MBA’s attitude lacks insight and empathy, new Healthed survey suggests…

Just over a year in, many GPs continue to struggle with the new CPD system, with 53% of 2262 respondents in Healthed’s 19 March survey saying the stress is significant.

Chair of the Medical Board of Australia Dr Anne Tonkin says that while the Board recognises “that it is difficult for practitioners to find time to do extra things on top of seeing patients,” the community expects doctors to stay abreast of new developments.

Moreover, other medical professionals have been doing CPD this way now for several years, she says, “and we’re not hearing any negative feedback from them.”

This may partly be because GPs are noticing the difference, but also because some may not realise how many practice activities count towards CPD—albeit not in the traditional form, she adds.

“Most of them will have practice meetings, they’ll have morbidity meetings, they’ll have peer conversations about patients, difficult cases, and so on – all of those can count,” Dr Tonkin says.

“And all we’re asking them to do is document that, so we’re not asking them to do a whole lot more in most cases I suspect.”

Yet two-thirds of surveyed GPs say claiming day-to-day clinical activities as CPD is ‘not at all easy’ in practice.

Many survey respondents are indeed logging everyday practice activities—with practice/clinical meetings, discussions with colleagues about patient care, case reviews, teaching sessions within the practice, and clinical audits being the most frequently claimed.

But while it may sound simple in theory, logging day-to-day activities is time-consuming, a nuisance, and adds another burden having to think about and document outcomes—if it’s possible at all, according to GPs in Healthed’s survey.

“I think the committee that developed it have no hands-on ongoing experience of the demands of general practice. When Dr Tonkin suggested weekly practice meetings to cover the points it said it all. How easy is it to get your staff together for an hour each week!” – surveyed GP

“I work alone,” one GP wrote. “I have no capacity to obtain points this way which I feel discriminates against GPs in small practices.”

“GPs already are overwhelmed with completing paperwork/computer notes regarding patient care. Adding in more on a day-to-day basis is not going to be possible for me,” wrote another.

‘Complex, confusing and impractical’

Despite the Board’s assurances, many surveyed GPs are unsure what daily activities qualify as CPD, let alone how to document or efficiently navigate the system.

Dr Tonkin recommends contacting your CPD home if you’re unsure which practice activities count toward CPD. The RACGP has a table covering which practice activities count under the different categories and the ACRRM has a similar matrix, she adds.

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said recent member feedback about the CPD system “reflects the complexity of the new requirements” – but highlighted the CPD app the College has developed to help members claim CPD for day-to-day activities “with as little extra work as possible.”

While Dr Higgins says the app “has been downloaded over 32,000 times and received positive feedback for how easy it makes recording in-practice continuing professional development,” it’s not assuaging everyone’s concerns.

As one respondent pointed out, though, “Going on the app to document everyday activities is the last thing I want to do at the end of a busy day.”

What your colleagues are saying:
“If the Medical Board agrees that there are things we do in general practice which contribute to our learning, why this new system of CPD?”

“I resent being required to fill in a form to ‘log’ my usual daily educational activities.”

“Trying to find the time to document all the complex networking and conversations we have to have to advance our patients’ management is almost impossible.”

“This is a joke in busy general practice. You barely have time to take a piss – let alone log in CPD activities.”

“We are constantly learning as GPs. I do not have the time to think of every instance I am learning then write an essay about my learning.”

“It’s inane. You’re supposed to upload all the activities you do. Who has the time? And the plan? To be redone every year? … It’s just another level of stupid senseless bureaucracy, and another nail in the coffin of GP practice. I’m pleased I’m not starting out as a young GP. I would run for my life.”

“OK for Medical Board to say, but navigating the RACGP adds another non-existent 5-15 minutes.”

“General practice is so busy at the moment that it is hard to get your head above water to do any of these things. GPs should have support and funding for CPD as hospital doctors do.”

“This is not easy in general practice – specialist multidisciplinary meetings etc would be easy but general practice is pressured and stressed with limited opportunities to meet with colleagues.”

“To be honest, I think it makes it easier for people to lie about things they haven’t even done. The doctors who I know are least up to date with their educational activities, are the ones who actually are finding this easy to do.”