[On call education for paediatricians may improve patient safety. Continuing professional development project in western Sweden evaluated].

As part of a mandate to provide continuing professional development (CPD) for paediatricians in western Sweden and to support patient safety, we have addressed the professional demands which are imposed on today's consultant paediatricians on call, by designing and implementing a CPD programme for this group. Learning objectives for specific learning modules were developed from a pre-course needs assessment among consultants. The implemented programme included a variety of learning, assessment and evaluation methods. Each specific learning module began with a reading assignment exploring the key concept. This prepared the participants for the case discussion, in which they would analyse, reflect and achieve a deeper level of understanding. We believe that the educational methods used and the approach of the programme are applicable to specialist training as well as to CPD programmes in general, as part of a lifelong learning process.