ABSTRACT
This chapter describes many ways that doctors have of completing the continuing professional development (CPD) cycle by using the CPD they have undertaken. Those ways have the dual advantage of also being methods of reinforcement and dissemination of the learning. Reinforcement of learning can take very many forms – repeating the learning, revisiting it, applying it, explaining it, re-evaluating it, teaching it to others and summarising it. Doctors have very many ways of reinforcing the learning gained through CPD. It is conventional to regard a change in practice as the normal benefit from CPD activity. Clinical audit activity is recorded and there are easily accessible records on which it is possible to make a judgment of quality and enthusiasm in the area in question. Audits might not already cover the relevant topics undertaken in CPD. Setting up such audits might be time-consuming. The chapter also explores how clinical audit activities may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of CPD.
