Participation in Continuing Professional Development Among Radiographers in Lilongwe District, Malawi
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
ABSTRACT Continuing Professional Development (CPD) enables healthcare workers to continuously update their medical knowledge, skills, and clinical practices, ultimately enhancing patient care, improving health outcomes, and maintaining professional competence. However, a significant gap remains in the literature regarding the specific challenges that affect radiographers’ engagement in CPD from the perspectives of key stakeholders. This study explored challenges to CPD participation in radiography from the triadic perspectives of radiographers, professional body, and employers. Utilizing a qualitative, multiple-case design in Lilongwe District, Malawi, a multi-stage purposive sampling matrix recruited participants across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare tiers. Verbatim data were subjected to thematic analysis and systematic horizontal and vertical cross-case comparisons via a master synthesis matrix. Cross-case synthesis demonstrated that radiography CPD participation is heavily modulated by institutional healthcare tier rather than individual motivation. Disparate codes consolidated into a multi-level framework revealing critical vertical misalignments between macro-level regulatory standards, meso-level institutional resource constraints, and micro-level clinical workloads. Low radiography CPD engagement is a structural consequence of vertical misalignments across macro, meso, and micro strata. These findings establish a contextualized diagnostic baseline to info
Abstract
ABSTRACT Continuing Professional Development (CPD) enables healthcare workers to continuously update their medical knowledge, skills, and clinical practices, ultimately enhancing patient care, improving health outcomes, and maintaining professional competence. However, a significant gap remains in the literature regarding the specific challenges that affect radiographers’ engagement in CPD from the perspectives of key stakeholders. This study explored challenges to CPD participation in radiography from the triadic perspectives of radiographers, professional body, and employers. Utilizing a qualitative, multiple-case design in Lilongwe District, Malawi, a multi-stage purposive sampling matrix recruited participants across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare tiers. Verbatim data were subjected to thematic analysis and systematic horizontal and vertical cross-case comparisons via a master synthesis matrix. Cross-case synthesis demonstrated that radiography CPD participation is heavily modulated by institutional healthcare tier rather than individual motivation. Disparate codes consolidated into a multi-level framework revealing critical vertical misalignments between macro-level regulatory standards, meso-level institutional resource constraints, and micro-level clinical workloads. Low radiography CPD engagement is a structural consequence of vertical misalignments across macro, meso, and micro strata. These findings establish a contextualized diagnostic baseline to inform future targeted clinical interventions and broader multi-district investigations.