Are you leaving MOC credits on the table? Find out by asking yourself a few questions
In this article:
- Questions to help you reflect on your recent work and determine if you may have overlooked opportunities to report your activities for MOC credit
- Support on how to document your quality improvement/problem-solving work in MAINPORT-ePortfolio
It’s not too late to do reflective work on your quality improvement activities and have it count towards your 2022 MOC credit requirements.
Many of us are involved in problem-solving/quality improvement (QI) work on a fairly regular basis. But how often do we spend dedicated time reflecting on these activities?
Consider these guided questions below as a prompt to document all the great QI work you are engaged in. Split in to two sections — assess and act — this short activity is meant to encourage reflection and then support how to capture your QI work for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit.

(Photo: 2H Media – Unsplash)
The Royal College is putting a new emphasis on QI in its MOC Program. New guidance and information on continuous quality improvement (CQI) are available to support Royal College Fellows and specialists with this shift in focus.
Visit the new Essential Guidance for Quality Improvement webpage to find introductory information about continuous quality improvement (CQI), how to start a QI initiative using a systematic approach and practical tools, as well as how to report QI activities in the existing MOC framework.
ASSESS
What did I do last year?
When working at a fast pace, with a lot of competing priorities, it can be hard to know what you did last week — let alone last year! To kick-start your reflection, spend some time in quiet contemplation. Think back to the highs-and-lows of your year.
- What are you most proud of accomplishing?
- What didn’t go as planned?
- What do you plan to continue to work on in the upcoming months?
Useful prompts: It can be helpful to have access to your calendar. Go through the weeks and months to be reminded of all the activities and work you were involved with.
What challenges did I run in to?
The past few years have forced us all to adapt to new ways of doing things. For example, did you
- Set up new protocols to better protect patients or staff?
- Find creative ways to communicate with team members or patients?
- Discover new ways to learn, when your go-to in-person meetings or learning events were cancelled or moved online?
- Engage with new supports to safeguard your personal wellness in the midst of challenging circumstances?
Think back on some of your problem-solving efforts.
Did I make any changes to my practice?
Were you involved with changing your work space to enhance safety or security? Or, maybe you consulted with colleagues to improve collaboration between departments. Perhaps you changed your filing or notetaking system to improve clarity and communication. Or, maybe you learned some new skills and adapted your diagnostic questions to better assess vulnerable patients.
There are many ways you may have subconsciously implemented practice-based change.
Consider,
- Did I find a better way to do something?
- Did I implement a new efficiency?
- Did I make my practice more effective?
Useful prompts: Think back to your last performance review or other feedback you received during the year (e.g. direct observation, patient feedback, feedback on teaching, practice assessment, chart audit). Based on this data, did you do anything different to address gaps, target improvements or build on strengths?
ACT
Now that your mind is filled with ideas, take your thoughts and notes and organize them.
If you engaged in any QI work (i.e. action-oriented problem solving) you can claim this work under the Royal College MOC Program:
– Section 3: Assessment Activity
– Section 2: Self-learning
As an aid, consider using the Reflective Exercise for QI Initiatives – Reporting Tool (PDF). This tool helps you organize your QI work, making it a useful reference for when you upload your work to MAINPORT-ePortfolio.
Reporting deadline reminder
While December 31 is your last day to complete learning activities to count towards your annual requirements for that year, you have until January 31 of the following year to report them.
If you engaged in QI work at any point during the year, you can report this work for credits ahead of the annual reporting deadline.
If you have more questions or desire personalized support, please contact the Royal College Services Centre: 1-800-461-9598, (613-730-6243 Ottawa region) or cpd@royalcollege.ca
