Barriers to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Radiography: A Review of Literature from Africa

Purpose

To review the barriers to continuours professional development (CPD) learning activities in radiography in Africa and propose strategies for supporting radiographers on the continent.

Method

A literature search was conducted in four databases: ScienceDirect, PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar with no time limit. This was supplemented with hand searching to avoid missing relevant literature. All research studies conducted in Africa on this subject were included in the review. Data were synthesised and analysed thematically.

Results

Seven research studies were found to be relevant and included in this review. Three main themes on barriers to radiographers’ participation in CPD learning activities were identified: attitudinal, physical, and structural barriers. Attitudinal barriers include a lack of self-motivation and a feeling that topics are irrelevant at study days. The identified physical barriers are time constraints, financial constraints and distance to CPD events, and limited resources. Structural barriers identified include a lack of knowledge about learning opportunities, shortage of staff, poor study days notification and communication, and a lack of support.

Conclusion

There are several barriers to radiographers’ participation in CPD learning activities identified in this review. Strategies to support radiographers are proposed. It is anticipated that the implementation of the proposed support strategies will alleviate the barriers and allow active engagement of radiographers in continuing education.