title: Continuous professional development for GPs: experience from Denmark.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Continuous professional development (CPD) for Danish general practitioners (GPs) is voluntary and based on funded accredited activities. There is an ongoing discussion on how to improve this current system by introducing mandatory elements. To inform this debate, we set out to identify GPs' current use of CPD and to explore the motives behind their choices.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mixed-methods study with a combined qualitative and quantitative approach was used. In 2012, two focus group interviews were conducted, followed up the same year by an online questionnaire sent to 1079 randomly chosen Danish GPs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Focus groups: CPD activities are chosen based on personal needs analysis, and in order to be professionally updated, to meet engaged colleagues and to prevent burnout. GPs also attend CPD to assess their own pre-existing level of competence. CPD activities need to be experienced as being both meaningful and relevant in order to have an impact. Questionnaire: The response rate was 686/1079 (63%). GPs spend on average 10.5 days per year on accredited, voluntary CPD activities. Workplace-related CPD activities and practice-based small group learning played a significant role. The main motivation for choice of CPD activities included academic interest, experience of patient-related problems in their own surgeries and medical topics where the GPs felt insufficiently confident.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Danish GPs are frequent users of voluntary accredited CPD. Their CPD choices are motivated by topics strengthening their professional capacity and preventing burnout. There would seem to be no need for a mandatory system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Postgraduate Medical Education, Region of Southern Denmark, Sonderborg, Denmark Research Unit of General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Sonderborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Kjaer
authors.affiliation: The project; Systematic Continuous Professional Development for GPs in Denmark, A joint project from the Organisation of General Practitioners and Danish Regions, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Steenstrup
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Sonderborg, Denmark Centre of Health Economics Research, COHERE, University of Southern, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Research Unit of General Practice, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Sonderborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halling
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003657:Decision Making; D003718:Denmark; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D017144:Focus Groups; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Continuous professional development; GPs; burnout prevention; needs analysis; practice-based small group learning; professional motivation