NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CHILEAN GENERAL PRACTITIONER TRAINING PROGRAM IN VALPARAISO

Abstract

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an intricate form of medical education intended to foster ongoing growth in medical practice. It emphasizes lifelong learning and a holistic approach to professional development, aligning with the evolving needs of patients, healthcare systems, and society. In Chile’s public health sector, the Chilean General Practitioner Training Program (EDF Program), established in 1955, provides the national health workforce with 2,500 general practitioners (GPs) working in rural and vulnerable areas at the primary healthcare level. All are mandated by law to receive CPD, yet planning, implementation, and evaluation deficits have been identified. This research aimed to assess the CPD needs of the EDF Program in the Valparaiso Health Care District, incorporating perspectives from intersectoral stakeholders, EDF GPs, and healthcare network users. A qualitative descriptive approach was selected as the study design. An indicative and purposefully stratified sample was constructed, based on three participant groups from Valparaiso’s local healthcare district. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted. A data-driven codebook was piloted, refined, and then applied to all transcriptions. Axial coding and constant comparative analysis were systematically conducted using MAXQDA 2024 software. Interviews continued until saturation was achieved, requiring a total of 22 interviews. The study identified CPD benefits, enablers, barriers, and areas for improvement amid ongoing challenges and gaps. Key findings revealed a structural and functional mismatch between the CPD program for EDF physicians and the actual needs of the primary healthcare system they serve. This mismatch, both a technical shortcoming and policy opportunity, has led to calls for a shift in the program’s framework. As a result, several pathways to realign the EDF CPD training with the realities of Chilean primary healthcare have emerged from this research. This research highlights the inherent complexity of a formal CPD system, as it comprises vast and diverse interrelated components influencing training provision and health workforce development outcomes. Intersectoral collaboration appears vital for advancing the development of practitioners' capacities for primary health care. Future directions include developing a tailored needs assessment tool, which could improve readiness for health workforce CPD innovations.