professional competence scheme iog

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PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE SCHEME

Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists,

RCPI

This Scheme is for doctors registered on the Specialist Division

of the Medical Council, in the Specialty of Obstetrics and

Gynaecology.


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PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE SCHEMEINSTITUTE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS, RCPI

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD 3

1. INTRODUCTION 5

1.1 BackgroundInstitute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, RCPI ........................................................... 5

1.2 BackgroundContinuing Medical Education (CME) .................................................................................. 6

1.3 The New Professional Competence Scheme .............................................................................................. 6

1.4 Process Map ............................................................................................................................................... 7

2. PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE SCHEME 8

3. OVERVIEW OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE SCHEME 9

3.1 Governance ................................................................................................................................................. 9

3.2 Participants ...............................................................................................................................................10

3.3 Aims ..........................................................................................................................................................11

3.4 Domains of Good Professional Practice ...................................................................................................11

3.5 How to Enrol on a Professional Competence Scheme .............................................................................12

4. SCHEME REQUIREMENTS 13

4.1 Participation in CPD ..................................................................................................................................13

4.2 Approval of External (Category 1) Activities .............................................................................................18

4.3 Earning Credits ..........................................................................................................................................19

4.4 Recording and Documenting Professional Competence Activities ..........................................................19

4.5 Participation in Clinical Audit....................................................................................................................20

5. ANNUAL VERIFICATION AUDIT 21


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FOREWORD

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) welcomes the introduction of statutory professional

competence requirements as set out in the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007.

The professional competence system is being introduced to help protect the public and improve patient safety

and constitutes an important milestone for the medical profession and its commitment to enhancing patient

safety. In moving from voluntary to statutory provision of professional competence, it marks an important

advance in medical professionalism in Ireland and formalises existing commitment to continuous improvement.

RCPI looks forward to encouraging and supporting doctors who enrol on the RCPI Professional Competence

Schemes to reflect their scope of practice and enabling them to demonstrate the maintenance of their

professional competence.

Since the publication of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, and in particular since the announcement by the

Minister for Health of the commencement of Part 11 of the Act in relation to Professional Competence Schemes,

RCPI has engaged in extensive consultation with its Fellows and Members and other key stakeholders in the

development of the Professional Competence Schemes to be offered by the RCPIs six training bodies.

RCPI Professional Competence Schemes promote self-directed and practice-based learning activities. As well as

promoting personal professional development, the Schemes aim to promote educational and professional

activities directed towards developing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and personal effectiveness necessary to

meet the changing needs of patients and the healthcare delivery system. The Schemes will also encourage

participants to plan, record and reflect on professional development needs, as part of their pursuit of lifelong

learning.

Dr John Donohoe, FRCPI

President

Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

Dr Mary Holohan, FRCPI

Chair, Education & Professional Development

Committee



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The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of how the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Professional Competence Scheme will operate, outlining the governance, participants and aims of the Scheme

and providing details on participation in CPD and Clinical Audit activities.

If you have any questions relating to the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Professional Competence

Scheme please contact:

By Post: Professional Competence Department


Frederick House

19 South Frederick Street

Dublin 2

Ireland

By Phone: (01) 8639739, MondayFriday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

By Email: [email protected]

Website: www.rcpi.ie
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.rcpi.ie/http://www.rcpi.ie/http://www.rcpi.ie/mailto:[email protected]


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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, RCPI

ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF IRELAND (RCPI)

Mission

The mission of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is to develop and maintain high professional standards

in specialist medical practice in order to achieve optimum patient care and to promote health nationally and

internationally.

About RCPI

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, through its six accredited training bodies, is the largest postgraduatemedical education and training institution in Ireland. Its mission is to develop and maintain high professional

standards in specialist medical practice in order to achieve optimum patient care and to promote health

nationally and internationally.

There are 6 training bodies within RCPI. These training bodies, which represent 25 specialties, form a vital and

integral part of RCPI, and are recognised by the Medical Council as having responsibility for postgraduate

medical education and training in Ireland.

