Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development Protecting the public and guiding the professions
Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plays a vital role in helping healthcare professionals acquire new and updated levels of knowledge, skills and ethical attitudes that will not only add measureable benefits to the professional practice of medicine, but also enhance and promote professional integrity to the ultimate benefit of the patient or client. It is with this in mind that all healthcare professionals registered in South Africa are compelled to complete a series of accredited CPD activities each year. These benefits have also prompted the Health Professions Council of South Africa to declare that, as of 1 January 2007, the members of all Professional Boards under the auspices of the Council have been required to participate in CPD. Seeing that, in terms of Section 26 of the Health Professions Act 1974 (Act No 56 of 1974), compliance with certain conditions of CPD is a prerequisite for continued registration and the Council may from time to time make rules which prescribe: Conditions relating to continuing education and training to be undergone by persons registered in terms of this Act in order to retain such registration; The nature and extent of continuing education and training to be undergone by persons registered in terms of this Act; and The criteria for recognition by the Council of continuing education and training courses and educational institutions offering such courses. CPD is an international trend, crucial and necessary to ensure that healthcare professionals remain current and competent at all times. Certification of qualification undertaken as a healthcare professional does not guarantee that the proficiency of an individual will be maintained for the rest of his/her professional life.
Why CPD? The reasons for introducing the CPD activities include the following: The knowledge, information and skills acquired by healthcare professionals as students and or interns become obsolete at some point in time; The acquisition of new knowledge and skills for any field is advancing constantly and this new knowledge is not easily communicated to healthcare professionals; and In order to protect the public by ensuring the promotion of health of the society of the Republic, healthcare professionals are required to commit themselves to lifelong learning (CPD) and to keep abreast by improving their knowledge, skills and ethical attitudes. Continuing Professional Development therefore provides a vehicle for professionals to acquire new knowledge and skills as well as to maintain a core level of competence in their respective fields.
Continuing Education Units Every healthcare professional registered in South Africa will be required to accumulate 60 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) of which at least 10 CEUs should be on either ethics, human rights or medical law in any given two year period (healthcare professionals registered in two professions should comply with the requirements for each profession). Each CEU will be valid for 24 months from the date that the activity took place (or ended, in the event of post-graduate studies) after which it would lapse. This means that healthcare professionals should aim to accumulate a balance of 60 CEUs by the end of their second year of practice, and thereafter top-up the balance through additional CPD as each consecutive 24-month validity period expires. Note that the following activities do not qualify for CEUs: Time spent in planning, organising or facilitating any activity; Published congress proceedings; Non-referenced letters to the Editor of accredited journals; Daily ward rounds; Written assignments; Compilation of student training manuals for internal use; Staff and/or administrative meetings; Tours and/or viewing of exhibits and technological demonstrations; Membership of professional bodies, Professional Boards or associations; Holding a portfolio on the professional body s executive or Council structure.
How to obtain CEUs CEUs may be obtained through a variety of relevant activities, on condition that these activities are accredited by the Professional Board or an Accreditor. In order to ascertain the validity of the CPD activities, you may consult the HPCSA website and follow the links to the CPD page. CPD activity levels CPD activities are grouped into three levels, that is: those with non-measurable outcomes (Level 1); those with measurable outcomes (Level 2); and, those associated with formally structured learning programmes (Level 3). Healthcare professionals may obtain all of the CEUs in one level, and /or a number of CEUs across the different levels, depending on personal circumstances and individual learning needs.
Continuing Education Units (continued) Level 1 activity These are activities that do not have a clearly measurable outcome and are presented on a once-off non-continuous basis. CEUs are allocated according to time spent, for instance, one CEU per hour, to a maximum of eight CEUs per day. They include activities such as: Small group activities (presentations, meetings, case discussions, mentoring and supervision); or Large group activities (attendance at conferences, symposia, short courses). Please note that CPD activities specifically addressing ethics, human rights and medical law will earn two CEUs for every learning hour.
Level 2 activities Activities at this level are those that have a demonstrable / measurable outcome but do not constitute a full year of earned CEUs. Presenters/ co-presenters can only claim once for CEUs if the same presentation is given more than once. Level 2 activities include education, training, research and publications. (Teaching and examination of undergraduate and postgraduate students will not be accredited if these activities fall within a registered healthcare professional s job description). Level 2 CEUs will be awarded according to a table contained in the HPCSA CPD guidelines. Workshops, lectures, seminars on ethics (not including general presentations with a so-called component of ethics) will earn two CEUs per hour. This include professional interest groups and journal clubs, (if compliant with the criteria) that are formally constituted and present a regularly recurring programme with a minimum of six meetings per year.
