Practice visits
Fellows can participate in practice visits to earn CPD hours and gain valuable feedback from colleagues who understand the challenges of working in practice.
What is a practice visit?
Eligible RANZCOG Fellows* can express interest to receive a practice visit to gain valuable feedback on how your practice is progressing. The Fellow who visits you will gain an understanding of your performance and competencies, with the aim of improving safety and quality of care.
A practice visit helps you to identify the strengths, and assess relative risks within your practice which, if modified, may lead to improved patient satisfaction and outcomes as well as a reduction in medico legal issues. You will also receive support about occupational risks, such as where you are working too many hours, or with insufficient resources (human or equipment).
*eligibility varies per country; find out more below
Expand your professional networks
Being visited provides an excellent opportunity to gain support and feedback from colleagues who understand your specific professional challenges.
Australia
If you are a RANZCOG Fellow currently working in a regional, rural or remote area, you can express your interest to receive a practice visit to gain valuable feedback on how your practice is progressing, and identify areas of vulnerability to reduce risk.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a visit, the visited Fellow must be a RANZCOG Fellow currently working in a regional, rural and/or remote area (Modified Monash Model classification MM 2-7) for the past year. See Health Workforce Locator for classification details.
What is involved?
Before you are visited, you will complete:
a practice profile questionnaire
a self-assessment survey
the dispersion and collection of 50 patient satisfaction questionnaires
a logbook of the last three months of procedures
a memorandum of understanding in relation to the visit.
During your visit, you will:
be interviewed by two peers
undergo review of clinical workload, case mix and record keeping
be observed carrying out one major and one minor procedure in theatre
have their practice surroundings reviewed including equipment and processes such as OHS, record systems in public and private (both practice settings will be reviewed where possible)
receive feedback about the visit and initial findings.
The reviewers will also talk to colleagues of the Visited Fellow (which may include significant hospital staff such as Unit Managers in relevant areas together with Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Director of Nursing (DON) and Director of Medical Services (DMS), RANZCOG trainees and other junior staff) about the context of care provided within the organisation and systems issues.
After the visit, the results of the visit will be reviewed confidentially by the Practice Visit Working Group. You will then be provided with a written report outlining positive aspects of your practice and areas of vulnerability, with suggestions on practice improvement.
Apply
The expression of interest period to be visited in 2022 closed 25 February 2022; information about the 2023 round will be posted here later in 2022, and communicated to eligible Fellows.
Aotearoa New Zealand
The Aotearoa New Zealand practice visits programme has been running since 2003, with over 160 practice visits having been completed to date.
Practice visits provide collegial peer review of O&G specialists within their work environment.
Practice visits aim to identify the strengths and assess relative risks within a practice which, if modified, may lead to improved patient satisfaction and outcomes, as well as a reduction in medico legal issues. The project provides an excellent opportunity for Fellows to gain collegiate support and feedback from colleagues who understand the context and challenges of working in practice. An overview and summary of recommendations is made at the end of the practice visit, which is formalised through a letter sanctioned by the Practice Visit Sub-committee.
The Practice Visit scheme is a Protected Quality Assurance Activity. The Practice Visit report is confidential and belongs to the visited Fellow.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a visit, you will be a Fellow of RANZCOG practicing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
To be eligible to be a visitor, you will have had a practice visit yourself within the past five years.
What is involved?
Before you are visited, you will complete:
a practice profile questionnaire to assess your practice type
a self-assessment survey
the collection of 50 patient satisfaction questionnaires
surgical lists last three months
During your visit, your two reviewers will:
interview you
observe you carrying out one major and one minor procedure in theatre
look at your clinical surroundings
assess your clinical note taking
interview a variety of people you work with
sit in on a patient consultation
give you feedback about the visit and initial findings.
After the visit, the results of the visit will be reviewed confidentially by the Practice Visit Sub-committee. You will then be provided with a written report outlining positive aspects of your practice and areas of vulnerability, with suggestions on practice improvement.
Following the feedback, you may be offered a follow-up visit in order to help with further change and improvements.
Timeline
June: documentation sent to Fellows being visited
August/September: deadline for completion of pre-visit documentation
October–November: practice visits made
December: New Zealand Practice Visit Sub-committee meets, and visited Fellows are sent their practice visit report
Apply
The cost to apply for a visit is NZ$2,500 including GST, per Fellow.
Contact us to apply:
Aotearoa New Zealand office
Email: ranzcog@ranzcog.org.nz
Phone: +64 4 472 4608
Continuing professional development
Receiving a practice visit entitles you to CPD hours.
The visit is a Protected Quality Assurance activity.
More CPD information
The visited Fellow can claim CPD hours within the Performance Review domain of the RANZCOG CPD Framework
The visiting Fellow can claim CPD hours within the Educational Activities, Outcome Measurement and Performance Review domains of the RANZCOG CPD Framework.
Contact
Australia
For further information or any queries regarding practice visits, please contact:
Regional Fellows Coordinator
Email: regional.fellows@ranzcog.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 9412 2971
Aotearoa New Zealand
For further information or any queries regarding practice visits, please contact:
Aotearoa New Zealand office
Email: ranzcog@ranzcog.org.nz
Phone: +64 4 472 4608