Behavioural determinants influencing continuing professional development in healthcare practice: a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Professional Education
• Behavioral Science in Medicine
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Background:

• Integration of learning from continuing professional development (CPD) into practice is influenced by behavioral, organizational, and system-level factors.
• Limited research exists on theoretical frameworks for understanding behavioral determinants of CPD learning implementation.
• Behavioral determinants significantly shape how healthcare professionals apply new knowledge and skills acquired through CPD activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate key behavioral determinants influencing the implementation of learning from CPD activities into healthcare practice.
• To understand how factors like capability, opportunity, and motivation affect the translation of CPD learning into clinical practice.
• To identify theoretical underpinnings of behavioral change following participation in CPD.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 healthcare professionals 4-6 weeks post-CPD workshop.
• Utilized the COM-B model to guide interview questions and analyze behavioral determinants.
• Mapped emerging themes to COM-B domains and applied the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) for intervention recommendations.

Main Results:

• All participants reported applying CPD learning in practice to some extent.
• Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation all influenced implementation, with Motivation being a key driver.
• Professional responsibility and satisfaction from positive patient outcomes motivated behavior change; time constraints and workload posed significant opportunity barriers, especially in community pharmacy.

Conclusions:

• A complex interplay of behavioral determinants influences the translation of CPD learning into clinical practice.
• Effective CPD programs must address setting-specific barriers (time, workload, organizational support) to enhance motivation and sustain practice change.
• Tailoring CPD design to behavioral determinants can improve learning integration and ultimately enhance patient care outcomes.