College policy makers on continuing professional development have been busy, with implications for both providers and consumers of CPD programmes.
New sources of CPD (including CME)
The Federation of the Royal Colleges is keen that we produce specialty CPD items, both web and journal based. They are proceeding with web based CPD in internal medicine and want the BGS to develop similar CPD articles for Geriatric Medicine. The articles need to be produced by people with the expertise in their subject and preferably be peer reviewed. At the same time Duncan Forsyth is Editor of the CME Journal in Geriatric Medicine (published by RILA publications) and needs similar articles. We both wish to see a renewed interest and awareness of the CME Journal in Geriatric Medicine and a rising quality in its content. We cannot achieve this without your input.
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Each CPD article needs to have two 'Best of 5' MCQs written as well. (I have just finished compiling a video, slides and printed material on how to write them, but these need to be reviewed before being available for distribution). The E&T committee have already led the way by producing 'Best of 5' MCQs for SpR assessment. Those involved had a training day with Prof Allen.
Between regions, any duplication of CPD articles, in the sense that they cover almost the same area, is not a problem as we have both the CME Journal and CPD on the web to cater for.
Regional CPD co-ordinators needed
Through the BGS office I have written to each region asking them to nominate an interested member to co-ordinate the production of CPD material at a regional level, someone who Duncan and I can also refer to for dissemination of information, and from whom we can receive regional feedback. To start off, we need one CPD article per region per year (more than 1 article would of course be welcome. You might wish to base the article on a local CPD meeting). The regions are best placed to know who has the specific expertise in their area to write CPD articles. Please note that the writer does not have to be a geriatrician, but the content should be appropriate to our curriculum and the practice of geriatric medicine. Please remember CPD is also about matters such as ethics and organisation of services, and not just the application of medical knowledge.
As a guide, the article should be similar to the RCPL Journal CME articles but the MCQs should be 'Best of 5' and not true/false. The RCPL journal has about 5 articles per issue - 25 single side pages of CME with 10 questions with 5 T/F answers in each to assess the issue. Its value is 2 CME points for 80% correct.
I would be grateful if the regional chairs would contact me through the Subeditor, as to who the CPD co-ordinator for their region is. Please give their name and email address, and get their agreement!
Revalidation
We await Liam Donaldson's report on Revalidation and Re-licensing - we cannot predict its recommendations but believe that CPD will continue to be central to demonstration by physicians that they remain up to date and fit to practice. In addition, other ways of demonstrating fitness to practice may be recommended, including multi-source feedback, patient satisfaction surveys and one's success in meeting individual learning objectives.
BGS Scientific Meetings
BGS Scientific meetings have traditionally been a good source for individual CPD point 'grazing', being sown with satellite symposia, plenary and parallel sessions. However, the Federation of Royal Colleges is placing increasing emphasis on how we learn and whom we learn from. We need to reconsider learning methods and outcomes, and who influences the learning process. As a result of this, the following changes will apply to BGS Scientific meetings: The Federation has determined that, at any event, an individual can only be credited with a maximum of 6 hours CPD points per day. So, while you may attend a satellite meeting at 7.30 a.m. and work your way industriously through to 7.30 p.m., you can only claim 6 CPD credits. (I don't know anyone who can take part in effective learning for 12 hours per day!)
Who we learn from and how they and we are influenced is also important. Traditionally, satellite symposia have been booked by the pharmaceutical companies and the topic, speakers, site, provision, largely left up to them in consultation with the speakers. Undoubtedly some of the symposia have been of sound educational value. Equally undoubtedly some symposia have been greatly influenced by the pharmaceutical company. Since I am now responsible to the Federation for assuring the quality of our scientific meeting CPD submissions, I have to guarantee to the Federation that neither the programme-format-structure-content, nor the speaker, have been influenced in any way by a pharmaceutical company. If we continue the present satellite symposia format this will affect both CPD accreditation and the extent to which the BGS depends on the scientific meetings financially.
Accrediting Sponsored Symposia
I have written the following guideline for symposia outside of the main meeting:
For any sponsored symposium to be considered for CPD points we must adhere to the requirements for recognition of CPD. That is, educational excellence and if drug companies are involved in sponsorship of the meeting in any way, that there preferably be more than one, that they have had no influence on the programme, topics or choice of speaker, that the meeting does not promote their products in any way, that the speakers have expertise in their field and have declared any outside interest which might compromise the independence of their presentation.
All meetings which are not part of the main BGS scientific meeting must be submitted separately for consideration for CPD approval.
I would have to add that both the Federation and EUGMS are moving away from 'Satellite symposia'. This term does not engender any warmth nor sit well with them, as it implies that it is a meeting outside of the main meeting, as it in fact is.
Improving the quality of CPD and our scientific meetings
I have had helpful feedback from members and the Academic and Research committee about the format, structure, content and delivery of CPD in its broadest sense. This relates to our scientific and local meetings. The A&R committee, by the time you have read this newsletter, will probably have constituted a subcommittee to look into this, with the blessing of UKMC. The feedback prompted me to write a short paper on the subject to help form the basis of future talks and also to produce videos, slides and articles on Best of 5 MCQs and Recommendations for slides. I am sure members will have much to contribute to more effective learning. The E&T committee and CPEC are also up to date on this. More on this in future articles.
Drug company sponsorship
We all recognise that pharmaceutical companies have a synergistic role to play in the work of the Society. Our scientific meetings depend on their input, your local meeting may also depend on them. Where the problem comes is if there is undue influence on the structure, content and independence of the meetings; where, for example, there is advertising on slides or stands inside a lecture theatre, where a fee has been paid to a speaker (CPD-wise a modest honorarium is acceptable, a fee is not). This is a delicate issue and one that UKMC will probably address further. I am not writing on their behalf, this is my personal opinion.
Recording personal CPD
There is increasing use of the online system, for recording personal CPD and applying for CPD recognition. Remember to show evidence of reflection and that if the College has audited your CPD recently, they can audit it again next year, i.e. they do not stick to a 5-year cycle. There are further changes being planned. For a CPD Scheme Regulations update, including moving individual CPD 5-year cycles, exemption credits, minimum clinical credit requirements, and more information on all the items reported here, please visit the CPD News page on the BGS website.
From Northern Ireland, I of course wish you a peaceful (and prosperous) New Year.
Graze carefully.
Bliain nua faoi mhaise daoibh.
Ian Taylor
BGS Director of CPD