Physiotherapists

Recertification

The Board has introduced a Recertification Programme as a means of ensuring practitioner competence through life long professional development.

Physiotherapists are expected to maintain their competence by undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) relevant to their area of practice Compliance with the Recertification Programme is linked to renewal of your Annual Practising Certificate (APC). When you renew your APC you are asked to confirm that you have completed the minimum number of CPD hours to meet the Recertification Programme requirements. There is a minimum requirement to complete at least 20 formal CPD hours each year.

A central component of the recertification process is the “Recertification Guidelines Booklet”. This booklet is being redeveloped to reflect the changes in the Recertification Programme. A copy will be available for practitioners soon.
Our objective is to make the process clear and simple therefore your feedback is important to us. Please email your comments.

There are significant changes to the Recertification Programme starting in April 2008

• New start date. Each year the Recertification Programme will start on 1 April and run until 31 March. This means the Recertification Programme is aligned with the practising year.
• New Recertification cycle. A three year cycle will remain however it will be a rolling cycle by 2011.

As of 1 April 2008, the Recertification Programme requirements are:

• 100 formal CPD hours over the next three years
• 50 practical hours or practice-based hours must be verified over the three years
• Evidence of one Professional Peer Review over the three year period.

100 Formal CPD Hours

Definition: Formal CPD hours are activities which enhance your learning. CPD hours should be recorded in a manner demonstrating what is new learning for you.

Maintaining a list of activities and retaining evidence is good practice.
The Board recommends that you keep an up-to-date log book and classify your learning into the four learning categories:

• Work based
• Professional
• Formal education
• Self-directed

Maintaining a record - your log book

Click here for an electronic version of the Log book. This is an Microsoft Excel version.
The Board recommends you use an electronic log book to record your completed CPD activities. You should update your CPD log book on a regular basis. The electronic log book is an example of an acceptable log book format. The main thing is that you keep an accurate record of CPD activities so information can be quickly retrieved if you are asked to complete a Professional Development Report as a requirement for the Recertification Programme Audit.

Sample log book
Click here for an example of a completed log book. This log book describes a range of CPD activities and details the level of evidence you need to provide when you submit a Professional Development Report. This log book is provided as a guide only.

Requirements For The Log Book

• You must complete 100 formal hours over a three year period. List all your CPD activities in your log book and retain your supporting evidence.
• There are four learning categories and you must include at least one CPD activity in each learning category over the 3 year period. There is no restriction on maximum hours in any learning category.

Only five CPD activities are capped at 20 hours over the entire 3 years:

• Accreditation of your practice
• Preparation of practice documents
• Mentoring
• Supervision of staff and/or students
• Planning or running a course
  
• You may only count the above activities where you can demonstrate that your own learning has been enhanced.
• The new Guidelines Booklet will provide examples of CPD activities which may be recorded in your log book.
• When you hold an APC you must complete at least 20 formal CPD hours in any given year. Where possible the Board has tried to accommodate those practitioners who have taken a break from the profession. To maintain some level of competency a practitioner is expected to complete at the very minimum 20 hours of formal CPD. The CPD may be completed in any one of the four learning categories.
• Formal CPD hours are pro-rat’d:
  1. If you have a break from practice of three months or longer and you don’t hold an APC during this time
  2. If you join the Recertification Programme part way through.

50 Practical or Practice-based Hours

Definition: Practical hours are those hours where you practice physiotherapy. Practising physiotherapy goes wider than clinical medicine to include teaching, research, medical or health management, in hospitals, clinics, general practices and community and institutional contexts, whether paid or voluntary. Therefore practitioners engaged primarily in researching, teaching or auditing may count these hours as their practical hours.

Requirements

• You must complete 50 practical hours over the three year period.
• The 50 hours will need to be verified. You can ask another person i.e. your manager or supervisor to verify the hours you have completed practising physiotherapy. Click here to download the form.
  Or you may submit other documents as evidence of your 50 practical hours:
  • a signed contract
  • an invoice
  • a letter from your employer.
• You are not expected to keep a log of your practical hours.
• You may complete all the hours in one year or proportionally across the three years. There is no minimum requirement per year.
• Practical hours are pro-rat’d:
  1. If you have a break from practice of three months or longer and you don’t hold an APC during this time
  2. If you join the Recertification Programme part way through.

Professional Peer Review

Definition: Professional Peer Review allows you to assess your practice in relation to your peer group. Individual feedback is useful as a quality improvement exercise and as an on-going educational tool.

• You must show evidence that at least one Professional Peer Review has been completed a three year period.
• The peer review is based on your area of practice. For example, if you work as a researcher then the review should address a research project you have completed in the last three years.
• The Board is not at this stage prescribing any specific format for your Peer Review.

The Recertification Programme Audit
The Board needs to be assured that practitioners are engaging in CPD activities that are relevant and appropriate to their area of practice and skill level. Annually the Board will undertake an audit of practitioners’ CPD activities.
The Recertification Programme commences on 1 April 2008. The first year of the Recertification Programme ends on 31 March 2009. This year, due to the new start date, practitioners may include CPD activities completed between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2008 in their 2008/2009 log books.

