PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN EUROPEAN CME / CPD

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The continuous education of doctors has become a subject that has attracted attention from politicians, the media, healthcare managers, and patients. Increasingly, doctors are being required to confirm that they are maintaining their education and are being made to account for the resources they use when doing so.

This is particularly important given the rapid pace of change in medicine, where a clinician will have to learn how to use new and more powerful drugs, perform innovative procedures, and work with colleagues whose specialties are still being developed.

While most doctors recognize the importance of engaging in continuing education – for them an important ethical responsibility – voices from outside the profession feel that increased regulation is required to ensure that doctors fulfill this as a legal or contractual commitment.

In this lecture, these issues will be considered, drawing on a synthesis of important educational lessons and key policy documents. By comparing and contrasting the potential benefits of mandatory compliance versus voluntary engagement, the likely value of these different approaches will be assessed.

The medical profession faces a challenge: Do we take responsibility for ensuring our continuing education, or do we have a requirement for this imposed on us?