- Email: [email protected]
Do consultants want e-learning in plastic surgery for continuing professional development and revalidation?
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (2011) 64, e50ee52
CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATION Do consultants want e-learning in plastic surgery for continuing professional development and revalidation?* According to the General Medical Council (GMC), revalidation is “the process by which doctors will demonstrate to the GMC that they remain up to date and fit to practise.” It has three aims: to ensure that doctors practice according to the standards of the GMC, to ensure that doctors meet the standards appropriate for their specialty and to identify, investigate and remediate poor practice in doctors. The process, commencing in 2011, will occur every five years and will be mandatory for all doctors. It will be overseen in the UK and Ireland by the UK Revalidation Programme Board.1 Continuing professional development (CPD) is one component of revalidation and ensures that doctors maintain current knowledge and skills and it requires doctors to maintain and improve standards across all areas of practice and encourages and supports specific changes in practice and career development.2 The concept of electronic learning (e-learning) is expanding within surgical education, although few publications have described the use of e-learning for CPD within plastic surgery.3,4 Before developing e-learning for CPD and revalidation of consultants in plastic surgery, their preferences should be considered. Three-hundred and eighty-four (331 male and 53 female) consultants in plastic surgery within the United Kingdom and Ireland were invited to complete a web-based survey (e-survey) about e-learning located at www.e-plasticsurgery.co.uk/survey/ consultants/ that had been constructed using SurveyMonkey (Palo Alto, California, USA, www.surveymonkey.com). The e-survey enquired about consultants’ demographics, preferences for different learning methods, whether the consultants had experience of e-learning in plastic surgery, whether e-learning should be provided to support their CPD and revalidation and if so, should this be provided locally * Data from this paper was presented at the winter meeting of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) at The Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK, 3 December 2009.
(e.g. by the postgraduate deanery) or nationally by, for instance, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) or the Royal College of Surgeons. The e-survey was accessible initially for four weeks, after which all consultants were contacted by email and invited for a second time to complete the e-survey within an additional four weeks, after which the e-survey was terminated. Data were downloaded as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file from www.surveymonkey.com. The data were then imported into SPSS Statistics 17.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) for statistical analysis. The Fisher’s Exact Test was used as appropriate to compare nominal data. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. One-hundred consultants completed the survey (response rate of 26%). Their demographics are summarised by Table 1. The e-survey asked the consultants to rank their methods of learning in order of preference and these results are summarised by Table 2 and were: textbook (33%), lecture (30%), tutorial (27%), DVD/CD-ROM (31%), web site (35%) and other (16%). Although 17% of other methods were unspecified, other methods comprised journals (11%), discussing with colleagues (4%), direct observation of colleagues in the operating theatre (3%) and a mix of all Table 1
Demographics of consultants in plastic surgery.
Gender Male Female Age group (years) 35e39 40e44 45e49 50e54 55e59 60e64 65e69 70e74 Country England Ireland (Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland) Scotland Wales
n (% of total) 84 (84%) 16 (16%) 11 23 26 22 6 10 1 1
(11%) (23%) (26%) (22%) (6%) (10%) (1%) (1%)
87 (87%) 4 (4%) 5 (5%) 4 (4%)
1748-6815/$ - see front matter ª 2010 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2010.09.012
Correspondence and communication Table 2
e51
Rank order of preference of learning methods of consultants in plastic surgery.
Rank
DVD-CD-ROM
Lecture
Textbook
Tutorial
Web site
Other
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th None
6 11 13 31 32 2 0
27 30 23 8 8 0 0
33 21 19 14 9 1 0
14 21 27 22 5 4 0
8 13 12 17 35 9 0
10 2 4 2 2 16 0
Proportion of consultants (%)
a
(6%) (11%) (13%) (31%) (32%) (2%) (0%)
(27%) (30%) (23%) (8%) (8%) (0%) (0%)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Yes
No
Experience of e-learning
Proportion of consultants (%)
b
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Yes
c
Proportion of consultants (%)
No
Access to e-learning 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
(33%) (21%) (19%) (14%) (9%) (1%) (0%)
(14%) (21%) (27%) (22%) (5%) (4%) (0%)
(8%) (13%) (12%) (17%) (35%) (9%) (0%)
(10%) (2%) (4%) (2%) (2%) (16%) (0%)
methods (1%). Although only 41% of consultants had used e-learning in plastic surgery (Figure 1a), 88% of consultants wanted access to e-learning for CPD and revalidation (Figure 1b). Furthermore, 81% wanted a national organisation (such as BAPRAS or the Royal College of Surgeons) to provide elearning, whilst 6% of consultants wanted their local deanery to provide e-learning. However, only 13% of consultants did not want any organisation to provide e-learning (Figure 1c). An e-survey rather than a postal survey was chosen for several reasons. An e-survey has advantages over a postal survey in that respondents may remain anonymous, results can be obtained and analysed more quickly and they are cost-effective. This e-survey cost about £40 (the equivalent of V44 or $65), whilst a similar postal survey would have cost approximately £550 (V605 or $900). The reliability and validity of e-surveys are comparable to postal surveys.5 However, e-surveys are associated with selection bias in that those in the e-survey population who have used e-learning might be more likely to respond to the survey. This is known as self-selection bias and can be estimated by measuring the response rate, which is expressed as the number of people completing the questionnaire divided by those who viewed it.5 Unfortunately, the number of views or ‘hits’ for the web site at which the e-survey was located could not be obtained from the web server, so that the response rate cannot be calculated by this method. In conclusion, although nearly 60% of consultants have not experienced e-learning in plastic surgery, the majority would like access to e-learning for their own CPD and revalidation. The majority of consultants believed that this e-learning should be developed nationally rather than locally. These findings support the e-LPRAS (e-Learning for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery) project being developed nationally by BAPRAS for CPD and revalidation of consultants in plastic surgery.
