Peer practice review process
Peer practice review (PPR) is an on-site, three-hour appraisal of the participant’s practice by a Fellow approved by ANZCA. It aims to provide insight and feedback to the participant to help improve his or her professional development, by means of a formative assessment of the participant’s practice and CPD participation. It is not an appraisal of competence or fitness to practice.
PPR reviews and appraises the participant’s practice and CPD participation. This is conducted between the participant and the reviewer. PPR can be conducted in the following steps:
The Fellow who wishes to be reviewed (the participant) forwards an application to the College. Forms are available from the College or its website. The application includes a completed pre-visit questionnaire, other required documents and names of three anaesthetists who must hold FANZCA and be willing to be a reviewer. The participant must obtain their approval beforehand.
The College decides on the reviewer, notifies the participant and reviewer, and forwards the documents in the application to the reviewer.
The reviewer completes and submits the reviewer agreement form. By this, the reviewer agrees to act as an agent for the College according to guidelines, and to maintain confidentiality. The reviewer must declare any potential conflict of interest.
The reviewer contacts the participant to agree on the date, time, and venue of the PPR visit. The venue should be a principal place of work for the participant.
The reviewer peruses all the participant’s documentation well in advance of the visit.
The participant arranges for the day of PPR, a quiet room to meet, 10 records of patients he or she has managed in the past month, and if necessary, notifies the department head or the hospital about the reviewer’s visit.
The reviewer conducts the visit and PPR with professionalism and courtesy.
PPR is a three-hour visit with three components.
- A discussion on the participant’s practice, such as the practice setting, clinical duties, roles, and responsibilities (such as work rosters, administration, teaching, and record keeping from the patient records provided). This includes appraising, wherever possible, the participant’s attributes of a specialist anaesthetist. The reviewer may wish to visit the participant’s clinical and educational facilities (for example, operating theatres, clinics, offices, or library). This component gives the reviewer insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the participant’s practice.
- A discussion on the participant’s CPD, including needs assessment, CPD plan, learning styles, learning facilities available and implementation of the plan. This component gives the reviewer insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the participant’s CPD relevant to his or her practice and attributes of a specialist anaesthetist. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of the participant’s professional development. The reviewer must raise matters of concern about any aspect of the participant’s practice and CPD. This component allows the reviewer to discuss with the participant strategies to improve CPD as a result of the PPR.
Costs of PPR are borne by the participant. The cost is set by ANZCA Council in October each year.
Participants or reviewers may claim three credits per hour (category 3, level 2), including the time to prepare the pre-review documentation and PPR report.
Continuing professional development
