More CPD breakthroughs

Seven EASD e-Learning modules have now been accredited as educational resources for continuing professional development by the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and will carry the college’s quality mark. We take a closer look at what accreditation means for learners.

Starting today, RCGP accreditation marks will appear on the module and course introduction pages for seven accredited modules, with more expected to follow in the coming weeks and months. Welcoming the news, EASD e-Learning Programme Director Dr Eleanor D Kennedy commented: “The RCGP accreditation mark’s presence on our modules will mean that GPs and other members of the healthcare professional diabetes team can be confident the education they select has been independently assessed to ensure a consistent and high-quality educational resource.”

“The RCGP accreditation mark is an identifiable symbol of quality assurance that associates educational activities with professionalism, expertise and commitment to the highest possible standards of general practice,” she added. “This helps to demonstrate the important contribution EASD e-Learning modules can make to the delivery of safe, high-quality care for people at risk of or living with diabetes.”

What does RCGP accreditation involve?

RCGP accreditation follows an independent validation of these modules’ quality, judged against standards set by the RCGP. Educational resources accredited by the RCGP are considered to be of high quality and relevant for general practitioners’ CPD and revalidation needs.

What does accreditation mean in terms of CPD points?

The RCGP recommends that one CPD point should be awarded for each hour of learning on an RCGP-accredited educational resource. You can find an estimated duration for each of our modules at the bottom of that module’s introduction page.

Which modules have been accredited?

The following modules now carry the RCGP accreditation mark:

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Module 1
  • NAFLD – epidemiology, pathophysiology and diagnosis
• Diabetes and the kidney, Module 1
  • Overview of diabetes and the kidney
• Management of hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes, Modules 1 and 2
  • ADA/EASD 2018 consensus report
  • ADA/EASD 2019 update
• Hypoglycaemia, Module 1
  • Reducing hypoglycaemia
• Insulin resistance, Module 1
  • Insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes
• Phenotypic variability, Module 1
  • Phenotypic variability in type 2 diabetes

How do I find an accredited module on the EASD e-Learning site?

From now on, course cards for any courses that include accredited modules will be marked with an orange ‘CPD’ button. The same button will also appear on the course content ladder. The RCGP accreditation mark itself will appear on the module and course introduction pages for all RCGP-accredited modules. And as of this week, accredited EASD e-Learning modules will be listed in the RCGP’s own register of accredited CPD courses, at https://www.rcgp.org.uk/learning/rcgp-educational-accreditation-for-education-providers/accredited-activities.aspx?CurrentPage=2

How can I prove that I have completed an accredited module?

When you successfully complete any of our modules, you are given the option to download a personalised certificate of completion (these certificates are generated automatically and can be accessed via your dashboard). From now on, certificates for modules that have been accredited will include the RCGP’s accreditation mark together with information on the module’s duration and the number of points earned for each hour of learning.

What happens if I completed a module before it was accredited by the RCGP?

As part of the process of preparing modules for accreditation, we made improvements to the way modules are assessed and expanded their practical clinical content. Consequently, if you completed a module before it was accredited but want to obtain a certificate of completion that includes the RCGP accreditation mark, you will need to retake the end-of-module assessment. If you do not wish to retake the assessment but nevertheless would like to have a certificate for your own records, you can still access a personalised certificate of completion for the module. However, this will not include the RCGP accreditation mark.

Will more modules be submitted for accreditation?

Further modules have already been submitted to the RCGP and in time we will be submitting more, so watch this space. The entire website will also be submitted for accreditation by the UK’s Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in 2022. Plans are in place to submit our online courses to national accrediting bodies around the world.

To find out more about RCGP accreditation, click on the RCGP accreditation mark below.