Mastercard Foundation

Many national medical governing bodies encourage physicians to engage in continuing professional development (CPD) activities to cultivate their knowledge and skills to ensure their clinical practice reflects the current standards and evidence base. However, physicians often encounter various barriers that hinder their participation in CPD programs, such as time constraints, a lack of centralized coordination, and limited opportunities for self-assessment. The literature has highlighted the strength of using question-based learning interventions to augment physician learning and further enable change in practice. CPD By the Minute (CPD-Min) is a smartphone-enabled web-based app that was developed to address self-assessment gaps and barriers to engagement in CPD activities. This study aimed to assess the app using four objectives: (1) engagement and use of the app throughout the study, (2) effectiveness of this tool as a CPD activity, (3) relevance of the disseminated information to physicians' practice, and (4) acceptability to physicians of this novel tool as an educational initiative. The CPD-Min app disseminated 2 multiple-choice questions (1-min each) each week with feedback and references. Participants included licensed staff physicians, fellows, and residents across Canada. A concurrent multimethods study was conducted, consisting of preintervention and postintervention surveys, semistructured interviews, and app analytics. Guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework, the qualitative data were analyzed deductively and inductively. Of the 105 Canadian anesthesiologists participating in the study, 89 (84.8%) were staff physicians, 12 (11.4%) were fellows, and 4 (3.8%) were residents. Participants completed 110 questions each over the course of 52 weeks, with an average completion rate of 75% (SD 33%). In total, 40.9% (43/105) of participants answered >90% of the questions, including 15.2% (16/105) who completed all questions. Moreover, 69% (52/75) of participants reported the app to be an effective and valuable resource for their practice and to enhance continuous learning. Most participants (63/75, 84%) who completed the postsurveys reported that they would likely continue using the app as a CPD tool. These findings were further supported by the interview data. Three key themes were identified: the practical design of the novel educational app facilitates its adoption by clinicians, the app was perceived as a useful knowledge tool for continuous learning, and the app's low-stakes testing environment cultivated independent learning attitudes. The findings suggest the potential of the app to improve longitudinal assessments that promote lifelong learning among clinicians. The positive feedback and increased acceptance of the app supports it as an innovative tool for knowledge retention and CPD. Future research efforts should prioritize evaluating the app's long-term sustainability and its impact on physicians' practice, as well as exploring alternative approaches (such as artificial intelligence-based tools) for generating questions.

Youth unemployment and working poverty are large and growing development challenges. The barriers faced by young women and men in accessing sustainable livelihoods are many, so supporting their successful transition into employment and entrepreneurship requires a comprehensive and holistic approach. This article reflects on the evolving approach of The MasterCard Foundation-supported programmes in sub-Saharan Africa, within the broader context of wider research and evidence. It suggests that combining training in a range of market-relevant skills, with access to job and business opportunities and appropriate financial services, can foster economic opportunities for youth. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the role of mixed livelihoods in contexts where formal jobs are lacking, and of supporting youth engagement in agriculture and agribusiness as viable livelihood opportunities. And it highlights that the challenge can only be adequately addressed via the meaningful engagement of a range of stakeholders, including the private sector, government and civil society, and, especially, youth themselves.