The Accreditation Section (AS) of the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) has developed a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program for all healthcare practitioners. This Program consists of two major components. The first is a CPD Framework which includes a balance of self-directed and practice-based learning activities. The second component is a CPD credit system with credit requirements that all healthcare practitioners must achieve to maintain licensure within the State of Qatar. A sub-component of the CPD credit system is the hybrid CPD accreditation system that establishes accreditation standards and processes for CPD activities and CPD provider organizations.
The CPD Program is designed to support and enable continuous learning and improvement that will benefit not only individual healthcare practitioners, but enhance the quality of care provided to patients. The development of a CPD Framework and credit system are two essential components of a national continuing professional development system.
All licensed healthcare practitioners will benefit from a CPD Program that supports them to manage and demonstrate their commitment to continuing professional development. The provision of a CPD ePortfolio will enable healthcare practitioners to record the continuing professional development activities they have completed, the knowledge, skills and competencies that were acquired or sustained, the areas where performance was improved and the overall impact of CPD on their professional practice.
In 2013, the Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP) was established by an Emiri Decree as the regulatory body for all healthcare professionals practicing in the state of Qatar. The Accreditation Section was founded to ensure that the governance, operations and activities of medical education in the healthcare sector in the state of Qatar meet accepted professional and ethical standards through a well-defined and structured CPD accreditation process for providers and programs.
The implementation of the national CPD Program for the State of Qatar began on March 7, 2016. The policies governing the CPD Program have concluded the following:
he start date of the CPD cycle will be personalized to coincide with the date of licensure in the State of Qatar.
Participation in the CPD Program will be mandatory for all licensed healthcare practitioners.
All healthcare practitioners must meet the minimal requirements to maintain their license to practice.
Given these policies, there will be a need to adjust the initial cycle length and credit expectations for healthcare practitioners who have already been licensed to practice in the State of Qatar at the time of the launch of the CPD Program.
The following table describes the annual and cycle requirements expected for healthcare practitioners depending on their current licensure date.
Additionally, the DHP-AS has determined (according to its Credit transfer policy) that healthcare practitioners will be permitted to transfer, into their first CPD cycle, up to 10 credits (in any category) that they completed in the immediate 6 months prior to the start of the cycle. This policy is applicable for the first CPD cycle only and valid until March 2018.
All healthcare practitioners in part-time or full-time practice in the State of Qatar are required to complete the annual and cycle-specific requirements of the CPD Program to maintain their registration and renewal of licensure with the Ministry of Public Health.
All licensed healthcare practitioners (including healthcare practitioners in training) are required to participate in the National CPD program EXCEPT Resident and Fellow Healthcare practitioners in structured training programs.
Each CPD cycle is two years (24 months) in duration unless an extension is granted as per the DHP-AS's Cycle Appeals Process Policy. The start date of an individual CPD cycle will align with each healthcare practitioner's date of licensure.
To maintain licensure the DHP-AS has established three mandatory requirements for all healthcare practitioners in the State of Qatar. Healthcare practitioners have to ensure they complete each of the requirements described below:
- The annual CPD requirement: Healthcare practitioners must complete and document a minimum of 40 credits each year.
- The CPD cycle requirements: Healthcare practitioners must complete and document a minimum of 80 credits every two years.
- Category-specific requirements: Healthcare practitioners must complete and document at least 40 credits in Category 1 and 40 credits across Category 2 and/or Category 3, in any combination.
No. Category-specific requirements are applicable only for the whole (2 years) CPD cycle and not annually. You may collect the 40 credits required from you each year from any category combination (e.g. 30 from category 1 and 10 from category 2) provided that, by the end of your 2 year CPD cycle, you successfully comply with category-specific requirements (collect 40 credits from Category 1 & 40 credits from Category 2&3).
No. Annual requirements are applicable only on a complete (2 years – 80 credits) CPD cycles. However, category-specific requirements (50% of credits from category 1 & 50% OF credits from category 2&3) will be applicable for you and for any healthcare practitioner whose 1st cycle extends for more than 12 months (required for 40 credits or more).
Healthcare practitioners will record their learning activities in the DHP-AS's CPD ePortfolio. In order for CPD activities to be successfully recorded in the CPD ePortfolio, the healthcare practitioner will be required to upload the relevant supporting documentation (as defined by the DHP-AS CPD Framework).
Yes. Submission of credit is open 3 months before license expiry date (due date for license renewal) and until the expiry date itself. Once you complete the CPD credit requirements, you may submit the CPD credits and proceed with license renewal during this period.
No. Credit transfer is not allowed between CPD cycles.
No. Credits completed during the CPD cycle duration only are allowed to be recorded in the e-portfolio.
While all employers are encouraged to provide CPD activities to their staff, it may not be possible for all employers. In this case, the DHP-AS encourages employers who regularly provide CPD activities to their staff to open registration to all healthcare practitioners. A list of CPD activities accredited for Category 1 and Category 3 credits is available on our website at https://dhp.moph.gov.qa. Additionally, practitioners may seek CPD activities that meet the requirements of the DHP-AS CPD Framework offered online or outside of Qatar. There are also self-learning options within Category 2 of the Framework that may be more widely available. The DHP-AS will closely monitor the availability of CPD activities for all healthcare practitioners.
Employers are strongly encouraged to provide protected time for their staff to attend or participate in CPD activities and to provide these activities at a reasonable cost (or free of cost). Healthcare practitioners can also pursue learning activities on their own across all three categories in the CPD Framework.
