BMJ and the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Kazakhstan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accredit BMJ Best Practice and BMJ Learning as valid forms of Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The MoU follows the new order (No. ҚР DSM-283/2020) of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which recognises online training as valid forms of CPD.
BMJ has been working in Kazakhstan since 2019 through the Clinical Decision Support Training Initiative which equips frontline healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively detect, diagnose and manage patients with infectious diseases.
The initiative, which involves working closely with the MoH, strengthens the healthcare system by building capacity through clinical decision support and online learning. Doctors access both resources in English and in Russian through a bespoke web-based portal which integrates easily into their day-to-day clinical workflow.
Formally recognising BMJ Best Practice and BMJ Learning as valid sources of CPD enables doctors in Kazakhstan to practice evidence-based medicine, improve quality of care, and ensure the safety of their patients. Since the onset of the pandemic, Kazakh doctors have been turning to BMJ's Covid-19 resources for evidence-based and continually updated information. With the accreditation, doctors will be able to obtain CPD credits for their time spent completing BMJ Learning modules and using clinical decision support, via BMJ Best Practice.
Since the inception of BMJ's award-winning CDS training initiative in 2016, the initiative has been successfully implemented in seven countries including Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Georgia, training over 18, 210 doctors in more than 1,000 medical institutions.
The programme has had a strong impact on learning outcomes. Doctors completed over 68,000 online learning courses and viewed over 673, 000 clinical decision support topics. There was a 38% average improvement in learning pre-test vs post-test scores, with average scores rising from 51% to 89%. Analysis also showed that the statistically significant improvements in knowledge scores from pre-test to post-test was sustained into the long-term. Finally, 95% of doctors said BMJ's programme and clinical resources helped them improve patient care.
"There has never been a more urgent time for frontline healthcare providers to receive the support that they need. Successfully securing CPD recognition of BMJ's resources means that doctors can be assured that, when they are using our evidence-based resources to improve patient care, they can earn credits towards their continuing medical education. Our digital resources give doctors fast access to credible information, whenever and wherever they need it." Dr Kieran Walsh, Clinical Director BMJ.
"In order to build a stronger healthcare system, we need constant support from the medical personnel. Medical personnel need to be equipped with the latest medical information. When they have access to such databases such as BMJ's resources, which is now recognized for CPD, it would significantly impact patient care." Akbota Abildina, Head of Management and Healthcare Human Resource Centre, Republican Healthcare Development Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan
