Description

Debate on the need and even the value of continuing education (CE) in optometry is fairly evident in the professional press. Concurrently a number of CE providers have emerged. However there are some basics which need to be articulated about continuing education in general.

CE is not a specific activity that can be separated from other professional developmental experiences, but rather a generic description of the continuing development and education of individuals throughout their professional career. The idea of CE is not new and has always been undertaken by the responsible professional. CE I believe distinguishes the professional from one simply qualified to enter the profession. CE is about improving patient care. The spirit of the notion is such that CE for the veteran, may become specialist training for the newly qualified, which in turn may be incorporated to into basic education. We can see that happening with ocular therapeutics and shared care.

CE is meant to be about very practical needs and quality of care in everyday community practice, rather than specialist requirements of professional groups or academic interests. Thus, it is essential to fashion easily accessible and easily digestible CE that more often than not, addresses the challenges of everyday practice.

CE has indeed become an integral part of the working lives of many practitioners, and to encourage this from entry level onwards, it is necessary to cultivate an attitude in the health-care professions towards self-learning, self-evaluation and ownership of that responsibility to keep up-to-date in the best interests of the fundamental task of patient care. It is thus important that CE in the eye care arena embraces not only other health care professionals, but all who care for our patients. After all the quality of patient care is inexorably linked to team work. Wherever possible, CE should be provided so that is easily accessible and relevant to the immediate needs, not only for the practitioners and their practice teams, but also the community the practice serves.

This journal is dedicated to providing CE. I make no apology for blurring boundaries when it comes to education and training, because the intellectual raison d’etre for all in eye education is the same… ultimately to improve patient carethe only currency recognised by CE!

Prof. Nizar K. Hirji
Birmingham, UK