Approaches to considering sex and gender in continuous professional development for health and social care professionals: An emerging paradigm

Abstract

Consideration of sex and gender in research and clinical practice is necessary to redress health inequities and reduce knowledge gaps. As all health professionals must maintain and update their skills throughout their career, developing innovative continuing professional education programs that integrate sex and gender issues holds great promise for reducing these gaps. This article proposes new approaches to partnership, team development, pedagogical theory, content development, evaluation and data management that will advance the integration of sex and gender in continuing professional development (CPD). Our perspectives build on an intersectoral and interprofessional research team that includes several perspectives, including those of CPD, health systems, knowledge translation and sex and gender.

Integration of sex and gender in a continuing professional development course on diabetes and depression: a mixed methods feasibility study

“…A variety of research initiatives are attempting to reduce health inequities between men and women 1 2. Research that includes sex-based and gender-based analysis results in more accurate evidence, more relevant recommendations, more specifically-targeted interventions and better outcomes 3–6. Sex differences are biology-linked differences between females and males caused by different sex chromosomes, sex-specific gene expression of autosomes, sex hormones and their effects on organ systems 7.…”

“…During their lifetime, women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. In contrast, three times as many men commit suicide 5 10 11. Recent evidence supports a link between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and depression, and shows that sex and gender are influential factors in this comorbidity 7 9.…”

“…Despite the impacts of sex and gender differences on prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes and equity, evidence on the importance of these differences has yet to be translated adequately into clinical training or practice 2 5 20. For example, a 2017 review suggested that only 35% of studies on Canadian practice guidelines, a cornerstone of knowledge translation, reported screening, diagnosis or management considerations specific to sex or gender, and only 25% used the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ correctly 21…”

“…Continuing professional development (CPD) is another cornerstone of knowledge translation as it mobilises professional and regulatory bodies as well as educational institutions to foster changes in clinical practice 22 23. We argue that integrating sex and gender considerations into CPD is a promising avenue for addressing the inequities between men and women 5. We define CPD as all educational activities serving to maintain or increase the knowledge, skills, work performance and relationships that a clinician needs to serve patients, the public or the profession 5 24 25.…”

“…We argue that integrating sex and gender considerations into CPD is a promising avenue for addressing the inequities between men and women 5. We define CPD as all educational activities serving to maintain or increase the knowledge, skills, work performance and relationships that a clinician needs to serve patients, the public or the profession 5 24 25. Courses should be informed by theory-based factors known to influence the adoption of a given behaviour.…”