Non classifié(e)Publié le 14 août 2019

Where is CPD for physicians heading in Canada? What are the characteristics of CPD that we want to emphasize as we develop and accredit programs? How do we strengthen the connections between CPD providers and other stakeholders so that the CPD ‘system’ can pull together to improve healthcare?

These were the animating questions of the Future of Medical Education in Canada – CPD report, published in February 2019 and now available at https://www.fmec-cpd.ca/fr/. Funded by seven national medical organizations and involving hundreds of people in its many summits and task groups, the report presents three foundational principles and 11 recommendations for CPD in Canada. For those of us “in the know” in CPD the report contains concepts that will seem familiar. But for the many who view CPD only as a somewhat old-fashioned and ineffective gathering of doctors in lecture theatres, the report outlines a modern and compelling view of the power of the new CPD system to create both learning and practice change.

The three foundational principles of the new CPD system espoused by the report include:

• Socially Responsive: CPD that responds to the needs of patients and the community around us
• Based on Science and Practice Data: CPD that takes evidence seriously and that responds to data that we and others have about our practice
• Focused on practice improvement and patient outcomes: CPD that ensures that new knowledge is translated into practice change

The 11 recommendations cover a variety of topics and address many of the innovations that we are seeing in CPD, in addition to those described above: a focus on scope of practice as a driver for CPD choices, team-based learning, lifelong learning as a skill, enhanced training for CPD leaders and providers, new funding sources for high impact CPD, a competency-based approach, support for the Physician Practice Improvement model of quality improvement, better use of CPD datasets to support description and research, and support for provincial/regional CPD councils.

That last one may catch your eye. The Conseil is the oldest and arguably the most successful provincial CPD council in the country, with similar groups also existing in Ontario, BC and a new one taking shape in Alberta. Despite the challenges inherent in such multi-stakeholder groups, the Conseil and its members have a lot to share with other regions of Canada regarding the best ways to make such groups successful. Canada is a large country where health care and education are fundamentally shaped in our provinces and territories. We need more provincial tables where CPD can be discussed, coordinated and harnessed to improve health in those unique contexts.

What comes next? It depends on how each of us, and our organizations, respond to the recommendations in the FMEC-CPD report. It depends on whether we can identify initiatives and ideas that we want to champion to move us all ahead. To provide some coordination of these efforts, we are assembling a “Coalition for Physician Learning and Practice Improvement” to gather those interested in an informal structure. A draft “action plan” has been created with some early ideas for our next steps. Here are three:

• Creating a collaborative online CPD community in French and English for CPD aficionados as part of the “Communities of Interest” program of the Canadian Medical Association
• Expanding the National Accreditation Conference as the premier Pan-Canadian conference for CPD leaders
• Establishing a nationally recognized CPD provider and leadership certificate program in French and English to enhance professional development (new life for the Vade-Mecum, perhaps?)
• Leveraging the experience of existing CPD Councils to help them learn from each other, and to help councils get going where they don’t presently exist.

Since the Conseil began in 1975, and with the longstanding leadership of Andre Jacques, Quebec has been in the vanguard of CPD in Canada. The Conseil has supported and educated CPD leaders, tackled the ethical challenges in this field, and created a community where CPD leaders have formed relationships, challenged each other, and brought a measure of coordination to a very diverse system. I hope that you can each play your part in advancing CPD from coast to coast as we look for ways to strengthen our national CPD community and ensure that CPD is seen as a vital driver of quality health care.

Jeff Sisler
Executive Director, Professional Development and Practice Support, CFPC
Co-Chair, FMEC-CPD