Acknowledgements
Local Deanery National Body
None
Provision of e-learning
Figure 1 Proportion of consultants (%) in plastic surgery (a) with (Yes) or without (No) previous experience of e-learning in plastic surgery, (b) who would like (Yes) and would not like (No) access to e-learning in plastic surgery and (c) which organisations (Local Deanery, National Body or None) should provide e-learning in plastic surgery.
The author thanks Dr Neil Hamilton who is Director of the Medi-CAL Unit, College of Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and Miss Michaela Davies who is Consultant Plastic Surgeon in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for their advice with the manuscript and for acting as supervisors, Miss Janice Thomas of the Department of Information Services at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry for her statistical advice and the consultants in plastic surgery who completed this survey.
e52 This research has contributed to the degree of the Doctorate of Medicine of the University of Aberdeen.
Conflict of interest R.J.G.S. is a Junior Member of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.
Funding
Correspondence and communication 2. General Medical Council. Guidance on CPD, http://www.gmcuk.org/education/continuing_professional_development/cpd_ guidance.asp [accessed 14.06.10]. 3. Cochran A, Edelman LS, Morris SE, et al. Learner satisfaction with Web-based learning as an adjunct to clinical experience in burn surgery. J Burn Care Res 2008;29:222e6. 4. Webber WB, Summers AN, Rinehart GC. Computer-based multimedia in plastic surgery education. Plast Reconstr Surg 1994;93:1290e300. 5. Eysenbach G, Wyatt J. Using the Internet for surveys and health research. J Med Internet Res 2002;4:E13.
None.
Ethical approval None required.
References 1. General Medical Council. Revalidation, http://www.gmc-uk. org/doctors/licensing/revalidation.asp [accessed 14.06.10].
Roger J.G. Stevens Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN, UK Medi-CAL Unit, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK E-mail address: [email protected]
CORRESPONDENCE AND COMMUNICATION Do consultants want e-learning in plastic surgery for continuing professional development and revalidation?* According to the General Medical Council (GMC), revalidation is “the process by which doctors will demonstrate to the GMC that they remain up to date and fit to practise.” It has three aims: to ensure that doctors practice according to the standards of the GMC, to ensure that doctors meet the standards appropriate for their specialty and to identify, investigate and remediate poor practice in doctors. The process, commencing in 2011, will occur every five years and will be mandatory for all doctors. It will be overseen in the UK and Ireland by the UK Revalidation Programme Board.1 Continuing professional development (CPD) is one component of revalidation and ensures that doctors maintain current knowledge and skills and it requires doctors to maintain and improve standards across all areas of practice and encourages and supports specific changes in practice and career development.2 The concept of electronic learning (e-learning) is expanding within surgical education, although few publications have described the use of e-learning for CPD within plastic surgery.3,4 Before developing e-learning for CPD and revalidation of consultants in plastic surgery, their preferences should be considered. Three-hundred and eighty-four (331 male and 53 female) consultants in plastic surgery within the United Kingdom and Ireland were invited to complete a web-based survey (e-survey) about e-learning located at www.e-plasticsurgery.co.uk/survey/ consultants/ that had been constructed using SurveyMonkey (Palo Alto, California, USA, www.surveymonkey.com). The e-survey enquired about consultants’ demographics, preferences for different learning methods, whether the consultants had experience of e-learning in plastic surgery, whether e-learning should be provided to support their CPD and revalidation and if so, should this be provided locally * Data from this paper was presented at the winter meeting of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) at The Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK, 3 December 2009.
(e.g. by the postgraduate deanery) or nationally by, for instance, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) or the Royal College of Surgeons. The e-survey was accessible initially for four weeks, after which all consultants were contacted by email and invited for a second time to complete the e-survey within an additional four weeks, after which the e-survey was terminated. Data were downloaded as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file from www.surveymonkey.com. The data were then imported into SPSS Statistics 17.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA) for statistical analysis. The Fisher’s Exact Test was used as appropriate to compare nominal data. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. One-hundred consultants completed the survey (response rate of 26%). Their demographics are summarised by Table 1. The e-survey asked the consultants to rank their methods of learning in order of preference and these results are summarised by Table 2 and were: textbook (33%), lecture (30%), tutorial (27%), DVD/CD-ROM (31%), web site (35%) and other (16%). Although 17% of other methods were unspecified, other methods comprised journals (11%), discussing with colleagues (4%), direct observation of colleagues in the operating theatre (3%) and a mix of all Table 1
Demographics of consultants in plastic surgery.
