Thirteen Canadian health care organizations unite under one national framework for better patient care

The CanMEDS Consortium is working to improve patient care through a consistent approach to teaching and learning through a physician’s career. (CNW Group/Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada)

OTTAWA, Feb. 22, 2017 /CNW/ - Ensuring Canadian doctors have access to the world's best training model for patient care is a shared priority of 13 national and provincial health care organizations. Newly united under the CanMEDS Consortium, the organizations have pledged to embed a common set of values and competencies — the CanMEDS Framework — across the continuum of a Canadian doctor's education and career.

Represented by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), the consortium's mandate is simple — to improve patient care by using a consistent model to educate doctors in training and evaluate those in practice.

"Traditionally, CanMEDS has been used to train and evaluate new doctors during residency training, but the new consortium has pledged to embed CanMEDS values throughout their entire education and career, from the undergraduate years in medical school through to lifelong learning in practice," said Dr. Royal College CEO Dr. Andrew Padmos, FRCPC, FACP. "Each organization has pledged to embed CanMEDS in their respective areas of work. It's a move that represents a major step forward for the profession."

The CanMEDS Framework organizes the many competencies of a doctor under seven different roles: Medical Expert, Communicator, Collaborator, Leader, Health Advocate, Scholar and Professional. Numerous organizations in Canada and abroad have used aspects of the CanMEDS model for up to 25 years. Going forward, the consortium will enable a more systematic and coordinated adoption across the country.

"We see the new consortium as a great way to enable use of the CanMEDS Framework for family physicians and all other specialists," said CFPC Executive Director and CEO, Dr. Francine Lemire, CCFP, FCFP, CAE. "It will help to guide continuing professional development throughout physicians' careers, create more consistent professional standards and support better outcomes for our patients."

A consistent approach to education and evaluation will increase efficiency for the organizations delivering the training and the physicians receiving it. It will also help the medical regulatory authorities — who monitor the professional behaviours of residents and licensed doctors — to evaluate them along the same benchmarks.

"The CanMEDS Framework is a pivotal part of our education programs and the AFMC is delighted to be a co-chair of this transformative consortium," said Dr. Geneviève Moineau, FRCPC, President and CEO of the AFMC. "The pan-Canadian collaboration to further CanMEDS is a wonderful statement of our commitment to physician education and a manifestation of our social accountability to patient care."

CanMEDS Consortium members include:

• The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• The College of Family Physicians of Canada
• The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada
• The Canadian Federation of Medical Students
• The Canadian Medical Association
• The Canadian Medical Protective Association
• The Canadian Patient Safety Institute
• The Collège des médecins du Québec
• The Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec
• The Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada
• The Fédération des médecins residents du Québec
• The Medical Council of Canada
• The Resident Doctors of Canada

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) is the national, not-for-profit organization that oversees the medical education of specialists in Canada by setting high standards for postgraduate medical education and continuing professional development. In collaboration with health organizations and government agencies, the Royal College also plays a role in developing sound health policy in Canada.

The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) represents more than 35,000 members across the country. It is the professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training and certification of family physicians. The CFPC reviews and accredits continuing professional development programs and materials that enable family physicians to meet certification and licencing requirements and lifelong learning interests. It also accredits postgraduate family medicine training in Canada's 17 medical schools. The College provides quality services, supports family medicine teaching and research, and advocates on behalf of family physicians and the specialty of family medicine.

The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) represents the country's 17 faculties of medicine and is the national voice for academic medicine. Our organization was founded in 1943 and functions to support individually and collectively Canada's medical schools through promotion of medical education, research, and clinical care.

SOURCE Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Melissa Nisbett, Senior Communications Specialist, Royal College, [email protected], T: 613-730-8177 ext. 426, Cell: 613-218-9570, www.royalcollege.ca; Jayne Johnston, Director, Communications, CFPC, [email protected], T: 905-629-0900 ext 303, www.cfpc.ca; Marie-Hélène Urro, Communications Coordinator, AFMC, [email protected], T: 613-730-0443, www.afmc.ca