OTTAWA, June 14, 2011 /CNW/ - As part of an ongoing commitment to high-quality health care provided by competent physicians, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has developed and launched a thoroughly redesigned Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program along with a revised MAINPORT web application.
"We developed the new systems after an extensive period of study," said Craig Campbell, MD, FRCPC, director of the Royal College's Office of Professional Affairs. "The revisions are informed by two streams of evidence: a comprehensive study with 3,000 Royal College Fellows and a thorough review of the continuing professional development research literature."
First launched in 2001, the MOC Program is an evidence-informed educational initiative designed to support, enhance and promote the continuing professional development (CPD) activities of specialist physicians in Canada.
The revisions mark a significant evolution in the Royal College's steadfast effort to support the lifelong learning goals of specialists.
"The result is a streamlined, more flexible MOC Program that provides you with more choice of learning activities, more control to plan your professional development and greater incentives to participate in self-learning and assessment activities," said Dr. Campbell.
To complement the MOC Program improvements, MAINPORT — the web application system where CPD activities are documented — has also been redesigned. MOC Program participants can now set practice goals, including plans and dates for completing those goals, and link their learning activities to one or more CanMEDS Roles. The Royal College has also developed a mobile MAINPORT application for the Android, iPhone, iPad or BlackBerry that is accessible at https://m-mainport.royalcollege.ca.
"The new MAINPORT is more effective as a CPD/learning management system than the old version," said Steven Simpson, MD, FRCPC, of Calgary, Alta., one of 12 CPD educators recruited from across the country to help MOC Program participants learn the new system.
"It has a more inviting interface and enables me to track my activities as I move through the process of developing and recording them," he added.
Assistance from CPD educators is one of several ways the Royal College is supporting MOC Program participants through transition from the former system. Other training opportunitie include a MAINPORT flash tutorial and one-on-one sessions with Membership Services Centre staff.
More information on the updated MOC Program and MAINPORT is available on the Royal College's website.
About the Royal College
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is a national, not-for-profit organization of more than 42,000 members in 87 countries. The Royal College contributes to improving the health of Canadians by setting the highest standards for specialty medicine across the continuum of lifelong learning. The organization is also a trusted partner in advancing sound health and public policy. To find out more, please visit www.royalcollege.ca.
For further information:
Media contact:
Tom McMillan
Communications Specialist
Telephone: 613-730-8177 ext. 474
Cell: 613-218-9570
Email: tmcmillan@royalcollege.ca