Quality assurance framework

08 September 2014
Volume 29 · Issue 10

COPDEND has announced the launch of a consultation about a UK wide Quality Assurance Framework for CPD in Dentistry. 

The consultation exercise is open until noon on September 30, 2014.

A great deal of time and money is spent on dental CPD, and there has until now not been any consistent way to judge whether a particular course or lecture, e learning programme or on-line webinar is value for money, effective and fit for purpose. Dentists and DCPs know that they must do CPD to stay on the GDC Register, but it’s hard to know whether a particular event, conference or correspondence course is worthwhile, or to decide which of many different CPD activities about a particular subject will be the right one for an individual’s needs, and result in them improving their knowledge or practice and ultimately benefitting patients. The proposed Quality Assurance Framework offers a structured approach to assessment of whether appropriate standards have been met.

How do dentists and DCPs know whether the speaker or lecturer is qualified to talk about the subject matter and is up to date? If the course teaches current evidence based practice? Whether current GDC requirements are met? How they can contact someone to ask follow up questions? How can they be assured that they will be getting unbiased advice about a range of options, or promotion for a particular company or product? That the course has new material and won’t be a repeat of one they went to a few years ago?

The draft framework has been developed with guidance from an Expert Advisory Group and by reviewing the literature internationally to find evidence about what is best practice in CPD in dentistry, medicine, other healthcare and the wider professions. We also asked more than 50 providers of CPD in the UK in- depth questions about how they assure the quality of their CPD; and now we want to know what you think.

  • Is the format of the Quality Assurance Framework such that it will be usable by, and useful for, both CPD 'users' and 'providers'?

 

  • Do you think the Quality Assurance Framework will support CPD providers in the development, delivery and maintenance of high quality, effective CPD?

 

  • How should the Quality Assurance Framework for Dental CPD be implemented?

 

  • What are the potential barriers to this Quality Assurance Framework becoming a mechanism to drive up standards of Dental CPD in the UK?

All feedback welcomed from individuals, practices or other groups and all responses received will be considered and published in the final document before the end of the year.

To view the proposed framework and complete the on line survey form go to: http://www.copdend.org/default.aspx?Group=home