Continuing professional development (CPD) for anesthesiologists: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND Regulators increasingly use formalized programs that are based on CPD activities to ensure physicians are fit to practice. There is convincing evidence regarding the positive effects of CPD activities on performance and patient outcomes. However, there is limited available studies, investigating its effect in anesthesia, specifically. Moreover, whilst there exists considerable evidence linking specific CPD activities to improved performance, only few studies have investigated the effect of combinations of activities, or formalized systems, as a whole. Consequently, to address this uncertainty regarding the impact of CPD activities, within anesthesiology, this systematic review aims to establish which activities anesthesiologists are engaged in and their impact on clinical competence and subsequent patient outcomes. METHODS A systematic review of the current literature regarding CPD for fully qualified anesthesiologists will be undertaken. Characteristics of the included studies will be summarized descriptively, and the screening process will be outlined using the PRISMA flow diagram. Given the diverse methods adopted within medical education research, it is anticipated that there will be significant heterogeneity between the included studies and therefore, a meta-analysis will not be possible. As a result, a narrative synthesis approach. The outcomes of interest include type of CPD learning activity and/or assessment method anesthesiologists are engaged in; and their effectiveness, either as standalone activities or as part of formalized systems. CONCLUSION The aim of the study is to give an overview over the breadth and nature of CPD activities, and their effects on fully qualified anesthesiologists' clinical competences and patient outcomes.