levels and activities

Levels and Activities That Complete the Matrix of the LEAP Framework

What makes up the LEAP framework?

The LEAP Framework that has been developed offers a profile of what is involved in being a medical professional.

It identifies three main strands or areas of practice: clinical expertise, risk management, and professional values and responsibilities.

These three strands have been further unpacked into a series of ten components or domains of professionalism. Identification of these ten areas is an acknowledgment of the wider range of skills, knowledge and responsibilities involved in being a medical practitioner today.

Strands and Components

How can these ten domains of professionalism be developed?

The Framework advocates that participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities is needed to develop these domains of professionalism in practitioners. CPD is viewed as the continuous acquisition and development of knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable a medical practitioner to constantly improve as a practicing professional.

Activity Levels

Why are CPD activities broken up into levels?

CPD activities are classified as either a level one, two or three activity. The three levels reflect a hierarchy of CPD activities, based on the ability of the activity to effect change in practitioner behavior and patient outcomes, which is the ultimate aim and purpose behind undertaking CPD.

• Level One activities are considered to be those activities that provide the participant with information to improve their practice. The level of demand on the participant is considered to be relatively low. Generally, these learning activities tend to focus on increasing knowledge and skills and include the more traditional, passive activities such as lectures, conferences, journal reading and grand rounds.
• Level Two activities are those where there is a higher demand on the participant. Generally, it is expected that involvement in these activities will ensure the participant can demonstrate maintenance of best practice standards and/or can demonstrate that they have implemented a particular activity or facilitated changes in practice and health outcomes. Key factors are collection of data related to a particular question/issue.
  
  Level Two activities include things such as preparation for and taking part in a practice review or clinical audits, critical incident monitoring, trying a new approach or technique, participative workshops, quality control studies and patient satisfaction surveys.
• Level Three activities are those that have the highest demand on the participant. Generally, these would involve change evaluating activities where the practitioner evaluates the impact of an activity or intervention, perhaps resulting from involvement in a level two activity. An adjustment is made to address a problem or issue and the effect measured.
  
  Level Three activities include things such as trying out a new approach/technique and evaluating the outcomes; peer reviews and audits – implementation of recommendations and evaluation of the improvements made; completion of a quality cycle where an action plan has been developed, implemented and evaluated. In a level three activity it is important that an intervention or adjustment is made to address a problem and the effect of the change is measured.

It is possible for activities that a practitioner undertakes from those listed in Level One, to lead to a Level Two activity, and then to a Level Three activity. Materials can be provided to guide those participants who wish to take a Level Two activity and develop it further, to become a Level Three activity.

Framework Matrix

Matrix

These three levels of activities then complete the matrix which forms the generic framework upon which medical practitioners can build their CPD program.

What's Expected?

Are participants expected to do activities in all areas of the matrix?

No.

Participants will be expected to:

• Complete an activity from each of the three strands (any components)
• Complete 10 credits / points in a level 3 activity (any strand, any component)
• Obtain 50 credits / points in the pilot period, which will run from October 2004 to 28 October 2005.

Conclusion

Summary

It is not the intention of the framework that all practitioners should undertake CPD activities in all of the domains of professionalism.

However, by providing a structure and outlining the broader roles and responsibilities expected today, practitioners are encouraged to identify their own areas of need and take responsibility for their own professional development across a range of areas. Different types of learning activities and different types of learning should be offered.

It is important that practitioners undertake educational opportunities at Levels 2 and 3 as these are the ones more likely to bring about a positive change in patient care and practitioner behaviour.

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