Upgrades to the APS online CPD logging tool

The APS online CPD logging tool is a highly valued device that enables members to track their individual progress towards meeting the complex array of continued professional development (CPD) requirements stipulated by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and Medicare Australia. A number of upgrades to the tool have recently been undertaken to improve its functionality. These upgrades have been based on feedback provided by members.

Management of reduced or ‘pro rata’ CPD requirements

Some psychologists are eligible for reduced CPD requirements due to special consideration, registering part-way through an annual cycle, or moving to non-practising registration etc. The reduced requirements must be granted by the PsyBA or Medicare Australia and have at times been applied somewhat inconsistently, resulting in some difficulties in predicting the reduced hours across individual requirements and cycles. As a result, it has been difficult to program the online logging tool to ensure that it accurately reflects the reduced hours across various CPD categories and cycles. A concern has been that the online logging tool may therefore not always accurately reflect the required reduced hours for any individual.

To address this issue, the logging tool has been modified to allow users to choose the ‘Reduced Hours’ option in their individual CPD profile in circumstances where they have been granted such reduced hours by the PsyBA or Medicare Australia. The system will then indicate that the individual member has a reduced requirement through the use of an orange warning triangle on the CPD summary page (see screenshot). The logging tool will still tally individual members’ logged hours, but members need to make their own determination about whether they have met their granted reduced hours.

Learning plan page

Changes have been made to improve the usability of various aspects of the learning plan, including making it easier to add a new learning individual need, expanding the character length of the learning need fields and enabling individual learning needs to be saved as they are submitted rather than having to save the whole learning plan page.

Logging of CPD activities and journal entry

A more accessible ‘date-picker’ has been added to make it easier to choose the date of the CPD activity undertaken. When entering activity details, the 250 character limit now includes a mechanism so users aren’t able to submit more than 250 characters (rather than being able to continue typing). For the journal entry, a new ‘Save and continue editing’ button allows users to progressively edit and save their journal entry without having to leave the page, which enables easy continuous editing and helps prevent the loss of information.

Any queries in relation to these changes can be directed to the APS Member Assistance Centre on (03) 8662 3300 or toll free 1800 333 497.