Continuing Professional Development How are Canadian chiropractors doing? Dr. Jaroslaw (Jerry) Grod earned his DC from CMCC in 1977 and is a Fellow of the College of Chiropractic Sciences. He is completing a Masters in Public Health at Lakehead University, is pub- lished in chiropractic and medical peer-reviewed journals and is presently Professor and Director of Continuing Education at CMCC. purpose of CPD,1 W Anne Taylor-Vaisey, is the reference librarian at the CMCC Health Sciences Library. She teaches literature search- ing methods to students, faculty and practising chiro- practors. She is also web editor for the Index to Chiropractic Literature (www.chiroindex.org) and the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (www.sacme.org). Anne can be reached at 1-800-669-2959, ext. 205, or [email protected]. ill receiving a credit for attending a formal continuing professional development (CPD) event improve your patients’ health? Although improved patient outcomes are considered, by some, to be the making the links between acknowledging the need to learn, actually learning, reflecting on that learning, and, finally, making a commitment to change one’s behaviour can be a complex process.2 Are Canadian chiropractors incorporating this process into the care of their patients? Let’s take a look at the provincial requirements for continuing education, as outlined in the Official Directory of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards.3 (Table 1, visit www.canadianchiropractor.ca) Table 1: Provincial requirements for continuing education, as outlined in the Official Directory of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards www.canadianchiropractor.ca For over half of all Canadian chiropractors, CPD is not mandatory. The College of Chiropractors of Ontario, for example, requires its members to maintain a professional portfolio/curriculum vitae, the purpose of which is to “advise members of their obligation to quality improvement through self-directed, lifelong learning and continuous education.”4 In Manitoba, there are no CPD requirements at this time. In the provinces where CPD is mandatory, requirements vary from 12 hours every two years to 72 hours every three years. Provincial program criteria are just as varied. Some specify subject areas such as radiology or CPR. Others are limited to accredited seminars and may not accept non-traditional learning formats considered valid by other health professions. Such formats may include: accredited group learning activities (e.g., rounds, journal clubs, seminars, online courses); informal learning activities (e.g., journal reading, unaccredited conferences, Internet browsing); structured learning projects (e.g., personal, planned projects, traineeships, fellowships; personal practice reviews); and/or personal educational development (e.g., teaching, publications, grant proposals).5 These observations on the current Canadian CPD scenario raise some questions: • Should CPD continue to be mandated by the provincial colleges? • Would patients be better served if a national body such as the Canadian Federation of Chiropractic Regulatory and Educational Accrediting Boards (CFCREAB)6 were to oversee the delivery and quality of CE? • Should there be a consistent way for all Canadian chiropractors to record their learning and earn credits? • Is CPD the responsibility of the individual health-care practitioner? Continued on Page 28 20 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | DECEMBER 2007 www.canadianchiropractor.ca Anne L. Taylor-Vaisey, MLS Jaroslaw P. Grod, DC, FCCS(C), CAE feature
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