Continuing Education Units (continued) Level 3 activities These comprise of structured learning programmes, for instance, formal programmes that are planned and offered by an accredited training institution and which are evaluated by an accredited assessor with a measurable outcome. Level 3 activities include the following: Postgraduate degrees and diplomas that are recognised as additional qualifications by the Professional Board. It is essential to recognise that at the end of each year of study (not exceeding the normal duration of the degree), 30 CEUs could be claimed upon submitting an academic report on progress. An additional 30 CEUs may be claimed on successful completion of the qualification; Short courses with a minimum of 25 hours of direct contact time with additional professional hands-on training, plus a formal assessment of the outcome; Learning portfolios; and Practice audit.
Healthcare professional responsibilities The CPD programme is based on trust, with the following checks and balances serving as control mechanisms: Every healthcare professional is required to maintain an official HPCSA Individual CPD Activity Record, which will constitute his/her CPD Portfolio, supported by documentary evidence, e.g. certificates of attendance of CPD activities during the previous 24 months. Random audits will be conducted. Only when an individual is drawn, at random, will that healthcare professional be required to submit his/her CPD Portfolio to the HPCSA. Healthcare professionals who are non-compliant or who did not submit their CPD portfolio will be informed that they are given another six months to comply with the CPD requirements and will automatically be included in an audit after six months. Record keeping of CEUs A template (Form CPD1IAR) Individual Activity Record, was created by HPCSA to be utilised by healthcare professionals to record their activities. This can be downloaded from our website.
Deferment of CPD Healthcare professionals may apply for deferment of CPD activities. Upon receipt of such an application for deferment, the HPCSA CPD Committee will review such applications individually on an ad hoc basis. Deferment may be granted for a maximum period of three years and will not be granted for a period less than 12 months (in view of the fact that a professional may collect CEUs in the following year). Deferment may be granted in cases of: A healthcare professional who is outside SA for a period of time exceeding 12 months and is not practising his/her profession; A healthcare professional who is outside of SA and practising in a country where formal CPD does not take place; A healthcare professional who is registered for an additional qualification but is of the view that she/he will not meet the outcome within two years and thus will not be able to claim CEUs. Any healthcare professional mentioned in the above paragraphs wishing to re-enter the system after deferment will be subject to the following conditions: If deferment was granted for more than 12 months but less than two years, proof of full employment in the profession during that time should be submitted and the healthcare professional will, on review by the CPD Committee of HPCSA, be allowed to recommence the CPD year immediately;
If deferment was granted for more than two years but less than three years, the healthcare professional must submit proof of his/her employment during that time and the healthcare professional will, on the recommendation of the CPD Committee of HPCSA, be required to complete a period of supervised practice as determined by the Professional Board in his/her area of practice, and will recommence the CPD year immediately. Deferment will not be granted to healthcare professionals who are retired or healthcare professionals who are not practising due to ill health. A separate non-clinical Register for these categories of healthcare professionals was established and healthcare professionals may request to be placed on this Register. Healthcare professionals who are registered in the non-clinical Register will still need to pay their Annual Fees but will be exempted from complying with CPD requirements. When they apply to return to the clinical Registers, the application should be submitted to the HPCSA CPD Committee, who will in conjunction with the Professional Board concerned, decide on the conditions for registration, which may be any or all of the following: Passing a Professional Board examination; Working under supervised practice; and Collecting at least one year s total CEUs
Community Service Healthcare professionals engaged in Internship and Community Service are not required to comply with CPD during their Internship and Community Service years. They are nevertheless encouraged to attend CPD events and may accrue CEUs during this period, which will then be to their credit for a full 24 months.
Healthcare professionals abroad Healthcare professionals, who are practising abroad, in countries where a CPD system is in place, should comply with the requirements of that country. They should retain documentary proof of attendance of CPD activities, for submission in the event of being drawn in a random audit. For restoration purposes, documentary proof of compliance must be submitted for CPD purposes in SA. This may be in the form of a letter from the accrediting authority in the country concerned. When actively practising SA based healthcare professionals attend an accredited professional or academic meeting or activity abroad, this event will be recognised for CPD purposes. If the activity attended abroad was not accredited abroad, the activity should be accredited by an Accreditor in SA. This activity should be reflected in the Individual CPD Activity Record of the healthcare professional. For any information or questions regarding CPD, please contact the CPD Department at the HPCSA. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to visit the Council s website for detailed guidelines on CPD.
