How Professional Development Contributes to Service-User Care Provision - Essay Example

? Continued Professional Development contributes to Optimal Service–User Care and Service Provision Number and Number Name of Professor Date of Submission Number of Words: 3,300 Introduction Occupational therapists are trained professionals who work directly with patients who are physically and/or mentally incapacitated or socially disturbed in order to assist them in achieving a better quality of living. By protecting the patients from getting physically injured, it is possible for this group of medical professionals to deliver health care interventions that could improve the patients’ health and overall functional outcomes (AOTA 1994, p. 1073). On top of improving the overall well-being of the patients, occupational therapists are expected to work with other group of medical professionals in order to restore and sustain the patients’ level of independency (Punwar 2000, pp. 3 – 6; AOTA 1994, p. 1073). In general, continued professional development (CPD) can optimize service-user care and service provision of occupational therapists. In relation to improvements in the profession of occupational therapists, this report will first provide the definition or description of CPD within the context of contemporary guidelines to enable the readers have a better understanding of the research topic. Based on the available and most current literature, the historical and current perspective of CPD in relation to the context of clinical governance and key policies such as the Agenda for Change (AFC) and Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) will be critically evaluated. ‘Service-user care’ is referring to the patients who are receiving passive health care services from a large group of health care professionals (Fawcett 2007) whereas ‘service provision’ is referring to ways in which budget is being allocated including the proper management of staff and available facilities that could significantly affect the quality of health care services delivered to the patients (World Health Organization 2010). As part of discussing the ways in which CPD contributes to optimal service-user care and service provision, the significance of professional responsibility and professional body requirements in relation to CPD will be tackled in details. Definition or Description of CPD within the Context of Contemporary Guidelines According to Alsop (2000, p. 1), CPD is defined as “the term used in denoting the process of ongoing education and development of health care professionals, from initial qualifying education and duration of professional life so as to maintain competence to practice and increase professional proficiency and expertise”. On the other hand, the Health Professions Council (HPC) defined CPD as “a range of learning activities wherein the health care professionals are able to maintain and develop their knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that they retain their capability to practice safely, legally, and effectively within their chosen professional career” (Health Professions Council 2001). Therefore, CPD is all about the importance of continuous education in terms of increasing the professional competency of each medical care professional. CPD is often associated with professional competency since the process of going through continuous learning enables the health care professionals increase their existing base knowledge with regards to universally accepted health care practices including a long-list of clinical issues (White 2005). In relation to the application of knowledge and skills within each individual’s chosen profession, going through the process of continuous learning and development that enables the occupational therapists improve their long-term career path. Continuous education is a broad topic in the sense that learning can take place either from formal or informal learning. In line with this, formal learning is possible when a person decides to enrol in formal educational courses, meetings, symposia, rounds, or attend professional-related conferences (Gunn and Goding 2009; Davis et al. 1999). On the other hand, informal learning can take place when there is an open and two-way communication among the health care professionals. Since environmental and social changes are constant, minor changes in the universally accepted practice of occupational therapist is likely to take place. For this reason, learning process should not stop once a registered occupational therapist leaves the four corners of the educational institutions. By establishing organizational culture that is promotes open communication within the working environment, occupational therapists can not only learn from each other but also from the other group of related medical practitioners (Brown and Duguid 2001; Boland 1978). Regardless of whether or not continuous education is achieved through formal or informal learning, the study of Wenger (1998) revealed that medical professionals’ ‘engagement’, ‘imagination’, and ‘alignment’ are the core elements of continuous learning which can be satisfied through the use of small working group, designing and implementation of action plan, learning facilitation strategies, the promotion of continuous independent learning, and the provision of safe learning environment. Historical and Current Perspective of CPD based on the Context of Clinical Governance and Key Policies such as Agenda for Change (AFC) and Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) Since April 2000, it was only the health care institutions that were required to provide professional development programmes in the form of training and development plans for occupational therapists and other health care professionals (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 14; Health Professions Council 