Continuous professional development echocardiography training in South Africa

English: Echocardiography is recognised as a highly valuable diagnostic tool, and a vast amount of information can be gathered using the procedure. The field of echocardiography has enjoyed rapid technological advances over the last few decades. The operatordependent nature of the technique and the comprehensive knowledge needed to perform a complete and clinically useful study requires maintenance of skills to ensure competence in performing the procedure. In South Africa, the requirements for continuous development (CPD) only specify CPD in general and not field-specific CPD, although the HPCSA recognises and endorses CPD as a means of ensuring provision of best possible practice to the public. This lack of fieldspecific CPD for echocardiography provided evidence for the need to investigate the possible prerequisites for CPD of echocardiography training in South Africa. The overall goal of the study was to determine what is needed to implement echocardiography-specific CPD, and how it can be implemented. A literature study was done to gain a deeper understanding of CPD with reference to health professionals and specifically echocardiography. A questionnaire was compiled, considering some barriers that were identified and which affect compliance with CPD regulations. The questionnaire was compiled electronically and printed in a hard copy using the Evasys system. The target population was echocardiographers who attend the annual New Horizons in Echocardiography congress during 2016, and echocardiography practitioners who were involved through reference from the attendees of the New Horizons in Echocardiography congress. The study revealed that improved communication and access to continuous professional development activities, with specific reference to practical hands-on activities, were the main needs of echocardiographers. It also revealed that formal accreditation and training needs to be monitored more closely and that most echocardiographers did not feel up to date with the latest technology and procedures in the field. Although there were some limitations during this study, it was evident that CPD accreditors, and CPD service providers need to plan, organise and provide information in advance for echocardiography practitioners to plan and be able to attend the CPD activities. Addressing the needs of echocardiography practitioners with regard to CPD will contribute positively not only towards the workplace and profession, but to the community at large.