Abstract

ePortfolios in general dental practice: validating CPD activity for improved performance

Author(s): Ms Julia O�Sullivan,Dr Robert Morgan,

Introduction: The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) [FGDP(UK)] at the Royal College of Surgeons of England is introducing an ePortfolio to support members to record, evaluate and produce evidence of their continuing professional development (CPD). General dental practitioners (GDPs) and dental care professionals (DCPs) are required to keep a portfolio for a number of purposes, such as registration with the UK regulator, the General Dental Council (GDC), foundation training and contracting with the UK NHS primary care trusts. This paper outlines the findings from the pilot phase of the project in spring 2010.

Pilot phase: Between February and May 2010 a total of 150 volunteers signed up to the pilot project to evaluate the ePortfolio. They were asked to complete 10 specific tasks, thereby providing a structure to the process. The pilot was evaluated from formal feedback collected twice during, and once at the end of the pilot. The informal feedback was also collected and analysed.

Results: The pilot tasks provided a structured learning approach and were useful for building a portfolio online. They aided the navigation which improved with familiarity. The ePortfolio is an excellent CPD tool, facilitating reflection and planning. The ability to keep all CPD information in one place and update assets (records) are important features of the system. The evaluation process provided positive and critical qualitative feedback which is being used for further development and customisation of the system. Future activity: The ePortfolio will be used for FGDP(UK) educational programmes and assessments in the future. It will also be used by the FGDP(UK) divisions for online discussion forums, communication with fellow professionals and organising professional events, all of which are designed to improve the quality and safety of patient care.

Summary: The introduction of the ePortfolio is a work in progress. The pilot exercise described has provided data to inform development of a career-long ePortfolio for dentistry to manage CPD activity. The evidence can be validated as a measure of demonstrating improved performance for the benefit of patient care.