The Australian Quality Assurance and Continuing Education Program as a model for the reaccreditation of general practitioners in the United Kingdom.

Abstract

A Quality Assurance and Continuing Education Program has been developed in Australian general practice over the past nine years. This effectively integrates audit and education within a coherent strategy for quality improvement. The programme fulfils many of the same aims as current proposals for reaccreditation in the United Kingdom (UK). This report describes the operation of the programme and an analysis of the effects of the scheme. A similar quality assurance strategy is proposed for the UK, which would address many of the criticisms of postgraduate education and may provide a realistic model for reaccreditation.