The Medical Board of Australia has commissioned international research into revalidation of doctors to make sure doctors in Australia maintain the skills to provide safe and ethical care to patients throughout their working lives.

The conversation about revalidation in Australia started in 2012. Evidence from Canada indicated that 1.5 per cent of medical practitioners were performing unsatisfactorily. If the evidence is translated to Australia, it means more than 1,350 medical practitioners could be performing unsatisfactorily.

The Board has commissioned the Collaboration for the Advancement of Medical Education, Research and Assessment (CAMERA) at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry UK to conduct the research. The commissioned research will:

• establish the existing evidence base for the validity of revalidation or similar in countries comparable to Australia
• identify best practice and any gaps in knowledge for revalidation processes
• establish the validity evidence for revalidation’s effectiveness in supporting safe practice
• develop a range of models for the Australian context for the Board to consider.

The results of the study are expected to be received in June 2015. The Board will consider the research findings and recommendations based on the results.

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