LAUSR

Dear Editor, Primary Healthcare undergoes constant and continuous evolution through review and update of guidance, policy and processes. Primary Healthcare Professionals (PHP) need to update their knowledge and skills regularly. Continuing professional development (CPD) enables the renewal of knowledge and skills in healthcare settings. While how PHPs experience and perceive updating knowledge has been reported pre-covid-19 [1], the pandemic required innovative and rapid adaptions to learning and development which may have changed PHP’s educational requirements. For educators, it is important to recognise current PHP educational preferences when developing educational resources and methods of delivery. The educational hiatus imposed by COVID-19 allowed review of the current CPD provision. It was recognised that education for the 21 century PHP must embrace the enduring competencies of professionalism, service provision and personal accountability and include new competencies e.g. remote consulting. CPD must address the workforce and health challenge needs [2], with consideration to PHP well-being priorities in the post-COVID era [3]. A group of academic GPs and vascular surgeons conducted a large-scale survey of 856 PHPs, including 50 individual follow-up interviews, across England during 2021. This spanned a time that much CPD provision had transitioned and PHPs were evaluating the shape of future CPD. The study allowed an understanding of how PHPs currently view and approach their learning. Amidst the changes in working practices required by the pandemic, PHPs demonstrated a commitment to CPD. A main driver for learning was a perceived lack of knowledge or skills, often within a patient contact. Learning purely interesting subjects was highly ranked. PHPs continued to learn and often accelerated their attainment of competencies required for the modern practitioner. A pragmatic approach was taken, valuing learning that was important for individual job roles especially if there is a practical element. There was a strong appetite to maintain accessibility to learning balanced to address their wellbeing needs. Moving forward, PHPs have considered what they value from CPD, how they wish to engage with it and identified different methods of building a community. PHPs value interaction with other PHPs such as virtual networking rooms and would have preferred not to use artificial intelligence or mobile-app-based learning. As much CPD had converted to virtual, this had demonstrated feasibility of such methods. PHPs want education to be delivered with consideration to convenience of time and minimal or no travel unless there are significant networking opportunities. As busy practitioners with long hours, often with family commitments, educational opportunities were chosen to fit life-requirements, rather than vice-versa. Webinars, e-learning and remote group teaching via online platforms were ranked equally as high as weekday practice-level, group and multiple-practice teaching. A hybrid of virtual and in-person CPD with choices for either is now sought by PHPs e.g. virtual conferences and recorded CPD accessible at a later time. PHPs sought CPD recognition and preferred education free of charge. PHPs had no preference for who delivered the education, however it was clear that the educator must focus and apply knowledge and skills to primary care rather than secondary or tertiary care.