Accreditors The role of the Accreditor is to review and approve applications for the provision of CPD activities as well as to approve Accredited Service Providers, where this responsibility was delegated by the Board to the Accreditor. The following bodies qualify for Accreditor status: Tertiary institutions involved in health sciences education; and Bona fide professional associations and societies (excluding associations primarily involved with managed care). Note: Potential Accreditors should apply to the relevant Professional Board on Form CPD 4.
Service Provider Accreditation Only tertiary training institutions, professional associations and formally constituted interest groups that have a professional identity and are aligned with a training institution, a professional association or an international institution may be accredited as Accredited Service Providers for CPD. Such accreditation is granted to the service provider rather than to a specific CPD activity. (i.e. the Accredited Service Provider need not apply for accreditation of each specific activity it offers). Accredited Service Providers are not required to submit attendance data of activities presented electronically to the HPCSA but should be able to when requested by the CPD Department at the HPCSA. However, certificates of attendance must be issued to attendees on completion of the activity, event or a series of events, for inclusion in the healthcare professional s CPD Portfolio. Note: To become an Accredited Service Provider, qualifying bodies are required to submit a completed Form CPD 2 to the relevant Professional Board or its designated HPCSA CPD Accreditors (a list of Accreditors and the forms are available on the HPCSA website). If approved, the Accredited Service Provider will be allocated a profession-specific provider number. This number should appear on the documentation for each activity. All Accredited Service Providers are required to adhere to all conditions stipulated by the HPCSA.
Non-accredited Service Providers Individual activities should be accredited for CPD purposes and specific application must be submitted to a relevant HPCSA CPD Accreditor.
Non-compliance The importance of healthcare professionals complying with CPD Healthcare professionals are compelled by law to attend to Continuing Professional Development, therefore making it mandatory for continued registration with the Council. The Council may suspend the names of those healthcare professionals who do not comply with the requirements. The following procedures apply in the case of a healthcare professional who does not comply or fails to submit a portfolio: (a) The CPD Section would on receipt of a non-compliant audit or a subsequent request for extension to submit the portfolio: i) automatically afford the healthcare professional with a six months extension in which they could attempt to be compliant. After the period of six months these healthcare professionals would again be audited, whereafter the names of bona fide non-compliant healthcare professionals would be submitted to the Professional Boards for noting, and to decide on the relevant action to be taken in terms of the CPD Guidelines, namely:
Non-compliance (continued) Registration in a category that will provide for supervision as considered appropriate by the relevant Professional Board; A remedial programme of continuing education and training as specified by the Professional Board; An examination as determined by the Professional Board; Suspension from practice for a period of time as determined by the Professional Board; or Any other action as recommended by the Professional Board. ii) healthcare professionals who have not submitted their portfolios as requested would be regarded as noncompliant and the following processes will be followed: A letter will be sent to the healthcare professional requesting a reason for not responding to the audit. The healthcare professional would be required to furnish the CPD Section with a letter of explanation or with his/ her CPD portfolio within 21 days of the date of the letter. Should the explanation be acceptable and the healthcare professional was found to be non-compliant, the healthcare professional will be afforded another six months to comply with the CPD requirements; These healthcare professionals will be audited again after six months;
(b) Should the healthcare professionals in respect of a(ii) still not submit their portfolios when audited after a six months period, a registered letter will be sent to the healthcare professional to inform him/her that if his/her portfolio of compliance is not received within 21 days of the date of the letter, the following steps would be taken: i. The healthcare professional will be suspended from the Register in terms of Section 19A(1)(d) of the Act and will be informed accordingly by registered mail. This would mean that the healthcare professional may not perform any duties related to his/her profession and that the medical aids would be informed of the suspension and no claims lodged at the medical aids would be paid. The healthcare professional will have to apply for restoration of his/her name to the Register. ii. Upon receipt of the duly completed application for restoration form the healthcare professional would have to submit proof of payment of the applicable restoration fee according to the restoration regulations. iii. Upon restoration, proof would have to be submitted of any CEUs accrued, if any. iv. The healthcare professional would again be audited after a year of restoration to ensure compliance with the CPD requirements. v. Any other action as recommended by the relevant Professional Board.
For further information, contact Health Professions Council of South Africa PO Box 205 Pretoria 0001 : 012 338 9300/01 : 012 328 5120 or 325 2074 : info@hpcsa.co.za : www.hpcsa.co.za