2001). It means that occupational therapists were not required to register with the HPC or even actively participate in continuous learning programmes. Instead of the current CPD system, Dornan (2008) revealed that most of the medical professionals in the past were more concern about going through continuing medical education (CME). Since the 1st of July 2006, occupational therapists and other health care professionals were required to get HPC registration which makes the active engagement in going through CPD activities a compulsory (College of Occupational Therapists 2010; Health Professions Council 2001). CPD activities can either be financially supported by the local government1 or from the occupational therapists’ personal expenses (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 14). As physical evidences that each of the occupational therapists had participated in some forms of CPD activities, attendants’ names and specific training and development programmes that each of the attendees has attended needs to be recorded in CPD portfolio. The mandatory auditing of the CPD records is necessary to ensure that each of the occupational therapist submits an accurate CPD record (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 11; Health Professions Council 2001). In order to strengthening the implementation of the CPD requirements as set by the HPC, a new registration process was publicly announced throughout the United Kingdom. Since 2008, occupational therapists who wish to renew their HPC registration were required to fill up a CPD profile form which will be sent back to the headquarters of HPC for assessment. In line with this, only those occupational therapists that were able to meet the HPC standards were given the opportunity to renew their HPC registration. Since the CPD portfolio requirements were recently implemented as part of the clinical government, there were reports highlighting the poor development with regards to the link between the CPD programmes, auditing, improvements in clinical practices, and research and development (R&D) areas on top of the presence of inequality with regards to the provision of direct access to CPD programmes, the absence of professional feedback, limited learning skills, and lack of time to complete the HDC requirements (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 12; Cole, Morris and Scammell 2008). Aside from the need to carefully integrate the different health care approaches that directly address the local service needs of the occupational therapists and other group of health care professionals, the Department of Health (2011 a, p. 12) suggests the need to manage the available CPD programmes locally in order to narrow down the gap with regards to the access to CPD programmes. Basically, the implementatin of these strategies could improve the quality care services delivered by the occupational therapists based on the patients’ expectations. As of the 1st of July 2006, the standard requirements for CPD includes five major requirements that each of the registrants has to comply. Aside from maintaining a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of attended CPD activities, registrants should be able to effectively demostrate that they have participated in a wide-range of learning activities that are somehow related to occupational therapy2 (Health Professions Council 2009, p. 2). Other than ensuring that their CPD improves the quality of service they deliver to the patients, registrants should also consider the benefits of CPD to service users (ibid). All these requirements should be written in a written document as an evidence for HPC application (ibid). Professional Responsibility and Professional Body Requirements in Relation to CPD Aiming to reduce the high rates of hospital and clinical re-admission, the clinical governance set by the NHS stated that each individual health care professional is required to improve the quality of service and care provided to the patients (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 4). As the official professional regulating body for occupational therapists, the College of Occupational Therapists has recently published a set of professional guidelines and mandatory requirements stating that “occupational therapists are made responsible to actively maintain and continue their professional development and competence by participating in learning opportunities that are legally required in occupational therapy profession” (College of Occupational Therapists 2010). As part of occupational therapists’ responsibility to pursue higher education or continuous learning, the health care institutions throughout the United Kingdom should strongly support the provision of a long-term learning process by offering CPD programmes to each health care professional (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 18). It is publicly known that CPD has a significant impact over the clinical practices of medical professionals who are working the community National Health Service environment. Since the provision of holistic caring is a significant part of each medical care profession, it is necessary on the part of occupational therapists to work together with the community members. By having inter-community link or connection with a large group of patients and the patients’ family members, occupational therapists are not only able to apply what they have learned from colleges and universities but also improve their confidence at work by increasing their overall professional competencies (Gunn and Goding 2009). Aside from the need to continuously engage and communicate with the community members, occupational therapists and other health care professionals are required to support the provision of effective CPD. Based on the report of the Department of Health (2011 a, p. 11), effective CPD