MDC Ghana - CPD.pdf - Medical & Dental Council Ghana

MEDICAL & DENTAL COUNCIL“Guiding the Profession, Protecting the Public”CONTINUING PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT (CPD)RECERTIFICATION FORRETENTIONFEBRUARY, 2008

THE POLICYRATIONALEThe MDC has since the inception of the NRCD (91) 1972 been renewing theretention of practitioners on the Registers as per the Decree yearly, based solelyon their payment of a retention fee determined by Council.New techniques and modern technology are continually evolving in the practiceof medicine and dentistry and the competencies of practitioners need to besharpened and updated continually in the main interest of protecting the public.Recertification will support the Continuous Professional Development process ofpractitioners who aim to provide improved quality of care.In recent years, there have also been increasing reports of malpractice andincreasing cases of infamous conduct (defined as any conduct which brings theprofession into disrepute) appearing before both Penal and DisciplinaryCommittees of MDC.Council has, therefore, decided that, as is the case in other countries and withsimilar regulatory bodies who have introduced more rigorous standards inmedical regulation abroad, some form of recertification before retention shall berequired.The CPD credit system shall be piloted over the next two years effective fromJanuary 2009. This means that practitioner have to accumulate these creditsduring 2008 and present them to the MDC by 31 st December, 2008.Benefits to practitioners:• Practioners are able to remain updated in their knowledge, keep up withdevelopments in their field and enhance their ‘fitness to practice’.• It enhances professional satisfactionBenefit to the public:• Guarantees them the assurance of quality of care and safety in practice bypractitioners.Benefit for the employers• Ensuring that practitioners that are employed are the best available and willoffer the best care• Promotion can depend more consistently on evidence of professionaldevelopmentFEBRUARY, 2008

THE SCOPE OF CPDThe contents shall be activities that will serve to develop or increase theknowledge, skills and professional performance of practitioners in theperformance of their services for patients, the public and the profession. Theseare some of the areas identified but this list is by no means exhaustive and willbe amended from time to time as the need is either identified or arises:• Law and ethics of the profession• Good record keeping• Health administration and management in general including issues of financeand economics• Updating clinical skills• IT including computer assisted clinical programs• Basic research skills• Healthcare FinancingACTIVITIESThese are some of the activities identified by which the programmes can becarried out. This is by no means exhaustive and any other suggestions will beexamined by the committee.• Clinical meetings which follow a standard format determined by Council• Scientific conferences and workshops which are pre-accredited• Clinical/medical quizzes• Peer-review of practice which follow standards prescribed by Council• Peer-reviewed journal reviewer• Post-Graduate courses being pursued by practitioners (if for non-registrablecourses, will not gain the practitioner all the credits required per year).• Research publications• Faculty member at approved CPD eventsPRACTITIONERSThe policy will be mandatory for:• All Medical and Dental practitioners who are on the Provisional and Standingregisters of the MDC• Practitioners who have taken the pre-registration exams and are on theTemporary register.This includes• Practitioners in public, private or quasi-governmental practice,• Practitioners in the Security Agencies• Practitioners in Research• Practitioners in Laboratory work• Practitioners in Religious units• Practitioners in Public HealthFEBRUARY, 2008

• Practitioners in PoliticsGuidelines for practitioners• Cannot accumulate more than 10 credits in any set of activities in one day.• Practitioners should check with Council about the credit status of any CPDactivity before attending this activity; in other words, credits are not givenretrospectively for activities, especially activities of reciprocal regulatorybodies.PROVIDERSDEFINITIONAny institutions or individual(s) who have the capacity to organise anyprogrammes for CPD but who would require prior accreditation from Councilwhich would be valid for a specified periodSuggested institutions for the pilot phase include:• Medical and Dental Council• Colleges of Health Sciences• Ghana Medical Association, the Ghana Dental Association and their affiliateAssociations/groupings• Post-graduate Colleges of Physicians and SurgeonsCredit points will need to be indicated on any notices for programmesCouncil will train the relevant staff of these institutions on how documentation is done andcertification is given and to be able to report back to the Council within 2 weeks of the activity.Council will also be at liberty to send inspectors to the course or training who will then send in anindependent report.In the pilot phase the Council may even require video evidence of the activity to be provided.CREDITSTYPE- Verifiable credits only will be used in the pilot phase of 2 yearswhich is subject to review after the first yearActivities classified as ‘verifiable’ will be required to satisfy the following criteria:• Have concise educational aims and objectives• Have clear spelt our anticipated outcomes• Have clear written evaluation procedures• Must provide practitioners with verifiable documentary evidence ofattendanceFEBRUARY, 2008

NUMBER – PILOT PHASEFor 2009: 20 credits including attendance at only one Law and Ethicsprogramme organised by Council in pilot phase.For 2010: 30 creditsGUIDELINES FOR CREDIT AWARDS/DETERMINATIONVERIFIABLE CREDITSCategory 1Multidisciplinary (one topic covering 10 credits/event/day at least 3 disciplinesof medicine)events for one daySubject based events with hands on 7 credits/event/daySubject based events (oral only) 5 credits/event/dayQuizzes in Newsline1 credit/quizLaw and Ethics5 credits/event/dayPublished research (peer reviewed) 3 credits/paperPublished research (non peer reviewedshould be submitted to Council forassessment)1 credit/paperFaculty at accredited event1 credit/paperClinical meetings (certified by HOD) 1 credit/event/dayNot more than 50% of total credits should be from any one event in theCategory on any one dayCategory 2 (depending on duration and content, will attract ½ credit of above.Presenters at these meetings will however be awarded full credits)Professional Association/groupingsscientific meetings/conferencesDistrict Directors/ Medical SuperintendentOnline quizzes which award certificates3 credits/event3 credits/event quarterly conferences1 creditAt least 60% of total credits must be obtained from Category 1. Nopractitioner can obtain all his/her credits from any one category.FEBRUARY, 2008

The Registrar,Medical and Dental Council,P. O. Box AN 10586, Accra – Ghana.Office Lines: 233 21, 661620 / 661606 / 661626Fax: 233 21 661626Website: www.mdcghana.orgEmail: registrar@mdcghana.orgFEBRUARY, 2008