MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AND DENTISTS BOARD
CPD GUIDELINES FOR MEDICAL AND DENTAL PRACTITIONERS
JANUARY 2010
1. PREAMBLE
Ethical practice of the health profession requires consistent and ongoing commitment from all concerned to update and develop the knowledge, skills and ethical attitudes that underpin competent practice.
Guided by the principle of beneficence health professionals aspire to standards of excellence in health care provision and delivery.
The Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (MP&DB) endorses Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as one means of maintaining and updating professional competence.
The following Guidelines for CPD are presented for all medical and dental practitioners who are registered with the Board.
The system rests on a foundation of trust; that health professionals will commit themselves to meeting the requirement for continuing education whose benefits cannot be over emphasized.
The proposals for CPD are consistent with the philosophy of life long learning and build on adult education principles.
2. INTRODUCTION
All registered medical and dental practitioners are required to complete a series of board-organized and/ or accredited continuing education activities each year commencing 1st January 2007.
3. GENERAL
Individual practitioners shall attend CPD activities in order to comply with the statutory requirements as determined by the Board. They shall keep a record of their attendance at CPD activities. Medical and dental practitioners are encouraged to give feedback to providers regarding the quality of the activities presented by the Accredited Service Providers.
4. CPD DIARY
Every registered practitioner will be issued with a CPD Diary free of charge. The diary is to be kept as a record of every learning activity attended or completed. The diary must be regularly updated and current. The original individual CPD Activity Diary together with the original attendance certificates and certified copies of qualifications where relevant that may have been obtained must be sent to the Board at the time of application for an annual licence.
5. NOTIFICATION OF PROGRAMS
In the initial period practitioners will be required to liaise with the Board to confirm which activities have been accredited and or are available.
6. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNITS (CPD UNITS)
Every registered practitioner will be required to accumulate a minimum of 5 CPD units per year. In those instances where practitioners are registered in two professions they are required to obtain a minimum of 5 CPD units per profession per 12-month period. CPD is not compulsory for new graduates serving their internship training period; however, they are encouraged to attend.
7. HIERARCHY OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES
There are 3 levels of activities, those with non-measurable outcomes, those with measurable outcomes and those associated with formally structured learning programmes. A Practitioner may not obtain all of the CPD’s in one level. However, an application for exemption may be considered by the CPD Committee. For further details do refer to attached index.
8. NON COMPLIANCE
This is the failure of a practitioner to attain at least 5 units and/ or attend at least two programmes. In the event of non-compliance the practitioner should write a letter stating the reasons for the non-compliance. The Board will investigate the reasons for non-compliance, and advice the practitioner of its findings.
9. DEFERMENT
This is the formal permission from the Board to defer a practitioner from CPD requirements for a period of time, in response to an application. There are conditions for re-entry into practice. Deferment may be granted to practitioners who are retired or practitioners who are not practicing due to ill health. As regards non-clinical practice deferment will not be automatically granted.
10. PRACTITIONERS ABROAD
Practitioners who are practicing abroad in countries where a continuing professional development system is in place should comply with the requirements in that country. They should retain documentary proof of attendance at CPD activities. For re-registration purposes documentary proof of compliance must be submitted for continuing professional development purposes in Kenya. This may be in the form of a letter from the accrediting authority in the country concerned.
When practitioners who are actively practicing in Kenya attend an accredited professional or academic meeting or activity abroad it will be recognized for CPD purposes. This activity should be reflected in the individual CPD Diary of the practitioner. To qualify for CPD the practitioner should advice the CPD Committee at least one month prior to the date of travel.
INDEX
Level 1
CPD units are allocated according to time in this level and will include:
The activities are clustered together to represent a hierarchy of learning approaches and strategies. The practitioner should select activities from the hierarchy to meet their particular needs or the demands of their practice environments. It is anticipated that the system will also address the unique Kenyan environment by providing a range of activities that will be readily accessible to all.
Small groups
a) Breakfast meetings, presentations or journal clubs;
b) Formally arranged hospital or inter-department meetings or updates;
c) Case study discussions;
d) Formally organized special purpose teaching/learning ward rounds (not including the routine daily ward rounds and teaching ward rounds) mentoring and supervision activities that is specific to certain professions e.g. psychology.
e) Formally organized special purpose lectures that are not part of a business meeting;
Large groups
a) Conferences, symposia, refresher courses, short course
b) Workshops, seminars or similar events
Level 2
In this category will fall education, training, research and publication as per the following list which is not exhaustive.
