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BMJ has used its expertise in health system strengthening and continuing medical education (CME) / continuing professional development (CPD) to support governments in developing robust systems to support the ongoing medical education of front-line professionals.

  • 3 countries have improved their CME/CPD systems with support from BMJ

  • 4 stages in BMJ’s guide to building a CPD system: from no system of CME/CPD to an established system where it is mandatory to do accredited professional development

  • Every 5 years, the amount of medical information doubles with over 150,000 articles published each month – a great challenge for health professionals

A guide to implementation

Improvement in quality of care relies on building a healthcare workforce that is trained in evidence-based medicine and updated with the latest medical knowledge and educational resources. We worked with governments and local stakeholders to advocate for and advise on developing fit-for-purpose professional development systems.

BMJ has developed a guide to implementation for continuing professional development (CPD) at a national level. This guide identifies four key stages for CME/CPD systems and how to move through each stage, including the stakeholders that need to be involved, potential pitfalls, and how to put the principles into practice.

To request a copy of BMJ’s Continuing Professional Development: Guide to Implementation, please contact us.

Request a copy

Our successes

The availability of BMJ’s resources in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine ignited a demand for evidence-based medical information and reinforced the recognition that a formalised system of professional development is essential. We provided each government with advice, resources, and examples of international best practice to guide their decision making.

Azerbaijan

The Ministry of Health’s mission was to align the national CME system with international best practices.

In June 2017, Decree 45 mandated that Azerbaijani doctors must gain 240 CME credit points over 5 years.

 

 

 

 

Georgia

The Ministerial Decree on CPD was approved on 19 July 2018. It establishes that CPD providers/resources accredited by relevant bodies from the EU and other developed countries are automatically recognised in Georgia as sources of CPD.

From January 2019, the Ministry of Health has been piloting mandatory CPD for specific groups of doctors as a requirement to participate in publicly funded programmes.

 

 

 

Ukraine

In July 2017, an MOU was signed formalising BMJ as a recognised provider of CME/CPD and in March 2018, the Government of Ukraine established a system for CME that requires doctors to gain 250 CME credits over five years.

To find out more about how BMJ can support developing national CME/CPD systems, please contact

Dr Kieran Walsh
Clinical Director