is possible by “influencing or setting the standards of clinical practice, promoting professional self-regulation, supporting audit of practice and relating it to learning needs, and promoting a lifelong learning amongst the professional staff”. This requirement does not only apply to occupational therapists who has just recently earned their licence to practice but also those individuals who has long-time been practicing as registered occupational therapists. In relation to the policies and guidelines laid down by the government and professional regulating bodies throughout the United Kingdom, occupational therapists should be registered under the Health Professions Council (HPC) in order to ensure that each of the health care workers under this particular medical profession are capable of delivering quality care and services to the patients based on the standards of proficiency and publicly accepted health care ethics (College of Occupational Therapists 2010; Health Professions Council 2001). As part of optimizing the service-user care and service provision, occupational therapists who wish to be registered should present their CPD profiles containing a wide-range of learning activities related to their chosen profession. In line with this, occupational therapists who are applying for registration are required to pursue continuous learning process in order to improve the quality of their practice and provide safe services to the public. This is the main reason why occupational therapists are required to undertake a wide-range of CPD activities in order to retain their HPC registration. Since health care profession can be learned by theories and actual provision of health care services to the patients, occupational therapists who were able to successfully complete the CPD activities requirements will be required to demonstrate what they have actually learned from going through the process of continuous professional development programme. Strategic Ways in which CPD could contribute to Optimal Service-User Care and Service Provision Going through the process of continuous learning does not necessarily mean that occupational therapists could change their professional practice in a positive way. In line with this, Davis et al. (1999) explained that it is possible for occupational therapists to be active in continuous learning but failed to improve the health care services they render to their patients. Enter Into a Win-Win Negotiation Process with the Local Educational Institutions Other than making the health care professionals be accountable for their own actions (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 7), there are several strategic ways in which CPD could increase the optimal service-user care and service provision rendered by the occupational therapists. One of these strategies focuses on addressing the main problem areas in order to enhance the promotion and implementation of HPC requirements with regards to CPD programmes. In general, the availability and improvements in the CPD programmes aim to empower the occupational therapists and other health care professionals in terms of delivering optimal service-user care and service provision. In relation to the current problems with regards to the inequalities to the access to the available CPD programmes (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 12), HPC authorities can effectively enhance the contribution of CPD programmes by entering into a win-win negotiation process with the local educational institutions particularly those that are offering health care-related courses such as occupational therapy. For example: In order to increase the number of highly qualified trainors that could provide continuous education to occupational therapists and other health care professionals, the HPC authorities can meet up with the local colleges and universities to discuss the potential demand for prospective occupational therapist and other health care professional students who will be required to pursue higher education or short-term courses related to subjects that can improve the existing skills and knowledge of the HPC registered occupational therapist (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 12). To make CPD programmes more accessible to occupational therapists, the use of new technology in distance learning will be utilized for this purpose (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 14). By working together with higher education professionals with regards to the significance of interprofessional education3 as part of the CPD programme, it is possible on the part of the HPC authorities to develop a more competitive Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) not only for the occupational therapists but also the other group of health care professionals. For this reason, entering into a win-win negotiation process with the local educational institutions is highly recommended. Following the CPD Cycle Model The CPD Cycle Model is composed of four major core elements which include: (1) assessment of individual and organizational needs; (2) planning for personal development plan (PDP) requirements; (3) implementation of newly proposed strategies, and (4) the evaluation with regards to the effectiveness of CPD intervention plan and its benefit to the patients particularly with regards to the delivery of quality care (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 13). In relation to the first element of the CPD Cycle Model, it is necessary on the part of the occupational therapist to conduct self-appraisal because this particular self-assessment process will enable the health care professional assess their individual skills and knowledge with regards to the different caring and treatment areas that are directly and indirectly associated with occupational therapy. Based on the assessment