Circular No. 22/2013/TT-BYT provides guidance on continuous training for health workers, specifying responsibilities, duration, forms, programs, materials, and instructors for continuous training; management organization, issuance of codes for continuous training institutions; funding, training quality, and implementation conditions. This circular applies to health workers nationwide and continuous training institutions.
Scope of application
Health workers currently working at healthcare facilities nationwide; continuous training institutions for health workers.
Key points
- Health workers must participate in continuous training for a minimum of 48 class hours over two consecutive years or 120 class hours over five consecutive years, depending on the category.
- The program and materials for continuous training, developed by the training institution, must be reviewed and issued before implementation.
- Continuous training instructors must meet standards regarding qualifications, experience, and expertise.
- Continuous training institutions have the responsibility to develop plans and organize continuous training in accordance with regulations.
- Continuous training certificates are issued by the training institution to participants who meet the course requirements.
🌐 Social impact of this document
- Positive impact: Enhance the quality of human resources in healthcare, update new knowledge, improve professional skills.
- Negative impact: Costs for learners may increase due to continuous training fees being calculated based on the actual costs of the course.
❓ Frequently asked questions
How many class hours must health workers participate in during which period?
Health workers who have been granted practice licenses and are practicing medical examination and treatment must participate in continuous training for a minimum of 48 class hours over two consecutive years. Health workers not falling into this category must participate in continuous training for a minimum of 120 class hours over five consecutive years, with a minimum of 12 class hours each year.
Who reviews the program and materials for continuous training?
The program and materials for continuous training must be reviewed by the competent authority before organizing training. Specifically, the Director of the Provincial Department of Health under the central city's direct jurisdiction reviews the programs and materials of continuous training institutions under their management; the head of professional/vocational healthcare education institutions reviews the continuous training programs and materials corresponding to the assigned training code.
What standards must continuous training instructors meet?
Continuous training instructors must meet standards regarding qualifications, experience, and expertise. Clinical instructors must be practitioners of medical examination and treatment and trained in clinical teaching methods.
What responsibilities do continuous training institutions have?
Continuous training institutions have the responsibility to develop plans for approval by the competent authority, organize continuous training activities according to regulations, manage and store the programs and materials of continuous training courses of the unit, manage and keep records of course files (including participant lists and instructor lists), manage blank certificates and the issuance of continuous training certificates.
Where does the funding for continuous training come from?
Funding for continuous training comes from the following sources: contributions from participants, state budget, other legitimate income. Funding is calculated based on the actual costs of the course according to the principle of covering expenses without profit-making and in accordance with legal provisions.
Full text
CIRCULAR
Guidelines on Continuous Training for Health Workers
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Pursuant to the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment dated November 23, 2009 and Decree No. 87/2011/NĐ-CP dated September 27, 2011 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment;
Pursuant to the Law on Education dated June 14, 2005; Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Education and Decree No. 31/2011/NĐ-CP dated May 11, 2011 of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP;
Pursuant to Decree No. 63/2012/NĐ-CP dated August 31, 2012 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;
THEAverage loan repayment period is 10 years;At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Training;
BThe Minister of Health issues this Circular guiding continuous training for health workers.
PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Scope of Regulation
This Circular provides guidance on:
1. Responsibilities, time, forms, programs, materials, instructors for continuous training for health workers.
2. Organization and management of continuous training for health workers.
Article 2. Applicability
1. This Circular applies to:
a) Medical doctors and health staff (hereinafter referred to as health workers) working at healthcare facilities nationwide;
b) Institutions providing continuous training for health workers.
2. This Circular does not apply to courses leading to obtaining academic degrees within the national education system and special types of training in the health sector: specialty level I, specialty level II, and resident physician training.
Article 3. Explanation of Terms
In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:
1. Continuous training includes short-term training courses, including: knowledge and skills enhancement training; continuous medical education (CME); continuous professional development (CPD); technology transfer training; training according to directive tasks and other specialized vocational training courses for health workers that do not fall under the national education degree system.
2. Continuous training institution refers to hospitals, institutes with hospital beds; research institutes; professional/vocational healthcare educational institutions; other educational institutions offering training in health science fields; centers training healthcare personnel.
3. Health worker refers to civil servants, public officials, and individuals engaged in professional activities in healthcare facilities.
4. Continuous training institution code is a system of symbols used to classify and manage continuous training institutions recognized by the Ministry of Health.
Chapter II
RESPONSIBILITIES, TIME, FORMS, PROGRAMS, MATERIALS, INSTRUCTORS FOR CONTINUOUS TRAINING FOR HEALTH WORKERS
Article 4. Responsibilities in Continuous Training
1. Health workers employed in healthcare facilities must fulfill the obligation to participate in continuous training courses to meet the requirements of their current professional duties.
2. Fulfillment of the obligation for continuous training is one of the criteria used by unit heads to evaluate the completion of tasks and career development progress of health workers.
