Continuing professional development in medicine : the inherent values of the system for quality assurance in health care

Abstract

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The practice of medicine has always been a big area of interest as a
 profession. The focus ranges depending on issues at hand - it may
 be on the educational, training, humanistic, economic, professional
 ethics and legal aspects.
 One area of medicine that is under the spotlight around the world is
 that of the maintenance of clinical competency, followed very
 closely and almost linked to professional ethics. This study follows
 the introduction of a system of Continuing Professional
 Development (hereinafter also referred to as CPD), in South Africa
 and an overview of how it has been introduced in a few other
 countries. The main areas of focus being the extrication of inherent
 values of CPD, relating this aspect to quality improvement in
 medical health care.
 The medical profession as well as most of the interested parties, has
 different perspectives regarding the fact that the system is regulated
 through legislation. There is also the doubt whether the CPD system
 will be effective in achieving the goals that it has been set to
 achieve. Although a system of Continuing Medical Education has
 been a tradition in all countries, which implies that the CPD system
 is not totally new as far as the educational principles are concerned,
 the values accruable need to be exploited. It is the possible success
 of this kind of evaluations that may foster more understanding of
 the inherent values in this CPD system.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beroepsgewys het die praktyk van geneeskunde nog altyd groot
 belangstelling gelok. Die fokus verskuif na gelang van die
 onderwerpe ter sprake. Dit wissel van opvoedkunde, opleiding,
 humanisme, ekonomie, en professionele etiek tot regsaspekte.
 Dwarsoor die wêreld word daar gefokus op die handhawing van
 kliniese vaardighede, gevolg deur professionele etiek wat ook daarin
 verweef is. Hierdie studie bespreek die instelling van 'n stelsel van
 Voortgesette Professionele Ontwikkeling (hierna verwys na as VPO)
 in Suid-Afrika asook oorsig oor die wyse waarop dit in 'n paar
 ander lande ingestel is. Die klem lê op die inherente waardes met
 betrekking tot die verbetering gehalte in mediese gesondheidsorg.
 Die mediese beroep, asook meeste van die belangegroepe het
 verskillende opvattings oor die feit dat die stelsel deur wetgewing
 gereguleer word. Daar is ook twyfel of die VPO-stelsel in sy
 vooropgestelde doelwitte sal slaag. Wat die opvoedkundige
 beginsels betref, is die VPO-stelsel nie totaal en al nuut nie.
 Alhoewel VPO in ander lande tradisie is, is dit nodig om die
 totstandkoming van waardes te ontgin. Die moontlike sukses van
 hierdie tipe van evaluasies mag dalk beter begrip ten opsigte van die
 inherente waardes in die VPO-stelsel bevorder.