The Bi-Cycle Concept—Relating Continuing Education Directly to Patient Care

Abstract

This excerpted article originally appeared in Stearns NS, Getchell ME, Gold RK. Continuing Medical Education in Community Hospitals: A Manual for Program Development. Boston: Postgraduate Medical Institute, 1971, 88-96; and was published by the Massachusetts Medical Society, as a supplement to The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 284; No. 20; May 20, 1971.

Performance Data Advocacy for Continuing Professional Development in Health Professions

“…We have described this theory-to-practice challenge as a potential conceptual misstep, which has led to or been caused by a series of individual, organizational, and system-level barriers. Because Brown introduced a version of these ideas as early as the late 1960s, our intention is to promote a renewed CPD model that relates directly to patient care through data 49–52 . Our argument is that the CPD research and education community in the health profession attends to the conceptual assumptions related to performance data for CPD, such that practical solutions can be realized.…”

“…Because Brown introduced a version of these ideas as early as the late 1960s, our intention is to promote a renewed CPD model that relates directly to patient care through data. [49][50][51][52] Our argument is that the CPD research and education community in the health profession attends to the conceptual assumptions related to performance data for CPD, such that practical solutions can be realized. As such, we propose 6 stimuli for research programs intended to support broader and meaningful use and integration of performance data for CPD.…”

Recycling the Bi-Cycle Concept

“…The 1971 article “The Bi‐Cycle Concept—Relating Continuing Education Directly to Patient Care” by Brown and Fleisher is a remarkable description of an innovative project combining continuing medical education with what we would today call quality improvement. It is a perfect example of the adage, “Everything old is new again.” Kudos to Curt Olson, editor‐in‐chief of the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions , for recognizing the value in reexamining this innovative concept now over 40 years old and exploring its relevance to our ongoing efforts to integrate education and quality today.…”