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Verification Process

Each year, the Medical Council require RCSI to undertake a verification process on a random sample of about 3% of those registered on our professional Competence Scheme. During this process, the portfolio of those selected is inspected, the number of credits versus those required is evaluated and the evidence to support those credits is examined.


Each year, the Medical Council require RCSI to undertake a verification process on a random sample of about 3% of those registered on our professional Competence Scheme. During this process, the portfolio of those selected is inspected, the number of credits versus those required is evaluated and the evidence to support those credits is examined.


Where insufficient evidence has been uploaded to a portfolio, the doctor is asked to provide any additional evidence that they may have. The Medical Council have stated that “if you cannot provide supporting documentation, this will be noted. This may impact on the total number of credits which you have accrued in the relevant 12-month period, and you may need to make up credits in the following period.”

The outcome of the verification process is noted on the doctor’s statement of participation.

We recently completed the second verification process for the RCSI Professional Competence Scheme for credits accumulated during 2012-2013. It is clear that obtaining appropriate evidence to support internal credits is challenging for many doctors. As a result of this process, the following guideline in relation to recording and verifying Internal credits has been developed to assist doctors when recording activity so that they know the level of detail required and also to promote consistency in recording for all registered participants.

WAYS OF RECORDING INTERNAL ACTIVITY AND PROVIDING EVIDENCE

The easiest and most efficient way of recording your professional competence activity is by using the online ePortfolio.  If possible, you should upload all evidence to the ePortfolio. If you do not upload attachments, you are required to keep hard copy evidence on file and will be required to submit these if you are chosen for the verification process.  

It is acceptable to make one entry to cover several episodes of the same activity but this record must list each individual episode  i.e. the number and dates of meetings, grand rounds etc.  and their duration. Where possible, a list of the topics discussed, presenters etc. should also be included. However, patient names or details identifying other parties who attended these meetings should not be included.


Below are the key details you need to include when recording any internal activity:

- Date of activity

- Category

- Name of Activity

- Description / Topics discussed

- Location

- Duration

There is a template provided on the website which you can use.  View template here.  When the document has been completed, it should be signed by you and the Clinical Director / Head of Department. One entry in your portfolio may be used to record your attendance at a whole series of meetings supported by a single signed record. Alternatively, you may enter each meeting in your eportfolio, print a copy of this page of your portfolio for signing/verification by the clinical director/head of department. 

Clone a Record
If you have a record of a meeting and wish to create a duplicate for another similar meeting on another occasion, you may clone a record. To clone a record login in to your eportfolio www.pcs.rcsi.ie  and complete the following steps:

If you have a record of a meeting and wish to create a duplicate for another similar meeting on another occasion, you may clone a record. To clone a record login to your eportfolio www.pcs.rcsi.ie  and complete the following steps:

  • Click on View Records
  • Select the record you wish to clone and click on View Details
  • Click on the Clone Record button
  • You will need to enter new date for record
  • Browse for supporting evidence & click submit

Your record has been created.

View Guideline How to Clone a record here

 
AUDIT Samples
Clinical Audit is a mandatory element of the Professional Competence Scheme for all Medical Practitioners.

Clinical Audit is a mandatory element of the Professional Competence Scheme for all Medical Practitioners.

For those involved in clinical practice, a quantitative and qualitative assessment of any aspect of your clinical practice is suitable material for an audit. For example:

  • Use of thromboprophylaxis or compliance with a policy
  • Outcomes after a particular surgical procedure (compared with national or international standards).

In many cases, these may be submitted and/or presented at national or international meetings and the published abstract or the presentation may be used as evidence.

If you are finding it difficult to identify a topic for audit, the intercollegiate group looking at the prevention of surgical site infections have developed a number of templates showing appropriate infection control audits which could be performed in most surgical units. This should be presented and discussed at a departmental or hospital meeting and a summary of the findings used as evidence.  Please click on below link for a sample audit.

Practitioners who are retired or whose work is mainly Med-Legal work, the sample template below may be of assistance when completeing a Med-Legal assessment audit.  This should be presented and discussed at a meeting and a summary of the findings used as evidence.   Please click on below link for template.

Satisfactory participation in a national audit organised by NOCA www.noca.ie  may also allow you to meet the audit requirements and these differ from audit to audit. NOCA can provide more details and are in a position to automatically add this to your portfolio when you have completed the process.   Contact the NOCA office for more information : deirdremburke@noca.ie


Preventing Surgical Site Infections Sample Audit

Med-Legal sample template audit

Reminder – Upload CPD credits 2013 – 2014
As we approach the end of the third year of the Professional Competence Scheme, we wish to remind you that you are required to record and upload certificates / proof of attendance for activities which you have participated in since May 2013.

As we approach the end of the third year of the Professional Competence Scheme, we wish to remind you that you are required to record and upload certificates / proof of attendance for activities which you have participated in since May 2013.

The Statement of Participation for this year will be generated in May 2013 and will reflect what you have recorded on your Portfolio. This Statement of Participation is the document that you will need to submit to the Medical Council if selected for their audit. The Medical Council will require those who are re-registering to declare that they are in compliance with their requirements for maintaining competence.

Maintenance of Professional Competence is a flexible, self-directed and practice based process for which you are responsible. We would encourage you to record your CPD activity and if you have any difficulty with this, please do not hesitate to contact pcs@rcsi.ie / 01 402 2743 in order that we can assist you with this.

 
Renew your PCS Enrolment for 2013 - 2014

Re-enrol for the current year 2013 - 2014  https://pcs.rcsi.ie 


Many of you will have renewed your enrolment for 2013 – 2014.  For those of you who have still to renew your enrolment, it is really important that you do so before April 30th.

If you do not register before then it will not be possible to register retrospectively and it will be impossible to produce an official statement of participation for 2013-2014.

Re-enrol by paying your fee online using your credit card click https://pcs.rcsi.ie

For details on Events approved for External CPD credits by RCSI - click on Calendar of Events
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