Learning Plan & Portfolio

The following pages include a series of learning tools which are designed to assist you to develop your learning plan and to complete the learning plan application process for the allocation of 40 Category 1 points.

GPs are encouraged to develop a learning plan for the whole of the triennium and it should be noted that only one learning plan per triennium will receive 40 Category 1 points

Remember, your learning plan will change as you execute it. This is because it will lead to new learning directions, and other learning questions will emerge along the way. Retain a record of the original information you record in each of the following tools and keep a record of any revisions or changes you make.

Learning plan and portfolio: identifying unmet needs

Please retain for your records.

Choose a time to start identifying unmet patients’ needs. At the end of every consultation spend a few moments and consider: ‘Were there any patients’ needs that I was unable to meet in the consultation?’ If the answer is yes, record some details on this page. Continue documenting unmet patients’ needs until you have identified 10 or have collected from 10 sessions of general practice, whichever comes first. Some patients’ unmet needs will be resolved by small changes in practice management. Record how you plan to meet each unmet need in the action column.

Patients’ unmet needs / Specific learning needs / Action

Learning plan and portfolio: practice profile analysis

Please retain for your records.

Ensure you list all demographics. You can access most of your practice demographics from your medical

software. Highlight demographics that stand out and include demographics that are specific to your practice but may not be included on the profile analysis.

Q1. How many patients would you see in an average week:

______in practice

______at home

______in a nursing home

______in hospital

______elsewhere

Q2. What is the cultural/ethnic profile of your patients?

Q3. Gender: female (%) male(%)

Q4. How many patients would you see in an average week who are:

aged 0-4 years

______aged 5-11 years

______aged 12-18 years

______aged 19-25 years

______aged 26-44 years

______aged 45-64 years

______aged 65 years or above

Q5. What is the socioeconomic status of your patients?

After reviewing your answers to questions 1–5, can you identify any areas of learning need related to the demographics of patient population?

Q6. Patient presentation: list the five most common presentations you see in an average week.

Topic
1. Most common
2.
3.
4.
5. Least common

Can you identify any learning needs from your answers to question 6?

Q7. Community issues:health service availability.

Service type / Availability
Specialists
Allied health
Eg. physiotherapy
Community services
Eg. nursing home
Hospital nearby
Ie. 10 km to nearest public hospital
Pharmacy
Pathology services
Radiology services
Any other

If referral services are not available locally, how do you manage the patient?

Eg. programs available in the local area such as Fit For Life, swimming programs.

Which services do you refer patients to on a regular basis?

You might like to consider undertaking a supervised clinical attachment with these individuals in order to understand what the patient will expect and how to best support them.

Q8. In looking at your local community, is there a high proportion of people with specific health, social or cultural needs?

Q9.Are there health issues that are particularly relevant to your local community?

Q10.Are there any learning needs you can identify from your assessment of community needs?

Learning plan and portfolio – reflection on your career needs

Please retain for your records.Ensure you complete all parts of this tool so that all aspects of your professional work are covered.

Question /

Reflection

Learning needs

What are my current clinical responsibilities within the practice?
What are my areas of special skills or interest that I need to maintain/keep current?
What are my non-clinical responsibilities within the practice?
Eg. computers, practice finance, practice management
What appointments do I hold outside of my practice? Eg. clinical: hospital appointments; non-clinical: committees
Do I have any career goals that will affect what I need to learn over the next year?
What clinical presentations are new to me in which I need more experience and/or knowledge?
Other non-clinical skills/interests

Learning plan and portfolio – reflection on your learning styles

Please retain for your records.

The aim of this learning tool is to assist you to select education activities which best suit your preferred learning style. Where possible, ensure you include a range of activities. Assess whether you have tended to participate in one type or a range of types of activities. Ensure you include comments on the different learning styles, for example, attending lectures, practical sessions, online learning, group work. Use this information to identify your preferred learning styles.

Past learning experience /
What teaching methods were used? /
Which of these teaching methods did you find most helpful? /
How will this affect your choice of learning in the future?

Learning plan and portfolio – summary of your needs

Please retain for your records.

Having completed the needs assessment tools 1–4, make a list of your possible learning needs.

From Tool 1: patients’ unmet needs and doctors’ unmet needs

From Tool 2: practice profile analysis

From Tool 3: career needs

Learning plan and portfolio – interim evaluation

Please retain for your records.

This learning tool is designed to help you assess how your learning plan is progressing and to prioritise further learning needs. You may choose to discuss this with a peer or educator. There should be a minimum of six months between when you submit your learning plan and conducting your first interim evaluation, with a minimum of six months between each interim evaluation. The purpose of this is to give you time to evaluate your progress and to achieve some of your learning goals.

How well are you meeting your identified learning needs?

Which of your identified learning needs have you met?

Progress

What can you do about those learning needs you are not meeting?

Consider the learning needs in your original plan that you are currently not meeting. What are the reasons for this? Do you need to review your priorities? Are there strategies you need to consider to redress the situation?

Considerations / Actions

Please retain for your records.

What new learning needs have emerged? What are your strategies to address these?

New learning need / Action

Revision with a peer

If you discussed your original learning plan with a peer, you may with to discussany revisions you have made. Firm up any forward action, and discuss with peer.

Peer’s comments:

Remember, your learning plan will change as you execute it. This is because it will lead to new learning directions, and other learning questions will emerge along the way. Keep a record of these changes, discuss them with your peer reviewer, but make sure you pursue them. A learning plan is a guide, not a rule book.