A New Comprehensive Model for Continuous Professional Development

Background: It is generally agreed that continuing professional development (CPD) for GPs is important for quality of care. Internationally, however, different approaches to identify the learning objectives and the CPD content have been chosen.

Objectives: To improve GPs' CPD in Denmark we explore how general practitioners' (GPs) self-experienced learning needs can be combined with learning needs experienced from a societal perspective and still make sense for GPs.

Methods: We performed a multi-dimensional learning needs analysis with a modified Delphi method in a participatory action research set-up. Twenty practice-based small learning groups and a group appointed by the Danish public health service were asked to identify learning needs with the Danish family medicine curriculum as reference. Then we asked a group of GP researchers and hospital consultants, a group of GPs with interests in narrative, person-centred medicine and a group of GP educators, and administrative staff, to triangulate the initial findings.

Results: We identified educational themes through a defined collaborative consensus oriented process. Examples of themes are the diagnostic challenge, care for patients with multi-morbidity, elderly patients and children. Due to variation in requested learning objectives, the identified themes do not cover all relevant areas for CPD training. The identified themes will only make sense if seen as supplementary to other CPD activities based on GPs individual needs analyses.

Conclusion: It is possible to identify prioritized educational themes for GPs through a process involving the majority of stakeholders. Nevertheless, CPD should also include activities based on individual needs analysis. [Box: see text].