Implementation of provider accreditation in Ukraine: the role and responsibilities of providers in continuing medical education/continuing professional development

In order to provide the best possible care for patients, medical professionals must constantly learn. Exactly through continuing education that medical workers improve their professionalism in practice. The key link in the system of continuing medical education (CME), continuous professional development (CPD) is a provider or organizer of educational activities, an organization that plans, organizes and conducts educational events for medical professionals. The main requirements for the activities of providers or organizers of CME-CPD are impartiality, independence in planning, preparing and conducting educational events on a regular basis, at a high professional level with the involvement of highly qualified specialists. Purpose — to describe the role of providers in the CME-CPD system, their responsibility in complying with the requirements and standards of accredited education, the peculiarities of their activities during the reform of medicine in Ukraine and integration into the international community in the field of CME-CPD. The recommendations, provided in the article, can be used by CME-CPD participants or stakeholders who are aimed at actively participating in the implementation of a new accreditation system, namely, provider accreditation with its subsequent support and development. On the way to achieving stable results in the organization of CME-CPD, it is important for Ukraine to join the international community of organizations working in the field of CME-CPD, by introducing a new accreditation system, namely, provider accrediting and achieving it substantial equivalence to international standards. No conflict of interest were declared by the author. Key words: continuing professional development, continuing medical education, accreditation, provider, medical specialists, educational activities.