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Docs' skills update to change
Di Caelers
2004-06-25

CHANGES are afoot for the system that requires South African doctors to update their skills annually - but for now, doctors must continue earning their points.

CHANGES are afoot for the system that requires South African doctors to update their skills annually - but for now, doctors must continue earning their points.

Confusion resulted from recent reports that the Health Professions Council of South Africa had scrapped the so-called CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points system. But the latest word from the council is that the system is indeed set for a facelift that will see it entirely reconfigured - but until that time everyone registered under boards, following compulsory programmes, must continue attending CPD activities.

During her recent health budget briefing, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang referred to the issue, saying that one of the proposals was to find ways in which doctors could be more objectively assessed in terms of their competency levels.

According to a recent statement from the Health Professions Council, two task teams have been appointed by the CPD Committee to investigate possible options. Stakeholders would be consulted before anything was implemented, they said.

The objective of continuing professional development, the council said, was the enhancement of health practitioners' skills and knowledge.

The programme needed to establish whether the existing programme was indeed improving skills and knowledge, or whether too much emphasis was being put on the accumulation of points each year.

By not evaluating the knowledge gained or skills acquired from certain activities, we cannot measure whether we achieve the overall objective of continuing professional development. The reconfigured CPD system will address this shortcoming, the council said in a statement. (Source: The Cape Argus, 23 June 2004)

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