QUALITY PROFESSIONALS
2018
Lifelong Learning
Supporting physicians in their lifelong learning
helps Ontario doctors and ultimately, their patients.
In 2018, the College articulated new goals to
better support physicians and optimize practice
improvement:
ducating physicians on key aspects of effective
E
practice improvement
Encouraging physicians to acquire performance
data to encourage ongoing practice improvement
Ensuring more frequent and more proportionate
interactions with physicians
Promoting learning and reflection
Reinforcing the notion of self-directed learning
Our approach to practice quality
improvement is educational and
collaborative, and of benefit to both
patients and physicians.
A new approach explained
The vast majority of physicians who are randomly
chosen for a College assessment perform well. In
2016, the percentage of satisfactory assessments
was 92%, in 2017, it was 93%. While those figures
are heartening, they also suggested an opportunity
existed to modernize our quality assurance
approach in a way that ensured all physicians
derived benefit and learning from our initiatives.
We came to understand that a model of proactive
engagement with physicians throughout their
careers would provide them with more tools and
insights than could be gained through a one-day
assessment visit that happened every 10 years.
With the decision to use assessment only when
needed, we have put more of our focus on
developing tools that will allow physicians to
benefit from ongoing practice improvement with a
self-guided process of learning. Our suite of self-
directed learning tools can be used at any point in a
physician’s career which, in conjunction with other
QI tools available externally, can be leveraged to
promote sustained lifelong learning.
Our tools include:
n interactive tool to help physicians reflect on
A
the risk and support factors in their practice
A self-guided chart review
An e-learning module for new registrants to
familiarize themselves with CPSO expectations;
An exercise that enables physicians to use their
practice data to identify opportunities for practice
improvement.
The tools will help physicians create the conditions
most favourable to ensuring their success at all
stages of their career. The tools will be piloted in
2019, with a full launch in mid-2020.
We will also continue to augment our work to
support and optimize quality practice with our
inspection programs, guidelines, and requirements
for continuing professional development.
Using our regulatory powers in a limited way to
stimulate learning and optimize practice change is
exactly what right-touch regulation is all about.
CPSO ANNUAL REPORT 2018 // page 11