Continuing professional development for general practitioners: supporting the development of professionalism.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• General Practice
• Professional Development

Background:

• The medical profession's self-regulation relies on continuous professional development (CPD).
• Effective CPD for general practitioners (GPs) often involves multi-method designs.
• This study evaluates a 2-year educational CPD project for 21 GPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a research-based, 2-year educational CPD project for general practitioners.
• To assess the effectiveness of various CPD methods, including group supervision, teaching days, and e-portfolios.
• To understand GP preferences for self-directed professional development.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods evaluation design was employed.
• The project focused on 'children in need' and utilized group supervision, teaching days, an e-portfolio, literature, newsletters, and a desk checklist.
• Data was collected from 21 general practitioners over a 2-year period.

Main Results:

• General practitioners (GPs) preferred group supervision for self-directed professional development.
• Supervision facilitated the creation of a common platform for relevant knowledge in general practice.
• Other CPD methods were perceived as less valuable by the participating GPs.

Conclusions:

• GPs need a shared experience platform before engaging in multi-professional CPD.
• Supervision enhanced professional skills but indicated a need for more training in inter-professional collaboration.
• While supervision covered key curriculum elements, not all aspects of professionalism were addressed.