Gender Male Female Age group (years) 35e39 40e44 45e49 50e54 55e59 60e64 65e69 70e74 Country England Ireland (Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland) Scotland Wales
n (% of total) 84 (84%) 16 (16%) 11 23 26 22 6 10 1 1
(11%) (23%) (26%) (22%) (6%) (10%) (1%) (1%)
87 (87%) 4 (4%) 5 (5%) 4 (4%)
1748-6815/$ - see front matter ª 2010 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2010.09.012
Correspondence and communication Table 2
e51
Rank order of preference of learning methods of consultants in plastic surgery.
Rank
DVD-CD-ROM
Lecture
Textbook
Tutorial
Web site
Other
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th None
6 11 13 31 32 2 0
27 30 23 8 8 0 0
33 21 19 14 9 1 0
14 21 27 22 5 4 0
8 13 12 17 35 9 0
10 2 4 2 2 16 0
Proportion of consultants (%)
a
(6%) (11%) (13%) (31%) (32%) (2%) (0%)
(27%) (30%) (23%) (8%) (8%) (0%) (0%)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Yes
No
Experience of e-learning
Proportion of consultants (%)
b
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Yes
c
Proportion of consultants (%)
No
Access to e-learning 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
(33%) (21%) (19%) (14%) (9%) (1%) (0%)
(14%) (21%) (27%) (22%) (5%) (4%) (0%)
(8%) (13%) (12%) (17%) (35%) (9%) (0%)
(10%) (2%) (4%) (2%) (2%) (16%) (0%)
methods (1%). Although only 41% of consultants had used e-learning in plastic surgery (Figure 1a), 88% of consultants wanted access to e-learning for CPD and revalidation (Figure 1b). Furthermore, 81% wanted a national organisation (such as BAPRAS or the Royal College of Surgeons) to provide elearning, whilst 6% of consultants wanted their local deanery to provide e-learning. However, only 13% of consultants did not want any organisation to provide e-learning (Figure 1c). An e-survey rather than a postal survey was chosen for several reasons. An e-survey has advantages over a postal survey in that respondents may remain anonymous, results can be obtained and analysed more quickly and they are cost-effective. This e-survey cost about £40 (the equivalent of V44 or $65), whilst a similar postal survey would have cost approximately £550 (V605 or $900). The reliability and validity of e-surveys are comparable to postal surveys.5 However, e-surveys are associated with selection bias in that those in the e-survey population who have used e-learning might be more likely to respond to the survey. This is known as self-selection bias and can be estimated by measuring the response rate, which is expressed as the number of people completing the questionnaire divided by those who viewed it.5 Unfortunately, the number of views or ‘hits’ for the web site at which the e-survey was located could not be obtained from the web server, so that the response rate cannot be calculated by this method. In conclusion, although nearly 60% of consultants have not experienced e-learning in plastic surgery, the majority would like access to e-learning for their own CPD and revalidation. The majority of consultants believed that this e-learning should be developed nationally rather than locally. These findings support the e-LPRAS (e-Learning for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery) project being developed nationally by BAPRAS for CPD and revalidation of consultants in plastic surgery.
Acknowledgements
Local Deanery National Body
None
Provision of e-learning
Figure 1 Proportion of consultants (%) in plastic surgery (a) with (Yes) or without (No) previous experience of e-learning in plastic surgery, (b) who would like (Yes) and would not like (No) access to e-learning in plastic surgery and (c) which organisations (Local Deanery, National Body or None) should provide e-learning in plastic surgery.
The author thanks Dr Neil Hamilton who is Director of the Medi-CAL Unit, College of Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and Miss Michaela Davies who is Consultant Plastic Surgeon in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for their advice with the manuscript and for acting as supervisors, Miss Janice Thomas of the Department of Information Services at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry for her statistical advice and the consultants in plastic surgery who completed this survey.
e52 This research has contributed to the degree of the Doctorate of Medicine of the University of Aberdeen.
Conflict of interest R.J.G.S. is a Junior Member of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.
Funding
Correspondence and communication 2. General Medical Council. Guidance on CPD, http://www.gmcuk.org/education/continuing_professional_development/cpd_ guidance.asp [accessed 14.06.10]. 3. Cochran A, Edelman LS, Morris SE, et al. Learner satisfaction with Web-based learning as an adjunct to clinical experience in burn surgery. J Burn Care Res 2008;29:222e6. 4. Webber WB, Summers AN, Rinehart GC. Computer-based multimedia in plastic surgery education. Plast Reconstr Surg 1994;93:1290e300. 5. Eysenbach G, Wyatt J. Using the Internet for surveys and health research. J Med Internet Res 2002;4:E13.
None.
Ethical approval None required.
References 1. General Medical Council. Revalidation, http://www.gmc-uk. org/doctors/licensing/revalidation.asp [accessed 14.06.10].
Roger J.G. Stevens Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN, UK Medi-CAL Unit, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK E-mail address: [email protected]