From 2011 onwards the audit is a rolling cycle and the first three-year cycle will end on 31 March 2011.

WHAT ARE THE AUDIT REQUIREMENTS IN 2008/2009?

If you are selected in the 2008 Recertification Audit, you must meet the following criteria:

• A log book of formal hours CPD activities (a minimum of 20 hours)
• Five pieces of evidence which support your formal CPD recorded in your log book
• Three reflective statements
• A Professional Peer Review: if you have completed one during the 2008/2009 year
• Include any number of your 50 practical hours. There is no set requirement in the first year of the audit.

The evidence should only relate to that collected from 1 January 2008. However the Board recommends that you retain all your previous CPD materials and evidence for your own reference.

What Are The Full Requirements By 2011?
Requirements Over The Three Years: 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011

As noted the Board has moved to a rolling cycle and has given practitioners two years in which to meet the full Recertification Programme requirements.

Log Book Hours – 100 Formal CPD Hours
Over the three years 100 formal CPD hours are required.
Remember that only those formal CPD hours that you can support with acceptable personalised evidence will be counted by the Evaluator. Acceptable evidence is, for example, a course certificate, personalised notes from the course or a reflective statement describing your new learning and the impact this has had on your practice.
Your log must include a brief description of your work history. This information is required so the evaluator can assess the relevancy of your CPD, your practical hours and your Professional Peer Review.

The Five Pieces of Evidence
Please select these from all the evidence you have retained. If your selected evidence doesn’t meet the Board’s criteria you will be asked to submit further examples. Your five pieces of evidence must be personalised. In some cases it is difficult for the Evaluator to ascertain the practitioner’s involvement in a project or a conference. While an element of trust operates in regard to practitioner activities the best verification is that which is personalised. Writing a reflective statement is another way of retaining evidence and demonstrating how an activity has contributed to your own personal learning.

Three Reflective Statements
It is crucial that you reflect on your own area of practice and how a particular CPD activity impacts directly on your practice. It is strongly recommended that you reflect on a CPD activity listed in your log book and /or an ethical or cultural issue.

One Professional Peer Review
Practitioners will be asked to provide evidence that a Peer Review has occurred once during the three-year period. You may use your own form however the Board will be developing a Professional Peer Review Form which will soon be available.

50 Practical Hours
Over three years 50 practical hours are required.
You may submit all your practical hours (the entire 50 hours) in one year or a proportion of your hours over the three year period. Click here to download the verification of hours form.

THE RECERTIFICATION AUDIT PROCESS

Audit Selection
Three groups of practitioners are included in the audit:

1. 5% of the physiotherapists who currently hold an Annual Practising Certificate are randomly selected from the Register
2. Physiotherapists who have returned to physiotherapy practice after an absence of three years or more and have been practising for a year
3. Physiotherapists who are directed by the Board to participate in the Recertification Programme Audit.
   

Timeline

1. Audit selection. Practitioners are notified in December of their inclusion in the audit. Their Professional Development Report (PDR) must be received by 30 April.
2. The Board receives a completed PDR. An initial check of the PDR ensures all sections are complete. If all is in order the Board notifies you that your PDR will be sent to an Evaluator. If information is unclear or omitted you will be asked to supply further information at this stage.
3. The PDR is assigned to an Evaluator. To reduce bias or conflict of interest, the evaluator must reside outside the practitioner’s geographical area.
4. The Evaluator examines the PDR and completes the Audit Report. The completed Audit Report is returned to the Board, quality checked and prepared for dispatch.
5. You receive your audit completion letter and Audit Report
   The audit completion letter gives you the result of the audit. There are three possible outcomes from the audit:
   • Achieved
   • Partially achieved
   • Not achieved

The Evaluator’s Audit Report will provide you with feedback on your CPD activities and identify any potential gaps in your CPD programme. You are also asked to complete a questionnaire giving your opinion on the audit process. These forms are analysed and used to improve the audit process.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Recertification Programme
The Board has a specific email address to answer any queries relating to our Recertification Programme. Please email us at .recertification@physioboard.org.nz.

We welcome your feedback and appreciate written suggestions that may improve the Recertification Programme.

General Questions about the Recertification Programme
Questions about CPD activities

Q. What happens if I attend a course but the convener does not issue me with a certificate of attendance?

A. The Board accepts that in some cases practitioners will not be able to provide evidence of course attendance. For example, it may be difficult to obtain a certificate when attending a hui or marae-based learning activity. The Board recommends that you record these activities in your log book and provide the Board with a reflective statement outlining what you have learned from the experience and how you will integrate this new learning into your practice. Remember that the onus is on you to provide the Board with information that will substantiate your claim. Retain relevant documentation such as your course certificates with your log book.

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Q. Is it true that physiotherapists who are employed as lecturers are able to count their work as a recertification activity?
A. This is not correct. If lecturing is included in the physiotherapist’s job description then the entire time spent lecturing may not be counted as a recertification activity. If you wish to count lecturing as CPD you must be able to demonstrate how this activity enhances you own learning. A reflective statement would suffice as evidence.

