Devising a competency-based continuing professional development programme to meet the needs of on-call consultant paediatricians.

AIM: To define the clinical competencies currently required by on-call consultant paediatricians in Sweden and to describe how these competencies can be acquired by using an outcome-based continuing professional development (CPD) programme.
METHODS: The overall aims and objectives of the programme were formulated to meet the current responsibilities of an on-call consultant. It was delineated during a precourse needs assessment of 26 consultants, before being implemented with 16 participants, using a variety of learning, assessment and evaluation methods.
RESULTS: The precourse needs assessment identified 217 clinical situations and 17 themes, and 139 subthemes were developed. During the programme evaluation, carried out using a reflective questionnaire, participants stated that they had improved their understanding of the role of, and demands on, the on-call consultant. They had also felt more confident on-call, had built a network of colleagues and updated their knowledge in relevant fields.
CONCLUSION: We defined and implemented a competency-based CPD programme to meet the changing demands faced by on-call consultant paediatricians. The aims and objectives of the programme were formulated according to a needs assessment among consultant paediatricians active in on-call services. Evaluation of the programme indicates that participants moved in the direction of the overall objectives. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.