Achieving cardiovascular health through continuing interprofessional development.

In order to achieve cardiovascular health for all Canadians, the ACHIC (Achieving Cardiovascular Health in Canada) partnership advocates that health promotion for healthy lifestyles be incorporated into practice, and that the consistent messages and professional skills required to motivate patients and the public be acquired through interprofessional education and development. Professional education specialists are essential members of health care promotion teams with expertise to develop educational interventions that impact behaviours of health professionals and subsequent patient outcomes. Continuing medical education (CME) is in evolution to continuing professional development (CPD), and then to continuing inter-professional development (CID). Providers of health promotion, public health, and health care can work with health educators to complete the cascade of learning, change in practice, and improvement in patient outcomes. The Canadian health care system can empower Canadians to achieve cardiovascular health, the most important health challenge in the 21st century.