Reflections on the status and future of continuous professional development: Scandinavian anesthesiologists' view

Abstract

Continuous professional development (CPD) refers to the ongoing process by which healthcare professionals maintain, refine, and broaden their knowledge, skills, and competencies throughout their careers. CPD is essential for safe patient care. A recent systematic review revealed significant variations in both the requirements for CPD and the methods used to evaluate the outcome of CPD.1 In certain countries, participation in formal activities and registration of CME (Continuous Medical Education) points are mandatory, whereas in others the national medical associations only recommend participation in activities often with 10–15 days paid leave provided by the employer.2, 3 The responsibility for planning these activities varies, but is often shared between the individual and the head of department.4 Recent publications have addressed the need for healthcare professionals to become lifelong learners.5 The technological evolution and introduction of artificial intelligence make it necessary to be able to understand and apply this in a clinical setting. Another argument for learning for life is that our cognitive function decreases with age as well as our ability to see own incompetence, as we often work alone without receiving feedback.6, 7<p>

<p>The Scandinavian approach to CPD has been based on mutual trust and common goals of the employer and employee. A need for more formalized CPD programs and documentation of activities has so far not been recognized. In specialist training, however, there has been a paradigm shift toward goal-, and competence-oriented training, including learning and evaluation of competence in a clinical setting.8, 9 The question is whether we should promote a similar paradigm shift in CPD beyond specialist training.10<p>

<p>The healthcare systems in our countries are primarily public and are confronted with many common challenges such as a rising demand for services and an increasing shortage of healthcare professionals. The financial resources allocated to CPD are limited, necessitating the exploration of alternative educational approaches.<p>

<p>A shared approach to CPD in our countries could pave the way forward. The first step was to bring anesthesiologists from all five Scandinavian countries together to discuss the future of CPD.