Healthcare practitioners who fail to meet the minimum annual requirement of 40 credits will be deemed non-adherent and will be notified of such by the DHP-AS at the end of the first year and provided with information on how to seek assistance. All non-adherent participants will be required to provide evidence of participation through a validation program in the remaining year of their cycle.
Non-adherent healthcare practitioners will be monitored and informed of their status throughout the remainder of their CPD cycle.
Healthcare practitioners who have not met the minimum requirement of 80 credits by the end of their CPD cycle will be deemed non-compliant and will be subject to having their licensure in the State of Qatar deactivated and, subsequently, may be subject to having their license terminated. An opportunity to appeal their CPD cycle closure and non-compliance will be provided.
No. Once launched, all healthcare practitioners licensed to practice in the State of Qatar must participate in the DHP CPD Program to maintain their Ministry of Public Health license to practice. However, participation in CPD activities (outside Qatar) accredited by international accreditation bodies that DHP-AS recognizes can be recorded in your e-portfolio.
Currently, Qatar's National Credit system is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy for Family Physicians (AAFP) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). CPD credits granted from participation in one of DHP-AS-accredited activity types (covered by the agreements) will be recognized by the Credit systems of such organizations. In addition, by a unique agreement, RCPSC will recognize fulfillment of DHP-AS CPD cycle requirements as equivalent and substitutive for participation in the RSPSC's MOC program.
Qatar's National CME/CPD Accreditation system is also recognized as substantially equivalent to the accreditation systems of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®) and The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
Web-based activities could be available across the three categories of the CPD Framework depending on the delivery method chosen by the CPD program developer. Examples may include online synchronous or blended group learning activities (Category 1), completing online self-learning modules or answering self-identified questions (Category 2) and accredited online assessment tools (category 3).
Yes, Live synchronous interactive webinars accredited by DHP-AS or DHP-AS accredited providers (if broadcasted from Qatar) or DHP-AS recognized international accreditation body (if broadcasted from outside Qatar) can be recognized as Category 1 - Online synchronous OR blended learning activities and can be recorded in your e-portfolio (as long as its submission is supported by required documentation).
No. Typically, working/clinical rounds are not formal CPD activities. Rather, they are bedside visits by a healthcare practitioner—to evaluate treatment, assess current course and document the patient's progress or recuperation. Only accredited learning rounds that have met the QCHP-AD CPD activity accreditation standards are eligible for credit under Category 1
All accredited activities (in the state of Qatar) are processed and published on a list on DHP-AS website and can be accessed from Practitioners' e-portfolio.
In addition, the certificate of participation in any QCHP-AD accredited activity shall clearly mention an accreditation statement and has QCHP logo.
You are allowed to record only the credit hours granted to you (depending on the duration of your participation) in the certificate of activity attendance.
No. Group learning activities that are not accredited by DHP-AS, DHP-accredited provider ((if conducted in the state of Qatar) or DHP-recognized international accreditation body (if conducted outside Qatar) will not be accepted to be recorded under Category 1, 2 or 3 of the National Framework.
Yes, CME/CPD activities attended outside Qatar which are accredited by recognized international accrediting bodies as well as those accrediting bodies with whom the DHP-AS has mutual agreement can be included within the CPD Framework. A provisional list of such accrediting bodies for different scopes/disciplines of practice is available on DHP website and can be accessed from e-portfolio. In order for CPD activities to be recorded in the CPD ePortfolio, the practitioner will be required to upload the relevant supporting documentation (as defined by the DHP-AS CPD Framework) which is to be provided by the CPD provider.
You may record reading journal article, book chapter or monograph under Category 2 > Clinical practice.
You need to fill in the reflection part and answer the required questions carefully to reflect the learning and professional development you completed.
You need to attach an abstract or full text of the journal article, book chapter or monograph as your supporting document. You may also attach a document with the reference or source of reading (e.g. web link).
You may record your "preparation" for formal teaching activities that you deliver under Category 2 - Self-Directed Learning Activities. Note that the hours eligible for CPD credit would be any "new" learning acquired while preparing or researching for your teaching sessions or presentations. It is important to note that the credit hours claimed are not simply the number of hours that you spend delivering your presentation or teaching sessions; rather the CPD credit hours are associated with the preparation you do in advance of these sessions.
Enrollment in a Postgraduate degrees or diploma programs recognized by a relevant professional body is recognized by the National CPD Framework as CPD. You may record each Semester/Course of the program that coincides with your CPD cycle as Category 2 - Self-Directed Learning Activity.
Note that, Setting for board or fellowship exams, however, without actual enrollment in a post-graduate study program cannot be recorded under this activity type.
You may record only the time you spent getting or receiving feedback from your employer (in case of feedback on your annual performance) or from the organization-assigned reviewer (in case of feedback on your teaching effectiveness). E-portfolio will calculate the credits you gained automatically based on the recorded time of feedback.
As of March 7 2018, DHP-AS's "Credit Transfer Policy" became invalid and Healthcare Practitioners who got their license after that date are not allowed to record any credits granted for CPD activities they completed before the date of license issuance in their first CPD cycle.
Kindly note that, "Credit Transfer Policy" was a transition policy (valid for two years) developed and put into action by DHP-AS from the date of the National CPD System launch (March 7 2016). It allowed healthcare practitioners to record in their e-portfolio up to ten (10) credits gained from participation in CPD activities completed before the start date of their first CPD cycle.