INSTITUTE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS, RCPI

The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (IOG) was established by the Royal College of Physicians of

Ireland in 1976 and functions within and as an integral part of the College. The Institute is the recognised

training body for postgraduate medical training in the specialty of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Ireland and is

the authoritative body on all matters of educational, professional or public interest concerning Obstetrics and

Gynaecology. The Institute fulfills a wide range of functions including:

Acting in an advisory capacity to government and statutory bodies in all matters relating to Obstetricsand Gynaecology

Responsibility for postgraduate medical training and education in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Ireland Assisting in the maintenance of professional standards for doctors with regard to Continuing

Professional Development in the specialty of Obstetrics and Gynaecology including the delivery of

vibrant educational events

Acts as a vital source of information for individuals practising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, setsprofessional standards and represents its Members and Fellows interests before legislative and

regulatory bodies


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1.2 Background Continuing Medical Education (CME)

RCPI has, since 1995, facilitated a process of recording and monitoring Continuing Medical Education (CME) for

Fellows and Members of the College and its Faculties/Institute. The College has also provided the CME service

to non-affiliates of the College who wished to participate in the CME programme, on payment of an annual fee.

Participation in CME has been voluntary to date.

With the commencement of the RCPIs Professional Competence Schemes on May 1, 2011 the RCPI Voluntary

CME Programme will cease on April 30, 2011 CME activities for the period January to April 2011 may still be

recorded with the RCPI free of charge. The deadline for receipt of all CME returns is August 31, 2011.

1.3 The New Professional Competence Scheme

The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 places a statutory obligation on all registered Medical Practitioners to

maintain their professional competence by participating in recognised Professional Competence Schemes. As a

body accredited by the Medical Council, the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, RCPI has developed a

Professional Competence Scheme, in accordance with Medical Council guidelines, to provide participants with a

way of formally documenting their participation in professional development activities.

The new Professional Competence Scheme is designed to promote self directed and practice-based learning

activities rather than supervised training. As well as promoting personal professional development the Scheme

aims to promote activities that maintain and develop the competencies, e.g. professionalism, knowledge skills

and attitudes of the individual practitioner, which are essential for meeting the changing needs of patients andthe healthcare delivery system. It will also encourage participants to plan, record and reflect on professional

development needs, as part of their pursuit for lifelong learning.

The Scheme will consist of two elements initially:-

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Clinical Audit

Multi-Source Feedback will be added to the Scheme at a later stage in accordance with Medical Council

guidelines.


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1.4 Process Map

RMP completes Online

Application to participate in

Professional Competence Scheme

TB validates application and RMP

enrolled onto Professional

Competence Scheme

RMP records CPD and Clinical

Audit activities

TB issues RMP with annual

summary certificate

TB conducts Annual Verification

Audit

TB submits PCS Report to MC

RMP accepts

Terms and

Conditions of

Scheme

RMP pays

annual fee

RMP makes

annual

declaration of

PCS compliance

to MC

RMPRegistered Medical Practitioner

TBTraining Body

MCMedical Council

PCSProfessional Competence Scheme


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2. PRINCIPLES OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE SCHEME

The following principles underpin the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Professional Competence

Scheme and are the principles by which the InstitutesProfessional Competence Scheme will operate:

1. Each individual practitioner is responsible for the maintenance of their professional competence throughmeaningful participation in activities that enable them to do so. The activities should be planned in

advance and should reflect and be relevant to his or her current and future profile of professional

practice and performance. As practitioners may perform many roles for example, clinical, teaching,

research, management, the activities undertaken should reflect all these roles.

2. The Scheme will include activities both within and outside the employing institution, where there is one,and a balance of learning methods which include a component of active learning. Participants will

collect evidence to record this process, using a structured portfolio cataloguing the different activities.

3. The Scheme will be open to all doctors on the Specialist Division in the specialty of Obstetrics andGynaecology.

4. Credits awarded for CPD will be based on one credit equating to one hour of educational activity. Toachieve compliance participants are required to earn a minimum of 50 credits per year.

5. Formal accreditation of the quality of educational activities will be achieved with minimum bureaucracyand with complete reciprocity between Colleges/Faculties for all approved activities. The accreditationprocess and criteria will be such as to ensure the quality and likely effectiveness of the activity.

6. Self-accreditation of educational activities will require evidence. This may be produced as adocumented reflection. Evidence of attendance at accredited meetings must be provided.

7. Participation in a Professional Competence Scheme and compliance to its terms will be confirmed by anannual certificate issued to participants based on submitted returns.

