Ideas from the second UEMS conference on CME/CPD: new EU directives on a patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare and professional qualifications

The 2nd UEMS Conference on Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) held in Brussels on February 28th2014 was a great opportunity to gather all stakeholders involved in the field of CME/ CPD accreditation in Europe and to discuss common grounds on the basic principles that make accreditation necessary for medical staff and for the benefit of patients. In particular it was an opportunity for representatives of the European Commission (EC) to introduce two new European directives that came into force at the end of 2013: (1) the Patients’ Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare Directive, and, (2) the Professional Qualification Directive 2013/55 [2]. The event was also an opportunity to discuss the enormous impact these directives will have on patients care, healthcare quality and daily practice for doctors and all healthcare professionals. According to the new European Union (EU) rules healthcare professionals are expected to update their knowledge, skills and capabilities acquired during undergraduate and postgraduate professional education via efficient knowledge management practices (CME evidence-informed practice) and CPD lifelong learning programs, incorporating inter-professional education, psychosocial and humanitarian aspects of patient care, communication skills, and cultural awareness. European directive 2011/24/EU on a Patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare