Continuous Professional Development in the Sri Lankan Health System: Past, Present and Future

Abstract

Introduction: Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is a system of practice that plays an integral part in honing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and mindsets of healthcare professionals leading to improved patient experiences and better health outcomes, the world over. CPD in the Sri Lankan context is at the cusp of a monumental achievement. Following many years of discussions and setbacks, the National Continuous Professional Development (NCPD) framework has finally reached operational status with pilot programs being planned in several districts. Methodology: we referred to local literature, official documents and various research studies centered around CPD in an effort to detail the history of CPD activities in Sri Lanka, the establishment of the NCPD framework, the obstacles encountered during previous attempts of implementation, the journey thus far and the way forward for a sustainable, long-lasting NCPD program that is beneficial for all Grade Medical Officers (GMOs) and health professionals later on. Results: Findings included uptake of a wide array of e-learning modalities following the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple research studies showed that stakeholders were satisfied with the cost-effectiveness, heightened productivity, convenience, flexibility and information accessibility offered by web-based CPD initiatives. However, the underdeveloped digital infrastructure remained the main drawback of adopting e-learning strategies in our context. Conclusion: E-learning platforms that gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic have become a boon to actualizing the NCPD program together with the steps taken to strengthen the local digital infrastructure. This promises to mark the next major era of Medical Education in the country.