Self assessment in continuous professional development: a valuable tool for individual physicians and scientific societies

Peri-Operative Patient Safety - An Interactive Workshop for Section 3 CPD Credits Developed in Collaboration with the CMPA

BACKGROUND

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada requires physicians to collect credit in continuing professional development courses including Section 3 credits which require feedback and self-assessment. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of offering Section 3 credits in a conference setting using an interactive workshop on peri-operative patient safety developed in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA). Both the knowledge gained and the attitudes towards the conference were analysed.

METHODS

This was a pre/post-test study design. An interactive case studies workshop was implemented on medicolegal issues for patient care, before, during, and after surgery at the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery annual meeting. The workshop used small group and large interactive group educational strategies to gauge knowledge of both pre and post cases. Participants completed a questionnaire at the end of the workshop comparing their attitudes before and after the workshop.

RESULTS

There were 22 participants in the workshop. A little over half knew the requirements for Section 3 CPD credits (58%) but only 36% knew how to obtain them. The data demonstrated with 95% confidence intervals, statistically significant improvement in how participants felt about their ability to identify at-risk behaviours in surgical practice (2.10 to 2.90, 3-point Likert, p<0.001), to analyze the impact of at-risk behaviour on patient care (1.95 to 2.65, p<0.001), and to develop strategies to address at-risk behaviours in surgical practice and improve patient care (1.95 to 2.80, p<0.001). One hundred percent of participants felt similar workshops should be included in future annual meetings, and 94% felt that future meetings should include more opportunities to obtain Section 3 credits.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an interactive workshop in a conference setting to fulfill the need for Section 3 continuing professional development credits.

Self-Assessment: The Disconnect between Research and Rhetoric

PURPOSE

Physical therapists are expected to engage in self-assessment in order to ensure competent practice and to identify appropriate professional development activities.

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

This paper reviews the current literature on the accuracy and role of self-assessment in physical therapy. Current literature indicating that self-assessment cannot be conducted with any degree of accuracy is discussed, and a proposed reformulation of the concept of self-assessment is presented.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Practical strategies are offered for clinicians to improve the potential for obtaining reliable and valid information about their own clinical performance to guide the selection of appropriate professional development activities and to promote the provision of competent patient care.

Involving practitioners in continuing education needs assessment: use of the nominal group technique

The nominal group technique (NGT) is described. An example of this method is provided. The goal was to identify clinical cases that could be used in a practitioner self-assessment tool. Practitioners in three groups were asked to keep a journal about cases they saw in the two weeks prior to their group discussion, individually provide case ideas within the group, and prioritize the cases individually. The groups provided over 192 case descriptions that can be used in a self-assessment tool for small animal practitioners. The NGT is a valuable tool that can identify and prioritize issues.