In this level CPD units will be determined by the MP&DB under recommendation from the CPD committee.
a) Principal author of a peer reviewed publication or chapter in a book
b) Co-author of peer reviewed publication or chapter in a book
c) Review of an article/chapter in a book
d) Presenter/author of paper/poster at a congress/refresher course
e) Co-presenter/co-author of a paper/poster at a congress/refresher course
f) Accredited short courses per presenter
g) Accredited short courses per co-presenter
h) Interactive skills workshop with an evaluation of the outcome
i) Multiple Choice Questionnaires (MCQ) in journals, including electronic journals with a pass rate of 70%
j) Keynote speaker at an accredited conference.
k) Invited guest/occasional lecturer to present an accredited
l) Personnel who guide/support undergraduate students with clinical/technical training at an accredited institution/training site during the academic year.
m) External examiner of Master and Doctoral theses on completion
n) Dedicated workshops, lectures, seminars on ethics, human rights and legal issues pertaining to health sciences.
o) Single modules of Masters Degrees with part-time enrolment or study
p) Professional interest groups (this could include Journal Clubs) that are formally constituted and present a regular recurring programme that extends over a one-year period with a minimum of 6 meetings during the year
q) Learning portfolios; and
r) Practice audit
Level 3
Structured learning (by which is understood a formal programme that is planned and recorded, presented by an accredited training institution, evaluated by an accredited assessor, with a measurable outcome.
This category will earn the require CPD units for a year and activities include:
Post graduate degrees and diplomas that are recognized as additional qualifications by the Board. At the end of each year of study (not exceeding the normal duration of the degree), a maximum of 5 CPDs could be claimed upon submitting an academic report on progress. An additional minimum of 5 CPDs may be claimed on successful completion of the qualification
Short courses with a minimum of 25 hours of direct contact time with additional clinical hands-on training, plus a formal assessment of the outcome
ACTIVITIES THAT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR CPDs
The following activities will not qualify for CPDs:
1. Teaching to undergraduate and/or post graduate students and examining where this falls within a registered practitioners job description published congress proceedings;
2. Time spent in planning, organizing or facilitating any activity;
3. Published congress proceedings
4. Non-referenced letters to the Editor of accredited journals;
5. Daily ward rounds;
6. Written assignments;
7. Compilation of student training manuals for internal use;
8. Staff and/or administrative meetings;
9. Tours and/or viewing of exhibits and technological demonstrations;
10. Membership of professional bodies, professional Boards or associations and holding a portfolio on the professional body’s executive or council structure.
11. Meetings arranged by pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of importers of products and technical devices including assistive device technology) or their representatives purely for the purpose of marketing and/or promoting their products.
CONTINOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD) ALLOCATION OF POINTS
All doctors are required to familiarize themselves with the following guidelines.
a. Allocation of CPD Units
The minimum required is five units
n One unit is equal to ten points.
n The list of activities is a guide. It is not exhaustive.
n The units indicated are the maximum that can be allocated per activity .
LEVEL ONE activities are those with no measurable outcomes and involves attendance
LEVEL 1
n Conference, seminar, symposia - 5 points per day. 2 units
n Meetings or updates; hospital, institution, dept etc - 1 point per. 1 unit
n Lecture - 3 points. 1unit
n Professional interest groups. 1 unit
n Attendance at refresher/short courses. 2units
n Attendance at activity classified as level one activity. 2 units
LEVEL 2
CPD activities that are based on education, publication research and or training and units will be determined on the basis of content.
Level two activities have a measurable outcome and involve presentation as opposed to passive attendance.
As a general rule the teacher will get x+1 units
n Presenter short course. 3 units
n Co-presenter short course. 2.5units
n Co-author peer reviewed publication. 2 units
n Co-author chapter in a book. 1.5units
n Co-presenter of a paper at a conference/refresher course. 2 units
n External examiner of masters/doctoral thesis. 3units
n Attendance at interactive skills workshop with outcome evaluation. 2.5units
n Invited guest lecturer at an accredited activity. 3units
n Keynote speaker at an accredited conference. 4units
n Journals pass rate >70%. 2.5units
n Guiding undergrad students at recognized institution. 2units
n Principal author of a peer reviewed publication. 4units
n Principal author of a chapter. 3units
n Presenter at conference/ refresher course. 2.5 units
n Review of article/chapter .2units
LEVEL 3
n Activities that are in the nature of structured learning that is a formal programme that is planned and presented by an accredited training institution evaluated by an accredited assessor with a defined outcome.
n Single modules of masters degrees. 3units
n Short courses with minimum 25 hours. 4 units
n Post graduate degrees, diplomas, additional qualifications. 4 units
b. Activities that do not qualify as CPD
n Teaching/examining students if it is a full time occupation
n Compilation of staff/student manuals for internal use
n Daily ward rounds
n Marketing and promotion meetings
n Membership or leadership of bodies, associations.
n Non referenced letters to editors
n Published congress proceedings if not peer reviewed
n Attendance or conducting staff or administrative meetings
n Functions organized by Pharmaceutical firms purely for commercial/promotion purposes
n Time spent in planning or organizing an accredited activity
n Tours viewing of exhibits etc
c. Practitioners requirements
n To fill in diary correctly
n To submit diary when applying for retention
n To advice the board when going for CPD abroad
n To accept the Board’s decision on exemption applications
n To give constructive feedback to the Board