David Brill
The introduction of mandatory continuing medical education(CME) in Indonesia will be of great benefit to both doctors and patients, according to the head of Ikatan Dokter Indonesia (IDI), the Indonesian medical association.
The new regulation, adopted in May last year, requires doctors to attain 250 continuing professional development (CPD) points every 5 years in order to obtain a certificate of competency, without which they cannot renew their registration and practice license.
“Every doctor in the world has an obligation – in keeping with the Hippocratic Oath and ethical codes of conduct – to continuously maintain, update and upgrade their knowledge and competencies,” said IDI president Dr. Fachmi Idris.
“The goal of CPD (and CME is the one of CPD activities) is ultimately to benefit patients,” he said. Other areas in which physicians can obtain CPD points include caring for patients, journal reading and teaching, among others.
Fachmi added that ensuring geographical and financial access to CME programs are the two major challenges that the IDI has faced so far in implementing the new system.
Doctors in Indonesia can gain CME points by participating in accredited symposia, seminars and workshops. Points will also be available through an online system which is currently under development.
Family physicians may obtain points through events organized for both general practitioners and specialists. However, family physicians will be able to obtain the necessary points faster by attending events that are organized for general practitioners than those organized for specialists, as they will be awarded more points for attending events geared towards general practice.
The association recently appointed CMPMedica, publisher of Medical Tribune, Medical Progress and the Journal of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as the first external, accredited CME provider in Indonesia. CMPMedica will help provide additional print, online and live avenues to help Indonesian doctors obtain the appropriate CME.
Globally, there is a trend toward making CME mandatory, although it remains voluntary in most countries in the Asia Pacific region. Singapore was among the first countries in the region to make the practice compulsory, beginning in January 2003.
The IDI was first given the authority to standardize and provide CME under the Medical Practice Law of 2004.
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