British Mountain Medicine Society Report and Recommendations.
Continuing Professional Development for Mountain Medicine Professionals
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Introduction
Practitioners actively involved in mountain medicine must declare this in their scope of practice. They are responsible for undertaking mountain medicine continuing professional development (MMCPD). However, there is no specific advice about CPD for mountain medicine professionals. This report reviews CPD practice for health care and mountain professionals. It makes recommendations for MMCPD for members of the British Mountain Medicine Society. It does not address the issue of competency for the practice of mountain medicine.
Background
The regulators of health care professional practice are the Health Professional Council and General Medical Council. Professional bodies such as the Royal Colleges of Surgery, Medicine and Nursing provide oversight of CPD. Mountain professionals are regulated by organisations such as the British Association of Mountain Guides. It is the responsibility of professional bodies and regulators to use established mechanisms to monitor and revalidate practitioners.
The British Mountain Medicine Society (BMMS) is a membership organisation for the community of mountain medicine. It is not a regulator and can only make recommendations, based on expert opinion, to guide its members.
In March 2024 the BMMS Committee commissioned a report into CPD for mountain medicine with the purpose of producing a framework that could be used by all its members. Holders of the Diploma in Mountain Medicine (ICAR/UIAA/ISMM) are required to maintain their CPD. Historically, this was through a logbook of activity but in 2024 a requirement was introduced, by the DiMM Administrative Group, to complete 40 hours of CPD in mountain medicine topics over a 5 years cycle (8 hours per year). This was introduced in order to provide Diploma “recertification”. In the UK the DiMM is an academic diploma and is held for life, it cannot be recertified. However, all Diploma holders are responsible for meeting their professional obligations and to complete appropriate MMCPD for their own scope of practice.