Summer 2018 (Volume 28, Number 2)

CRA Survey Results: Education and CPD

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Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important part of being a rheumatologist. CPD activities help keep rheumatologists up to date with the latest developments and advances in the field. For the summer 2018 issue of the CRAJ, the CRA Education and ASM Program Committees teamed up to conduct a survey about members' CPD activities.

More than a third of the survey respondents indicated that the role the CRA plays in their CPD activities was significant, with another 39% answering the role was modest. According to members, the top 5 CPD activities for Sections 1 and 2 were national/international meetings, journal articles, grand rounds, journal clubs, UptoDate, and regional/local meetings (Chart 1). With regard to Section 3 credits, the top-rated activities were university-related, self-developed, CRA-related, or related to the Royal College or provincial colleges (Chart 2).

When asked about their top priority areas for medical expert CPDs, the most popular response was new treatments, followed closely by new drugs or new applications of existing drugs (Chart 3). Concerning non-medical expert CPDs, the highest-rated priorities were quality care and patient safety (Chart 4). Fifty-six percent of participants rated health economics and health policy as a second priority.

Finally, when queried about how the CRA could further assist with CPD requirements, members noted that advice and options for Section 3 credits would be of great help. Indeed, the CRA Education Committee Chair (Dr. Raheem Kherani) has recently co-authored a series of articles for CRAJ (CPD for the Busy Rheumatologist) available at craj.ca.

The articles in the series are as follows:

• "Practice Reflection: Can I Improve My Patient Outcomes with MOC Section 3 Credits?"
• "Effective and Efficient Clinical Learning: Is Real-time Learning Possible to Build Your MOC Credits?"
• "What Makes a Good Triology: Maximizing Your Learning and Building Your MOC Credits"

The CRA Education and ASM Program Committees work closely throughout the year to incorporate the recommendations and needs of the CRA membership into ongoing programming and the ASM, which will be hosted in Montreal in February 2019. For any additional feedback or comments on CPD, you may contact Claire McGowan at cmcgowan@rheum.ca.