3. Health workers who fail to fulfill the continuous training obligations for two consecutive years as stipulated in this Circular shall have their practice certificates revoked in accordance with the laws on medical examination and treatment.
4. Health workers participating in long-term training courses both domestically and internationally related to their current professional duties are exempt from fulfilling the continuous training obligations under this Circular.
5. Heads of healthcare facilities are responsible for creating conditions for health workers to participate in continuous training courses.
Article 5. Continuous Training Period
1. Medical staff who have been issued a practice certificate and are currently practicing medical examination and treatment shall be obligated to participate in continuous training for a minimum of 48 class hours over two consecutive years.
2. Medical staff not falling under the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article shall be obligated to participate in continuous training for a minimum of 120 class hours over five consecutive years, with a minimum of 12 class hours each year.
3. The participation of medical staff in different forms of continuous training shall be accumulated to calculate the continuous training period.
Article 6. Forms of Continuous Training and Conversion Principles
1. Short-term professional training, technical transfer, and skill enhancement both domestically and internationally conducted in either centralized or online (E-learning) formats, which issue certificates, confirmations, or recognitions: the time spent on continuous training shall be calculated based on the actual training program.
2. Scientific seminars, conferences, and symposiums both domestically and internationally within the field of medical expertise, confirmed by the organizing unit according to the seminar, conference, or symposium program: the time spent on training shall be counted up to a maximum of 8 class hours for the organizer or presenter and 4 class hours for attendees for each seminar/conference/symposium.
3. Conducting scientific research; guiding thesis/dissertation; writing and publishing scientific articles: counted up to a maximum of 12 class hours for the thesis supervisor, project leader/coordinator at the national or ministry level; 8 class hours for dissertation guidance or project leader/coordinator at the institutional level (calculated from the successful defense of the dissertation or acceptance of the project).
4. Compiling specialized textbooks shall be counted up to a maximum of 8 class hours for each textbook reviewed by the head of the unit (calculated from the publication date); medical staff who are not educators participating in teaching related to their professional duties shall be counted based on actual time spent.
5. The continuous training forms specified in Clause 1 of this Article must have programs and training materials that have been appraised and approved by the competent authority as stipulated in Article 8 of this Circular.
Article 7. Programs and Training Materials for Continuous Training
1. Programs and training materials for continuous training developed by the training institution must be appraised and promulgated as stipulated in Article 8 of this Circular before implementation.
2. The content of the training programs and materials must be continuously updated to ensure scientific accuracy and relevance to practical needs.
3. The continuous training program includes the following items:
a) Course name and general introduction to the course;
b) Course objectives (knowledge, attitude, skills);
c) Participant criteria and entry requirements;
d) Detailed program (specific to lesson titles and class hours);
đ) Main teaching materials and reference materials;
e) Teaching methods;
g) Instructor and assistant instructor standards;
h) Equipment and learning materials for the course (including clinical practice);
i) Guidance on implementing the program;
k) Evaluation and issuance of continuous training certification.
4. Teaching and Learning Materials:
a) Based on the approved training program, the training institution develops (or selects) appropriate teaching and learning materials;
b) Teaching and learning materials are structured by lesson. Each lesson should include sections on objectives, content, and assessment. Practical lessons should clearly specify techniques, procedures to be performed, and required outcomes;
c) For training courses for instructors, in addition to student materials, instructor guide materials are encouraged;
d) When using published materials from reputable domestic and international training institutions, the head of the continuous training institution must review and decide.
5. The continuous training institution designs its training programs as follows:
a) Continuous training programs lasting three months or more with in-depth professional content should be designed to link with postgraduate programs such as Specialist I and Specialist II;
b) Develop online (E-learning) training programs for suitable training content.
Article 8. Review and issuance of continuous training programs and materials
Continuous training programs and materials must be reviewed and issued by authorized bodies before organizing training, specifically as follows:
1. The Director of the Provincial Department of Health issues a decision to establish the Program and Material Review Board for the province's continuous training programs and materials; appoints the Chairman; the Dean of provincial universities, colleges, and health vocational schools serves as Vice-Chairman, and the health training officer of the Provincial Department of Health serves as Secretary.
The Director of the Provincial Department of Health approves the teaching and learning programs and materials of continuous training institutions under their management based on the Program and Material Review Board’s recommendations. The review period shall not exceed thirty days from the date of receiving valid applications from units.
2. Heads of professional/vocational healthcare education institutions; other educational institutions with training codes within the health sciences sector; hospitals, institutes with beds, research institutes with training centers, or those assigned postgraduate training tasks approve corresponding continuous training programs and materials based on the review by the board established by their unit.
3. The Ministry of Health assigns the Science, Technology, and Training Administration to approve programs and materials of continuous training institutions not covered by Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article, national target programs; domestic and international health projects; professional associations, and according to the unit's request based on the specialized review board at the Ministry level or may delegate the unit to organize reviews and approvals when necessary. The review completion time shall not exceed thirty days from the date of receiving valid applications.
