continuing Professional Development Events for Health Practitioners in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Statements of commitment to change are commonly used to evaluate continuing medical education. However, this approach is new to evaluating the continuing professional development (CPD) of other health care practitioners such as audiology, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy in low- and middle-income countries. This study explored the use of Personal Commitment (to change) Statements (PCSs) as an evaluation tool of continuing education for health professionals in low- and middle-income countries, and its impact on the integration of new knowledge and skills with previous knowledge and clinical practice. PCSs were used in a case study conducted at a 1-day interprofessional CPD event held for health practitioners in South Africa. A qualitative thematic analysis was made of these PCSs, and results were synthesized into main themes. Thirty-two participants turned in a PCS at the end of the CPD event with a total of 71 text statements. Three main domains were identified: (1) applying new knowledge in practice (61.97%); (2) increasing training-related content knowledge (21.12%); and (3) sharing information, skill, and resources (16.9%). This study demonstrated that personal commitment statements can be used to describe the outcomes of CPD events for audiologists, speech-language, occupational, and physiotherapists. Participants engaged in reflection generated by the personal commitment statement, which contained no guiding statements, yet elicited responses showing that participants were more aware of the assessment tools and how they could use them in practice. Further study is warranted into the process and the role of follow-up regarding health practitioners' commitment to change in clinical practice.

Knowledge and implementation of current opioids guideline among healthcare providers in Manitoba.

To explore self-perceived knowledge and implementation of current opioid guidelines among healthcare providers, and to assess the effect of an opioid-related educational intervention. Pre-post. Academic. Sixty-nine participants completed the pre-intervention survey, 45 percent of them also completed a post-survey. A short presentation on current opioid guidelines incorporated in a larger accredited continuing professional development (CPD) event. The 5-point Likert scale to express their level of agreement with seven statements was used to estimate their knowledge and implementation of current opioids guideline, along with their self-perceived abilities and level of comfort in prescribing opioids (Moore's conceptual framework). Fifty percent of the participants were familiar with current opioid prescribing protocols and 46 percent were implementing them, 62 percent stated that were able to identify drug seeking behaviors in patients, 82 percent knew patients' risk factors and 78 percent evaluated them before prescribing opioids, 90 percent indicated that they prescribed non-opioid alternatives, and 35 percent expressed that they feel comfortable prescribing opioids. Self-reported levels of familiarity with the current opioid prescribing protocols (p < 0.001) and knowledge of patients' risk factors for prescribing opioids (p = 0.012) increased after the intervention. Improvements in their ability to identify drug seeking behavior in patients (p = 0.033), and in their comfort prescribing opioids for chronic non-cancer patients (p = 0.015) were also reported. Healthcare providers' knowledge and implementation of current opioids guidelines need to be strengthened. A single presentation on the opioid crisis and guidelines incorporated within a larger CPD event showed significant gains in self-reported knowledge and skills among healthcare providers.

Developing a valid and reliable assessment of knowledge translation (KT) for continuing professional development program of health professionals.

IntroductionKnowledge Translation (KT) is expected to be a critical learning outcome of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program. It continues to serve as an area of interest among educators and healthcare providers due to its importance to evidence-based practice. This study endeavored to develop a valid and reliable KT learning assessment tool in CPD.MethodsThe Inventory of Reflective Vignettes (IRV), an innovative approach of integrating research vignettes, was utilized in crafting the 20-item IRV-KT tool. This instrument includes knowledge creation and action as essential KT constructs. KT competency was assessed in three segments (i.e., before and after CPD event and if in a lecture) using a one-group post-posttest pre-experimental design. Health professionals who successfully completed a CPD program on a knowledge translation topic were asked to complete the IRV-KT during the pilot study (n = 10) and actual implementation (n = 45). Responses were subjected to Cronbach’s reliability and criterion-validity testing.ResultsThe initial test of the IRV-KT tool demonstrated a high internal reliability (α = 0.97) and most items yielded acceptable validity scores. During the actual implementation, a higher reliability score of 0.98 was generated with significant correlations between the before-after segments for both KT constructs of creation (r = 0.33, p < 0.05) and action (r = 0.49, p < 0.05). All items have significant positive validity coefficients (r > 0.35, p < 0.05) in all segments of the tool.DiscussionThe study produced a reflective assessment tool to validly and reliably assess KT learning in a CPD. IRV-KT is seen to guide the curriculum process of CPD programs to bridge learning and healthcare outcomes.

Challenges influencing teachers' involvement in continuous professional development: A South African perspective

This article focuses on the challenges that impact on teachers' involvement in continuous professional development (CPD), as seen from a South African perspective. In this qualitative interpretive study, data from primary school teachers was collected by means of questionnaires and interviews. The four themes that emerged were: insufficient contribution of the school management to teachers' CPD; teachers' reluctance to participate in CPD activities; factors obstructing teachers to partake effectively in CPD events; and inadequate knowledge presented by CPD programmes. Productive teacher development occurs when teachers participate in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of CPD programmes offered.

Core Features of Effective Continuing Professional Development for the Middle Years: A Tool for Reflection

The authors outline the potent relationship between continuing professional development (CPD), teacher efficacy, and student learning outcomes in the context of a major reform of middle years teacher work in Queensland, Australia. The authors explore core features of effective teacher CPD, including content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation. Further, they outline the development of a tool that enables comprehensive feedback for those who design and deliver CPD on all of these dimensions to ensure the work they undertake is effective and will have the potential to lead to improved student outcomes. The purpose of this tool is to evaluate Levels 1 and 2 of Guskey’s (2002) critical levels of professional development. The tool was administered at the completion of 11 unique CPD events with more than 450 participants, with numbers varying from small to large groups, and from one hour to full day CPD events. Data generated were used by the facilitators for three purposes: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the CPD they conducted through the participants’ reactions (Level 1) and their learning (Level 2), (2) to gain insights into the comprehensiveness and usefulness of the instrument to capture the core features regarded to be critical for effective teacher professional development (i.e., as a reflective tool to improve future practice), and (3) as a framework for effective CPD design. The process has enabled the development of a tool that will serve as a useful addition for those who are interested in designing CPD using an evidenced-based framework and evaluating their CPD program to consider its effectiveness in terms of the participants’ reactions and learning.

Professional Development in an Industrial Library:

The organizational context in which an industrial information unit operates is important. If a company does not have a formal structure in place for continuing professional development (CPD), it can be difficult for the information professional to pursue “sponsored” CPD events such as training courses. Lack of money, constraints on time, being only a very small part of the company and image are barriers to development. Although not obvious CPD, job experience is where the bulk of professional development lies for the industrial information specialist. The wide variety of skills necessary are rooted in practicality. The most important area is people skills. These are difficult to teach and therefore are the most valuable and the most transferable.