8. Failure to produce sufficient evidence to support claimed credits may result in the participant beingsubject to the verification audit process. Falsification of evidence for activities will result in referral to

the Medical Council.

9. Support and advice will be provided to participants who are having difficulty in complying with the termsof the Scheme.


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The Professional Competence Department, which is part of the Operations Function of the College, is staffed by

a Manager of Professional Competence and two administrative support staff. The Department will be

responsible for:-

The ongoing development of policies, principles and procedures required to underpin the development

and delivery of Professional Competence Schemes in the College

The management and administration of systems and processes to facilitate the enrolment of

participants and the recording, collation and reporting of compliance

The provision of ongoing support to PCS participants

The preparation of reports

The day-to-day support to the RCPI Education & Professional Development Committee, Scheme

participants etc

Engagement with key stakeholders

The staff of RCPIs Professional Competence Department will liaise with the Responsible Medical Officer and the

Executive Council of the Institute with regard to the management and administration of the Scheme.

The Responsible Medical Officer for the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Professional Competence

Scheme is:

Dr Michael ODowd MD,FRCPI, FRCOG, DCH, DA

Chairman, Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, RCPI

3.2 Participants

All Practitioners on the Specialist Division of the Register must enrol in an accredited Professional Competence

Scheme. This requirement applies to all practitioners irrespective of their current status e.g. retired, working

part-time, living and working overseas.

The InstitutesProfessional Competence Scheme Specialist Division shall facilitate the enrolment of Medical

Practitioners on the Specialist Division of the Medical Council Register in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.


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3.3 Aims

Aims of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Professional Competence Scheme

That participants are involved in continuing educational activities directed at enhancing clinicalstandards throughout their professional careers

Demonstrate to patients, peers, government bodies and the community at large, that participants arecommitted to programmes of continuing professional development

Provide a structured programme to support participation in professional development activities

3.4 Domains of Good Professional Practice

The Medical Councils eight Domains of Good ProfessionalPractice set out the principles on which good practice

is founded. These principles together describe medical professionalism in action.

Practitioners enrolled on the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Professional Competence Scheme will

be required, using the Councils eight Domains of Good Professional Practice to:

Reflect on their practice

Identify areas of practice where they are required to stay up to date

Identify areas of practice they wish to further progress and

Develop their Professional Development Plan in line with the above

Within the CPD and Clinical Audit framework practitioners will be best placed to choose the activities that reflect

their educational needs and will be expected to make a judgement on the value of a particular activity. They will

also be expected to map their activities against the relevant Domain(s) of Good Professional Practice and ensure

that the activities undertaken during the course of a five year cycle encompasses all eight domains.


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3.5 How to Enrol on a Professional Competence Scheme

Doctors will enrol on Professional Competence Schemes using an online application form. It is important that

you choose the correct Scheme to enrol on. Please check the entry requirements for the Scheme before you

complete an online application form.

Once your enrolment is complete, you will be given access to ePortfolio for Professional Competence and

instructions on how to use this tool to record and monitor your progress throughout the professional

competence year.

Annual Fee

The enrolment fee for a Professional Competence Scheme is 250. You must renew your enrolment each yearand a notice will be sent to you when payment becomes due.

If you already pay an annual fee to RCPI for a College or Faculty affiliation, you will be entitled to a small

discount.


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4. SCHEME REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Participation in CPD

There is a five year cycle of accreditation and to achieve compliance participants must earn at a minimum:

50 credits per year

250 credits per five year cycle

PCS participants will be required to meet the following requirements which are a common framework for all

approved Professional Competence Schemes:

CATEGORY 1External (Maintenance of Knowledge and Skills)

20 credits per year (minimum)

100 credits per five year cycle (minimum)

This category includes attendance at regional, national or international scientific meetings; College, Faculty or

Institute meetings; and specialty relevant courses, workshops or seminars, diploma or other courses.

CATEGORY 2Internal (Practice Evaluation & Development)

20 credits per year (minimum)100 credits per five year cycle (minimum)

This category includes case conferences, journal clubs and other educational activities that are department-

based, hospital-based or practice-based.

