title: Quality and impact of appraisal for revalidation: the perceptions of London's responsible officers and their appraisers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate NHS England London region's approach to the revalidation appraisal of responsible officers in London, exploring perceptions of the quality and impact of the appraisal process. Revalidation is the process which aims to ensure doctors in the UK are up-to-date and fit to practice medicine thus improving the quality of patient care. Revalidation recommendations are largely premised on the documentation included in annual appraisals, which includes the professional development a doctor has undertaken and supporting information about their practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pan-London qualitative study exploring the views of responsible officers and their appraisers about the revalidation appraisal process. The study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences and perceptions of the participants. Responsible officers were purposefully sampled to represent the broadest range of designated bodies. Data analysis generated themes pertaining to quality and impact of appraisal for revalidation with the potential to feed into and shape the evolving system under investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The central importance of highly skilled appraisers was highlighted. Both groups reported educational opportunities embedded within the appraisal process. Independent appraisers, not matched by clinical speciality or place of work, were considered to take a more objective view of a responsible officer's practice by providing an 'outsider perspective'. However, covering the breadth of roles, in sufficient depth, was challenging. Participants reported a bias favouring the appraisal of the responsible officer role above others including clinical work. Appraisal and revalidation was perceived to have the potential to improve the healthcare standards and support both personal development and institutional quality improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Responsible officers play a central role in the revalidation process. Getting responsible officer appraisal right is central to supporting those individuals to in turn support doctors and healthcare organisations in continuous quality improvement. The complexity and importance of the role of responsible officer may make achieving an appraisal of all roles of such individuals problematic. This evaluation suggests responsible officer appraisal was perceived as educational and effective.
authors.affiliation: University College London Medical School, 74 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6 AU, UK. a.griffin@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: University College London Medical School, 74 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6 AU, UK. d.furmedge@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Furmedge
authors.affiliation: University College London Medical School, 74 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6 AU, UK. deborah.gill@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Health Education North West London, London, UK. Catherine.O'Keeffe@nwl.hee.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Keeffe
authors.affiliation: University College London Medical School, 74 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6 AU, UK. a.verma@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Anju
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: University College London Medical School, 74 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6 AU, UK. laura-jane.smith@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Laura-Jane
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: University College London Medical School, 74 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6 AU, UK. lorraine.noble@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.affiliation: NHS England, London, UK. ray.field@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Field
authors.affiliation: NHS England, London, UK. celia.inghamclark@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ingham Clark
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D054976:Clinical Governance / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D003406:Credentialing / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008131:London; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards*; D006113:United Kingdom