Revalidation is not to be feared and can be achieved by continuous objective assessment

Revalidation is defined by the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities as "the process by which doctors have to regularly show that they are up to date, and fit to practice medicine". In December 2012, the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom introduced revalidation processes that involve medical practitioners collecting a portfolio of evidence for assessment and appraisal by a "responsible officer". The responsible officer is usually the medical director of the hospital or group of primary care providers and reports directly to the General Medical Council on the fitness of the doctor to practice in their current role. The time taken to collect and analyse the portfolio and sources available are all contentious issues, along with the cost of the revalidation process. We propose that effective revalidation processes based on performance measurement would be cost-effective and, if correctly applied, could lead to significant cost savings in Australian health care. The driving force for an effective and efficient revalidation process should be the professional and ethical responsibility that each doctor has to their patients and to the society which has granted them the right to practice.