Dr. Ramesh MehayProgramme Director (Bradford VTS)

Who Is The e-portfolio for?Think…ARCP panel : assessmentPublic : clinical governanceYOU : most importantly to help you reflect

and learn

Implications of ThisE-portfolio serves several purposesWe need to satisfy all stake holders

TraineesThe Educational Team – COs/PDsThe Assessment Team – ARCP, Deanery,

PMETBThe Public – ensuring structure training to

produce safe and competent docs

So, How Do We Do That?Your entries have to satisfy that they have

“ticked” the right boxes: satisifies the assessment team and the public

Your entries have to be put in a way that is meaningful for you and that you can refer to in the future if needed: i.e. it helps YOU

What they say….(RCGP)“Above all else the ePortfolio is where the

GPStR records their learning in all its forms and settings. Its prime function is to be an educational tool that will record and facilitate the management of the journey of clinical and personal development through learning.”

“It might be described as the glue which holds the curriculum learning and assessment together. “

The Curriculum HeadingsCan tell you which areas you are covering

wellWhich areas you need to concentrate on

moreHence helps you prepare for the AKT And makes you more “rounded” when you go

out there on your own

Adding EntriesDon’t get too hung up about where to put what

(ie what title to log the entry under). Most things go in the “shared learning log”

If you’re stuck, consider the “lectures/seminars” or “professional conversations” subtitles.

Failing that, put it somewhere, anywhere!Remember, it’s about quality of information not

quantity! A trainee with 300 log entries might not have recorded them to the right depth to make an informed judgement about them

Types of Things to AddThe things in red below give some idea of what you are like to

the reader. They also help you reflect and develop professionally.

Assessments (obviously): COTs CBDs etcOOH sessionLectures/TutorialsStuff you’ve read

Clinical conundrums/dilemmas – eg things from consultations you wish to discuss with your trainer later on (PUNs and DENs)

Ethical issuesDysfunctional consultationsTeam working problemsYour feelings

Exampleyou could write “felt cheesed off today because

blah blah blah and then the district nurse hassled me about blah blah blah. Will talk with trainer re: how he handles this on a day to day basis”

(obviously, stronger words like the F word are not encouraged.

It’s a tool to help you reflect and develop (although, yes, it does help inform the assessment process)

This is not an EXAM!

Shared LogUseful storage spaceHelps you get into reflective modeCan add in detailed stuff that you might want

to refer to in the future (eg during consultations)

Some people say they do ‘the reflective stuff’ in their heads, but this is likely to be at a superficial level. Mapping it out encourages depth AND informs you of new links and associations you might not have previously conceived (trust me on this one).

Not So Helpful EntryTitle“migraine tutorial”Things you learned:“diagnosis, treatment guidelines, referrals,”What will you do differently“Manage according to set guidelines”

SATISFIES PANEL/PUBLICSERVES LITTLE PURPOSE FOR YOU

A better wayTitle“migraine tutorial”Things you learned:“diagnosis, treatment guidelines, referrals,”“Must remember that hi dose aspirin (900mg) with

metoclopropramide can stop an acute attack if taken early and is a simple measure”

What will you do differently“Manage according to MIPCA protocol guidelines, and

encourage the aspirin regime when someone presents early”

SATISFIES PANEL/PUBLIC SATISFIES YOU : eg the next time a patient comes in with

migraine but a) you can’t remember who wrote the protocol and where it is and b) if you forget the “aspirin regime” you can search for it

Recording entries – a summarySo, there are TWO main things you need to

enter for each learning activity:

General stuff to show the breadth of what was coveredSatisfies the ARCP panels/assessment process

Specific stuff to highlight the key messages for youHelps you in your continuing professional

development

Searching the e-portfolioEasy peasyPut in keywords into the search box on the

“Shared Log” pageClick search

But, For This To Work…You need to use good headingsBe ConciseInclude Key wordseg “Migraine tutorial”eg “RCA: oral contraceptive pill”

Don’t forget to make use of your PDPShared log entries in which you have describe

some tasks you need to do can be sent to you PDP section

What’s the advantage? Instead of trawling through all the log entries to see what needs to be done, the PDP section collates it all

You can then tick them off when doneMakes organisational management (and thus

your life) easierAlso maximises learningOne snag: for it to work, trainer/supervisor has to

have read entries too; you’ll find a “submit to PDP” box once both ticks show in the learning log i.e. you have shared, trainer has read

OOH sessionsUse the COGPED OOH work booklet to help

add structure to an OOH session (available on Deanery and Bradford websites: www.bradfordvts.co.uk )

Then transcribe the important bits to the e-portfolio

Record under “shared learning log” section, subtitle “OOH”

EvidenceRemember, numbers are the MINIMUMThis means you should have done more than that as:CBD and COT are meant to be happening on a

weekly/fortnightly basisNo good saying at the 4m ARCP panel meeting

“we’ve done 4 and planning to do the next two in the next 2 months”. They want to see at least 6 by the 4m stage.

You may need to talk to your trainer/PM/hospital consultant to devise an organisational process to make this happen.

How Often?Continue to visit the e-portfolio regularly. Why not open it up just before you start your

consultations so you can add to it seamlessly.For those in hospital posts: why not just have a

go once a week……. It will become habitual , you’ll end up reflecting naturally and probably end up WANTING to log into more often. You’re never too far from a PC connected to the net – so you can even do it daily if you’re organised and motivated enough.

SummaryIf you want to add something, do! Don’t

worry where.The content should mean something to youAdd it in your own natural style: makes it

more believable too and gives a more accurate impression of you

Visit it regularly to make it usefulLog your OOH sessions

E-portfolio Pearls – how to start loving the e-portfolio and making the most of it.An e-portfolio guide (not the mechanical guide

from the RCGP) on www.bradfordvts.co.uk (click nMRCGP eportfolio )

It’s meant to show you how you can use the e-portfolio in a way to help you (ie as an educational tool) as well as satisfying the ARCP panel

It will also detail some common troubleshooting problems and mistakes to help you avoid falling into the same trap

And it’s dead easy to read