CATEGORY 3Personal Learning

5 credits per year (minimum)

25 credits per five year cycle (minimum)

CATEGORY 4Research or Teaching

2 credits per year (desirable)

10 credits per five year cycle (desirable)


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Table of CPD Activities for Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Category Example Activities Credits

External

(Maintenance of Knowledge and

Skills)

Events/activities accredited by

Training Bodies that meet educational

standards (in person or virtually)

National meeting

Examples: Institute, sub-specialities, perinatal Scientific Meetings Master classes ConferencesInternational meeting

Examples:

Royal College of Obstetrics andGynaecology (RCOG)

European Board and College ofObstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG)

International Federation ofObstetrics and Gynaecology (FIGO)

American Obstetrical andGynaecological Society

Other National Societies andColleges

Courses approved by the Institute

National guideline development meeting

National audit meeting

Contribution to confidential enquiry

(CMACE Ireland)

Membership of MRCPI/Institute/RCOG

committee with Educational Content

MOET course or equivalent*

RCOG Advanced Labour Ward Practice

course / Senior Staff Conference*

Accreditation in a CTG education

programme*

Planned learning projects e.g. MD, PhD

20 credits minimum per

year

100 credits minimum

per cycle

1 credit per hour

*Attendees may claim

two credits per hour for

these courses


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Internal

(Practice Evaluation & Development)

Activities that develop and improve

the quality of clinical practice

Hospital/Practice O&G audits including

the development or review of

departmental guidelines

Root cause analysis eg adverse labour

outcomes, sentinel events, major

adverse incidents

Perinatal mortality/morbidity meetings

Clinico-pathological meetings

Multidisciplinary team meetings relating

to patient care

Grand Rounds

Journal Clubs

Study Days


year

100 credits minimum

per cycle

1 credit per hour

Personal Learning CD-ROM/internet tests, eg DIALOG,

StratOG.net

RCOG MCQs

General claime.g. professional

reading of texts and electronic media

(Cochrane Library, Medline, Medscape,

etc)


year


cycle

1 credit per hour


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Research or Teaching

Formal presentations at conferences or

meetings

Publication of paper, book or book

chapter

Reviewer of articles for scientific

journals or medical publications

RCOG pamphlet review

Teaching e.g., didactic lectures/tutorials,bedside tutorials, teaching rounds

Clinical skills workshops

ALSO / ACLS

Mentoring (in house)

Registered trainer in BST, RTP, HST

or FTTA programmes

Exam setting, correcting exam papers,

OSCE examination (Undergraduate or

postgraduate)


year


cycle

5 credits per paper

1 credit per hour to a

maximum of 5 credits

per publication

2 credits per review

(points credited by

College staff)

1credit per hour

2 credits per day of

mentoring

1 credit per hour

1 credit per hour to a

maximum of 20 credits

per CPD cycle


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*Medically related advanced degrees

Masters, PhD programmes sponsored by University, College, Institute or accredited Training Body.

The number of credits is to be agreed in advance.

** Online CoursesCourses will only qualify for accreditation by the Training Body in the External category if the following criteria

are fulfilled:

- Course provides for some type of learner interaction or self-assessment- Course objectives describe what the participants may learn or achieve by participating in the course- Course provides access to appropriate bibliographic sources that allow for further study; and that

reinforce and clarify specific activity topics

- Practitioner produces evidence of activity and/or completion e.g. a certificate of completion of a moduleProviders, when applying for accreditation, should establish a good faith estimate on the amount of time a

physician will take to complete the activity and satisfy its purpose and/or learning objectives.

***Personal Learning

Personal learning is recognised as an important element of CPD, however this type of learning is generally

unverifiable.

****Question Setting

The questions must be at a depth and scope that require a review of the literature and a knowledge of the

evidence base to answer the questions. To qualify for CPD credits the questions should be peer reviewed.


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4.2 Approval of External (Category 1) Activities

Educational events organised specifically for the purposes of CPD are eligible for CPD approval under Category 1

External, for example an academic or scientific meeting organised by a medical society.

Providers of approved CPD activities should meet the Approval Quality Criteria set out below:

The event should be predominantly aimed at post-training physicians. The event should be of relevance to the pursuit of a physicians clinical, educational, research and other

professional activities.

