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CAOT Position Statement
Continuing Professional Education (2006)

It is the position of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) that continuing professional education is essential for the personal and professional development of occupational therapists and for advancement of the profession of occupational therapy.  In accordance with the mission of the Association to advance excellence in occupational therapy, CAOT recognizes that access to and acquisition of current relevant and evidence-based knowledge, skills and behaviours are the key to the development and use of best practices in occupational therapy.

Recommendations

1. Occupational therapists engage in evidence-based continuing education activities and programs.

2.  Occupational therapists ensure awareness of and compliance with regulatory requirements for learning and professional development.

3. Occupational therapists recognize practice experience as a basis for learning and engage in self-directed and lifelong learning through reflective practices. 

4.  Occupational therapists are provided with adequate resources and support to allow participation in continuing professional education.

5.  Occupational therapists develop informal or formal learning networks to encourage integration of evidence-based knowledge and skills into practice.

CAOT Initiatives

To promote continuing professional education in occupational therapy, CAOT will:

1.  Provide occupational therapists with access to learning and best practice resources with products, services and delivery options that are relevant, current, cost-effective and appropriate for members needs.

2. Facilitate, support and/or sponsor diverse continuing professional education activities to meet changing and emerging practice needs and environments.

3. Develop a national database to assist occupational therapists in identifying continuing professional education resources for their learning needs.

4.  Facilitate access to research-based evidence to assist with acquiring new knowledge and to facilitate integration of research into practice.

5.  Pursue partnerships (e.g. with affiliate occupational therapy organizations, government, professional and consumer associations, and health organizations) to develop and sponsor continuing education products and services that meet member learning needs.

Background

1.  CAOT recognizes that individual participation in life-long education is a professional responsibility (CAOT, 2002).  There are many reasons for participation in continuing education including professional advancement, employer obligations, regulatory requirements for professional growth and competency, and personal interest. The ultimate goal of continuing education for occupational therapists is to maximize the well-being of those for whom the therapist is professionally responsible (Harvey, 1983). Continuing professional education allows therapists to remain abreast of current information, avoid information obsolescence and thus provide improved service to the public as well as demonstrate that the profession of occupational therapy is capable and committed to self-improvement and self-regulation (Hobson, 1990). Continuing education assists the individual professional by maintaining and increasing competence in the rapidly changing fields of health and social services and may prevent being the subject of a civil lawsuit or investigation by a regulatory body (Cosman & Heinz 1995). Improved competency benefits not only the therapist but also employers and payors and the profession as a whole to ensure continued effectiveness and viability of occupational therapy practice.

2.  Continuing professional education is concerned primarily with personal and professional development and is deemed necessary by advances in knowledge (Jarvis, 1995). Occupational therapists are required to engage in professional development to ensure competency (Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations, 2002).  The development of a continuing education plan is a responsibility which rests with the individual professional and is planned in order to reflect individual needs, interests and learning skills (Campbell & Pasemko, 1985; Madill, 1984). The plan is based on assessed professional needs, participation in appropriate continuing education opportunities, evaluation of the appropriateness of the education plan for learning needs and the application and transfer of new knowledge, skills, and relevant information to practice (CAOT, 2002).

3.  Reflection on professional practice experiences is an essential component of continuing professional education (Kinsella, 2000).Occupational therapists are required to be self-directed in their learning activities and be able to relate new information to their own needs and experiences. For this reason, continuing education activities should be experiential in nature, problem-centred, and provide immediate relevance to occupational therapy practice (Knowles, 1984). With increased emphasis on the need to integrate evidence into practice, portfolios may be a means to document, reflect upon and use evidence gained through research, client and/or professional experience. Portfolios allow occupational therapists to “note questions about treatment efficacy, alternative approaches or other recurring issues” and highlight areas requiring evidence or further professional education (Bossers, Kernaghan, Merla, & Van Kessel, 1999, p. 13).

4.  Learning formats, materials and activities should be designed to accommodate the wide range of occupational therapy backgrounds and experiences. CAOT recognizes that there are many different strategies for continuing professional education including teleconferences, case presentations, and independent self-study courses; web-based learning, and face-to-face learning such as special interest groups, lectures and discussion groups (Hobson, 1990). 

5.  CAOT strives to assist members in meeting educational needs through learning services and products including publications, toolkits, web education, workshops, endorsed and co-sponsored courses, literature search service, and resources for evidence-based practice. The CAOT annual conference and pre-conference workshops, the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Now, are additional sources for learning.  CAOT monitors members' educational needs through surveys and consultation, requests for professional practice information and discussions with affiliate occupational therapy organizations.  As well, national committee representation activities, technological innovations, legislation, and environmental scans of developments in health and social issues inform CAOT continuing professional education activities.  CAOT will continue to respond to members' educational needs and promote occupational therapists' involvement in continuing professional education.

References 

Association of Canadian Occupational Therapy Regulatory Organizations. (2003). The Essential Competencies of Practice for Occupational Therapists in Canada.  (2^nd ed.).

Bossers, A., Kernaghan, J., Merla, L., & Van Kessel, M. (1999). Portfolios: A powerful professional development tool..."if you had to prove your competency, could you do it?" Occupational Therapy Now, 1(4), 11-13.

Campbell, D. & Pasemko, E. (1985).Developing continuing professional education in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology/audiology. Edmonton, AB: Faculty of Education, University of Alberta.

Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (2002). Profile of occupational therapy practice in Canada (2^nd ed.). Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.

Cosman, R., & Heinz, C. (1995). Professional Responsibility of Occupational Therapists. Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.

Harvey, L.M. (1983). Continuing education and the geographically isolated therapist. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 50, 125-132.

Hobson, S.J.G. (1990). A field analysis of continuing professional education in occupational therapy. Antigonish, NS: Saint Francis Xavier University.

Jarvis, P. (1995). Adult and continuing education: Theory and practice. (2^nd ed.). London: Routledge.

Kinsella, E. A. (2000). Professional development and reflective practice: Strategies for learning through professional experience. Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.

Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Madill. H. M. (1984). Life-long education in an occupational therapy context. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51, 68-72.

Related CAOT Position Statement:
Evidence-based Occupational Therapy

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