Evolving Alignment in International Continuing Professional Development Accreditation.

Several of the world's accreditation systems for continuing professional development (CPD) are evolving to encourage continuous improvement in the competence and performance of health care providers and in the organizations in which they provide patient care. Clinicians learn best when they can to choose from a diverse array of activities and formats that are relevant and meet their needs. Since choice and diversity are key to meeting clinicians' needs, several CPD accreditors have been engaging in deliberate, concerted efforts to identify a core set of principles that can serve as the basis for determining substantive equivalency between CPD accreditation systems. Substantive equivalency is intended to support the mobility of learners, allowing them to access accredited learning activities that are recognized by various CPD accreditation systems in a manner that maximizes the value of those accreditation systems, while minimizing the burden of adhering to their requirements. In this article, we propose a set of core principles that all CPD accreditation systems must express as the basis for determining substantive equivalency between CPD accreditation systems. The article will illustrate how five CPD accreditation systems (two in the USA, two in Canada, and one in Qatar), differing in focus (activity-based versus provider-based), context, and culture, express these values and metrics, and concludes by identifying the value of substantive equivalency for learners, medical regulators, and CPD accreditation systems.

Adult learning models for large-group continuing medical education activities.

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence suggesting that other learning modalities are more effective, large-group continuing medical education (CME) activities continue to be predominantly lecture based. METHODS: Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey was administered to health care professionals attending the 2009 American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Scientific Assembly. Participants were asked to describe their preferred learning format for CME activities. Participants were asked which formats they felt were most effective in helping them retain information or change their medical practice. RESULTS: Nearly half (46%) of sampled respondents indicated that they prefer lecture-based format for CME activities. Interestingly, interactive (39%) and procedural (27%) formats were more effective than lecture (24%) in helping health care professionals retain information. A similar response pattern was noted for which CME activities were more likely to change individual practice patterns. More physicians correctly answered board-type questions when attending interactive sessions compared with traditional lectures. DISCUSSION: Health care professions prefer traditional lecture-based format CME activities but recognize that interactive sessions are more effective, helping them to retain information and change practice behaviors. Interactive sessions are equal or superior to lecture in short-term knowledge acquisition. CME planners should take these findings into consideration when organizing large-group CME activities.

Development of physician leadership competencies: perceptions of physician leaders, physician educators and medical students.

Research regarding the development of healthcare leadership competencies is widely available. However, minimal research has been published regarding the development of physician leadership competencies, despite growing recognition in recent years of the important need for effective physician leadership. Usingdata from an electronically distributed, self-administered survey, the authors examined the perceptions held by 110 physician leaders, physician educators, and medical students regarding the extent to which nine competencies are important for effective physician leadership, ten activities are indicative of physician leadership, and seven methods are effective for the development of physician leadership competencies. Results indicated that "interpersonal and communication skills" and "professional ethics and social responsibility" are perceived as the most important competencies for effective physician leadership. Furthermore, respondents believe "influencing peers to adopt new approaches in medicine" and "administrative responsibility in a healthcare organization" are the activities most indicative of effective physician leadership. Finally, respondents perceive"coaching or mentoring from an experienced leader" and "on-job experience (e.g., a management position)" as the most effective methods for developing physician leadership competencies. The implications of these findings for the education and development of physician leaders are discussed.