Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 29, 2026
E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
The relationship between physician participation in continuing professional development programs and physician
Elizabeth F Wenghofer1, Bernard Marlow, Craig Campbell
1Dr. Wenghofer is associate professor, School of Rural and Northern Health, and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Marlow is assistant professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Campbell is director of professional affairs, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and associate professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Carter is director, Centre for Flexible Learning, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada, and professor, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Ms. Kam is a PhD student, School of Rural and Northern Health, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Dr. McCauley is medical advisor, Quality Management Division, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and associate professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Ms. Hill is former manager, Continuing Professional Development, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Physicians who engaged in continuing professional development (CPD) were more likely to receive satisfactory peer assessments. This suggests that lifelong learning positively impacts physician performance evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physician Performance Evaluation
- Continuing Professional Development
Background:
- Physician performance is crucial for patient care quality.
- In-practice peer assessment is a key method for evaluating physician performance.
- The role of continuing professional development (CPD) in physician performance requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between physician participation in continuing professional development (CPD) and their performance on in-practice peer assessments.
- To determine if different types of CPD activities predict assessment outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed data from 617 Canadian physicians undergoing in-practice peer assessments in 2008-2009.
- Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the likelihood of satisfactory assessments based on reported CPD participation.
- Models were adjusted for demographic and practice-related variables.
Main Results:
- Physicians reporting any CPD participation were significantly more likely to receive satisfactory peer assessments (OR=2.5, P=.021).
- Participation in group-based CPD activities also correlated with higher odds of satisfactory assessments (OR=2.4, P=.016).
Conclusions:
- Evidence suggests a positive link between engagement in CPD and improved performance on in-practice peer assessments.
- These findings support the value of lifelong learning initiatives for physicians and may inform policy development.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Patient-centered Care
01:08Obedience
01:20Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching III: Evaluation and Documentation
Nurses can use several methods to evaluate patient outcomes. For example, oral questions can assess cognitive learning,...
01:21Methods of Documentation III: PIE
01:29Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
01:15Nursing Evaluation