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Q. I only work part-time so do I need to engage in recertification activities?
A. Yes, all practising physiotherapists, irrespective of the hours they are employed, must complete 100 hours of formal recertification activities and 50 practical hours within 3 years. Working part-time is not a reason to reduce CPD activities. On the contrary, part-time practitioners may have less contact with their peers therefore recertification activities form an important role in maintaining skills and standards. The public expect the same standard of treatment from all physiotherapists hence a part-time practitioner must be just as competent as fully employed practitioner.

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Questions about CPD activities

Q. I recently attended a business course. Can I include this course as part of my Recertification Programme?
A. Yes, you may include a business or management course as part of your Recertification Programme; however the course must be relevant to your physiotherapy practice in a wider sense. For example, a customer service course which helps you develop better communication skills with your clients or a computer course that improves your knowledge of record-keeping are both appropriate courses to include in your Recertification Programme. Many physiotherapists believe that only clinical courses can be included in recertification activities. However, business courses also contribute to maintaining high professional standards. Activities do need to relate to your area of practice, whether you are a clinician, teacher or manager.

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Q. I have just completed a CPD activity but I am not sure if it fits into one of the four learning categories set out in the Recertification Programme. What should I do?

A. If you are unsure about the eligibility of a CPD activity then please email the Board at recertification@physioboard.org.nz
We strongly recommend you contact us before you embark on a CPD activity which is not specified in the “Recertification Guidelines” booklet. The four learning categories are intentionally very broad so practitioners can choose from a wide range of activities that suit their learning needs. Remember that any CPD activity you choose should be relevant and beneficial to both you and your client.

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Q. I wish to attend a course in a complementary therapy. Can this course count as a CPD activity?
A. CPD activities should relate to the 10 general registration competencies indicated by the Board. These activities must reflect the practice of physiotherapy.
At present, Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) therapies cannot be reasonably linked to developing or maintaining any of the physiotherapy competencies. Recognised physiotherapy treatment involves a cogent process of assessment, diagnosis and reasoning. Many CAM therapies do not follow this fundamental structure of clinical physiotherapy. They have not been subjected to rigorous, scientific testing and the crucial aspect of safety for the public has not been proven.
The Board is committed to monitoring the worldwide market practice of physiotherapy. The various forms of CAM therapy will be regularly assessed for their scientific viability, consumer benefit and, above all, proven safety for the public.

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Q. I am employed solely as an auditor and I am not working in a clinical setting. What are my Recertification Programme requirements and what activities can I count as CPD?
A. Your audit requirements are the same as all other practitioners.

• You must complete 100 hours of formal CPD. You could include courses you have attended, literature you have read relating to auditing, policies you have developed relating to your auditing role.
• You must complete 50 practical hours. These are the hours you have completed in your capacity as an auditor i.e. auditing a practice or another health professional. The company you are employed with could provide the Board with a letter verifying your 50 hours, or a signed contract would suffice.
• You must complete one Professional Peer Review. Another health professional employed in a similar type of role with the same experience/knowledge would be the best person to chose as a peer. The organisation where you are employed may have a peer review form and you may submit this as part of your PDR.

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Q. I am practising in a small rural community and I do not have access to many courses or organised CPD activities. How can I meet the Recertification Programme requirements?

A. The Board has reduced the number of formal CPD hours from 120 hours to 100 partly to accommodate those practitioners who work in rural locations. You are now able to count some of your practice hours as CPD. That is “on the job” learning has been recognised by including 50 practical hours as CPD.
Most rural practitioners find that nearly all their activities are in the self-directed category but you could include some of the following to ensure you have one activity in each learning category:

Formal Education
Distance learning courses are an option. Courses don’t necessarily have to be undertaken in clinical physiotherapy. For example, a post graduate diploma in Public Health may be counted as CPD.

Professional
You could either set-up or join a journal club with local health professionals.
You may be able to present to a local group on a physiotherapy issue. For example, you could speak to a sporting group about common injuries and how to prevent them. The preparation time can be counted as CPD.

Work Based
If you are a sole practitioner make time to visit another physiotherapy practice to observe their practice and discuss clinical issues. Write a reflective statement and log this in your log book.

General Questions about the Recertification Audit
The Board has a specific email address to answer any queries relating to our Recertification Audit. Please email us at audit@physioboard.org.nz

Q. Will physiotherapists be exempt from being audited if they have been previously audited within a certain timeframe?
A. No. Practitioners previously audited may be selected for subsequent audits.

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Q. Will the Board be sympathetic to practitioners who have had serious illness and could not undertake CPD activities for a lengthy period of time?
A. Yes. The Board will consider on a case-by-case basis applications for dispensation in cases of serious illness or other unforeseen circumstances. Please inform the Board immediately if you are in this situation, to discuss your options.

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Q. What happens if a practitioner fails to meet the audit requirements?
A. The Board wishes to promote a learning culture. Practitioners who submit a PDR which does not meet the Board’s requirements will receive guidance on how to address the deficits.
Practitioners who fail to submit a PDR will be referred to the Board under s.43 of the HPCA Act. Each case will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

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