report, the next step is to plan and establish the PDP requirements of each individual’s and organizational learning needs (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 13). As a result, occupational therapists will have the opportunity to learn more about their individual strength and weaknesses with regards to their existing skills and knowledge about occupational therapy. After the implementation stage, it is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the CPD intervention in terms of improving the quality service given to the patients (Department of Health 2011 a, p. 13). This is basically the stage wherein feedback loops is important. By knowing the learning areas that needs to be improved, it would be easier on the part of the occupational therapists to deliver optimal service-user care and improvements in service provision. Discussion I strongly agree that the HPC’s requirements on CPD could increase the Optimal Service–User Care and Service Provision available throughout the United Kingdom. In line with this, HPC’s decision to require all occupational therapists and other health care professionals to actively participate in available formal and informal training activities related to their chosen profession is one of the best ways to improve the existing skills and knowledge of each registered health care professionals. Since the lives and overall well-being of the patient are highly dependent over the caring and treatment process performed by a large group of health care professionals (Fleet et al. 2008), it is only fair on the part of the HPC to strengthen and increase the educational and skills requirements of these professionals. In relation to the importance of self-assessment as included in the CPD Cycle Model, not all medical professionals find this step useful in terms of improving their existing professional knowledge and skills. In line with this, the research study that was conducted by Dornan (2008) which focuses on determining the impact of self-assessment in CPD on UK’s undergraduate and postgraduate medical students revealed that postgraduate medical students does not find the use of e-technology self-assessment test to have any relevance with their day-to-day professional learning experiences while they are within the work envinronment. For this reason, there is a strong need for HPC and other related agencies to continuously search for more effective ways on how each of the occupational therapist and other health care professionals could accurately assess their individual knowledge and skills. With regards to the evaluation stage, the use of feedback loops is important in terms of getting suggestions straight from the stakeholders involved in the CPD programme. In line with this, Cole, Morris and Scammell (2008) revealed that the absence of professional feedback makes it more difficult to increase the efficiency of CPD intervention. Therefore, the use of feedback loops is highly recommended. Conclusion The only way for occupational therapists to renew their HPC registration is to comply with all the CPD requirements which include: (1) maintaining up-to-date and accurate record of attended CPD activities; (2) effectively demostrate that they have participated in a wide-range of learning activities that are somehow related to occupational therapy; (3). ensuring that their CPD improves the quality of service they deliver to the patients; (4) consider the benefits of CPD to service users; and (5) ensure that all these requirements are written in a formal document which will serve as an evidence for HPC application or renewal (Health Professions Council 2009, p. 2). In order to improve the existing CPD system, it is necessary to improve the organizational structures within each of the health care institutions (Cole, Morris and Scammell 2008). In general, going through the process of continuous learning does not necessarily mean that each of the registered and potential occupational therapist could change their professional practice in a positive way (Davis et al. 1999). For this reason, it is necessary to require the occupational therapists should to effectively demonstrate what they have learned from the CPD training and development programme during the renewal process of their HPC registration. By making each of the health care professionals socially accountable with the quality of care and services they render to the public, occupational therapists and other health care professionals will not only be obliged to take the continuous education programme seriously but also be more careful when dealing with patients. With regards to the use of the CPD Cycle Model, it is a challenge on the part of HDC and other related agencies to develop effective assessment tool applicable for the profession of occupational therapists. Likewise, it is important to make use of feedback loops in order to enhance the quality and final outcome of CPD intervention. *** End *** References Alsop, A., 2000. Continuing Professional Development: A Guide for Therapists. Blackwell Science. AOTA, 1994. Policy 5.3.1: Definition of occupational therapy practice for state regulation. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) , 48(11), pp. 1072-1073. Boland, R., 1978. The Process and Product of Systems Design. Management Science , 24(9). Brown, J. and Duguid, P., 2001. Knowledge and. Organization Science , 12(2), pp. 198-213. Cole, M., Morris, J. and Scammell, A., 2008. Challenges of CPD for physiotherapists working as lone practitioners in amputee rehabilitation. Prosthetics and Orthotics International , 32(3), pp. 264-275. College of Occupational Therapists, 2010. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and the Interactive Learning Opportunities Database (ILOD). [online] Available at: [Accessed 9th January 2011]. 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