Providers should list all of the sponsors that are involved with the meeting. Providers should list any commercial interests that the presenters or speakers have. The learning objectives should reflect measurable outcomes, and use action verbs such as evaluate,

identify, review etc.

Providers should include details about what the event hopes to achieve, and how this will be put intopractice.

Providers should include a detailed programme of the event. This should include an hourly breakdownand a brief description of the session.

Providers should include a full list of speakers/facilitators. This must include details about the posts theyhold, where they are based and what speaking experience they have in relation to the topic discussed.

CPD Activities which require approval:

1. Conferences, symposia, short training courses, workshops and seminars organized locally, regionally,nationally and internationally.

2. Long training courses, degree/diploma, research projects etc.


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4.3 Earning Credits

Credits will generally be calculated as one credit for one hour of activity. Individual practitioners may claim less

credit than the one credit for one hour guideline if they deem the particular activity worth lesser credits. When

calculating the number of hours for attendance at meetings etc, the total number of hours should not includeregistration, opening address and breaks.

4.4 Recording and Documenting Professional Competence Activities

To facilitate the effective and efficient recording and monitoring of professional competence activities RCPI is

undertaking the development of a new ePortfolio system. To this end, RCPI are engaging with NES (NHS

Education for Scotland) to deliver the RCPI ePortfolioan online system to record data relating to professional

competence activities. The new ePortfolio system will provide a platform for recording CPD and Clinical Audit

activities against defined targets and it will also be used as a mechanism to provide evidence of compliance withthe standards set by the Schemes.

ePortfolio will be available to Scheme participants in Autumn 2011. In the interim, doctors are required to

record their CPD and Clinical Audit activities using the following forms:

Category 1 - External Form

Category 2 - Internal form

Category 3 - Personal Learning Form

Category 4 - Research or Teaching Form

Clinical Audit Form

Maintenance of Records

Participants are obliged to record their CPD and Clinical Audit activities on a regular basis and to retain

documentary evidence to support credits claimed. Records should be retained for a minimum of 6 years or as

advised by the Medical Council and are not to be submitted to RCPI unless requested as part of a Verification

Audit Process.
http://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%201%20-%20External%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%201%20-%20External%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%202%20-%20Internal%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%202%20-%20Internal%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%203%20-%20Personal%20Learning%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%203%20-%20Personal%20Learning%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%204%20-%20Research%20or%20Teaching%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%204%20-%20Research%20or%20Teaching%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Clinical%20Audit%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Clinical%20Audit%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Clinical%20Audit%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%204%20-%20Research%20or%20Teaching%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%203%20-%20Personal%20Learning%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%202%20-%20Internal%20Form.dochttp://www.rcpi.ie/PC/Documents/IOG/Category%201%20-%20External%20Form.doc


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Examples of documentary evidence include:

Local/National/International meetingsAttendance certificates Medically Related Advanced DegreesCopy of Diploma or final transcript

ResearchCopy of published articles first page Poster PresentationCopy of page from Conference proceedings that lists the poster abstract and

identifies the presenter

Postgraduate Trainer/Examiner/Question SettingConfirmed by relevant Training Body Personal LearningSelf-documented Internal category activitiesregister of attendance/sign-in sheet

Good Professional Practice

The Medical Councils eight Domains of Good Professional Practice set out the principles on which good practice

is founded. These principles together describe medical professionalism in action.

Doctors enrolled on Professional Competence Schemes will be expected to map their activities against the

relevant Medical Council Domains of Good Professional Practice and ensure that the activities undertaken

during the course of a five year cycle encompasses all eight domains.

Annual Certificate

A summary annual certificate will be issued each year to demonstrate that doctors are enrolled on a Scheme and

setting out a statement of credits recorded.

4.5 Participation in Clinical Audit

All Registered Medical Practitioners must be actively engaged in clinical audit and at a minimum participate in

one audit exercise annually that relates directly to their practice. It is recommended that practitioners spend at

a minimum one hour per month in audit activity.

Clinical audit is recognised as having three elements:

1. Measurementmeasuring a specific element of clinical practice2. Comparisoncomparing results with the recognised standard

(in circumstances where comparison is possible)

3. Evaluationreflecting on outcome of audit and changing practice accordinglyIt is recognised that the audit structure for Ireland will change over the coming years and Schemes will need to

be adapted to reflect these changes.


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