Article 9. Continuous Training Instructors
1. Continuous training courses must have sufficient instructors and teaching assistants meeting the standards of qualifications, experience, and expertise as guided by the Ministry of Health to ensure training quality.
2. Continuous training instructors must be trained in medical teaching methods.
3. Clinical instructors must be practicing healthcare professionals and trained in clinical teaching methods.
Chapter III
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CONTINUOUS TRAINING
Article 10. Continuous Training Institution Codes
1. Code A includes professional/vocational healthcare education institutions and other educational institutions with training codes within the health sciences sector.
2. Code B includes hospitals; institutes with beds; central-level research institutes; professional associations operating nationwide; and training centers capable of conducting continuous training.
3. Code C includes Provincial Departments of Health and their affiliated units; health departments of Ministries and Sectors.
Article 11. Issuance of Continuous Training Institution Codes
The Ministry of Health considers and decides to issue continuous training codes to institutions meeting the conditions, specifically as follows:
1. Continuous training institutions submit application files for codes to the Ministry of Health. Within thirty days from the date of receiving valid applications marked by the Ministry of Health's official letter, institutions meeting the Ministry of Health's regulations will be issued corresponding continuous training codes. If the conditions are not met, the Ministry of Health must notify in writing and specify the reasons.
2. Application files for continuous training codes include:
a) Description of professional capacity;
b) Training program;
c) Teaching and learning materials corresponding to the training program;
d) List of instructors suitable in structure and qualification;
đ) Organization and management plan for continuous training, clearly stating the names of responsible leaders, dedicated staff, and boards;
e) Description of physical facilities, practical training sites, and equipment serving continuous training.
Article 12. Construction and Approval of Continuous Training Plans
1. Continuous training institutions shall be responsible for constructing plans to submit to competent authorities for approval.
2. Approval authority for continuous training plans:
a) The Minister of Health shall approve or authorize the approval of the five-year continuous training plan of the Ministry of Health and of subordinate continuous training institutions under the Ministry of Health;
b) People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall approve or authorize the Department of Health to approve the five-year continuous training plan of the province and of subordinate continuous training institutions under the Department of Health;
c) Ministers and Heads of Ministries and Sectors shall approve the five-year continuous training plan of continuous training units under their respective Ministries and Sectors;
d) Heads of continuous training institutions shall organize the construction and approval of annual continuous training plans of their units based on the five-year plans already approved by competent authorities.
Article 13. Implementation of Continuous Training
1. After the annual continuous training plan of the unit has been approved, the continuous training institution shall publicly announce the courses organized by the unit so that learners can actively choose and arrange their participation plans.
2. The continuous training institution shall report to the competent authority on the organization plan, course name, expected number of participants, training program, and training materials.
3. Continuous training courses may only be implemented when they have sufficient approved programs and materials; adequate lecturers; management staff; teaching and learning equipment meeting the requirements of the program; and reports on the implementation plan to the competent authority.
Article 14. Confirmation of Participation in Continuous Training
1. Confirmation of participation in continuous training shall be carried out in one of the following two forms:
a) A continuous training certificate shall be issued by the continuous training institution to learners who meet the requirements of the course at continuous training institutions recognized by the Ministry of Health;
b) A certificate of participation in continuous training shall be issued according to the forms prescribed in Clauses 2, 3, and 4 of Article 6 of this Circular.
2. Model certificates (certificates of participation) for continuous training are attached to this Circular. These certificates have the value of confirming the time spent updating medical knowledge continuously as stipulated in the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.
3. The Ministry of Health and Departments of Health shall consider recognizing certificates of participation or continuous training certificates issued by foreign institutions to health workers under their management based on the provisions of this Circular.
Article 15. Responsibilities for Managing Continuous Training Work
1. The Ministry of Health shall uniformly manage continuous training activities for health staff nationwide.
2. The Science, Technology, and Training Department shall be responsible for:
a) Organize the review and approval, storage of training programs and materials of continuous training institutions as prescribed in Clause 3 of Article 8;
b) Manage training codes, implement quality assurance work, and build a national database on continuous training for health workers;
c) Manage continuous training work, issue continuous training certificates organized by the Ministry of Health.
3. Provincial Health Departments are responsible for:
a) Assign functional departments to manage continuous training in the locality under the responsibility of the leadership of the department and with dedicated or part-time staff;
b) Manage training programs and materials of continuous training approved by the Department of Health; training programs and materials of teaching and learning of subordinate continuous training institutions;
c) Manage certificate codes issued by the Department of Health to continuous training institutions;
d) Build and update the provincial continuous training database and integrate it with the national continuous training database of the health sector;
đ) Manage course records and issue certificates for courses organized by the Department of Health;
4. Continuous training institutions shall be responsible for:
a) Appoint staff to organize and manage continuous training of the unit under the responsibility of the unit's leadership and assisting personnel;
b) Organize continuous training activities in accordance with this Circular;
c) Manage and store training programs and materials of continuous training courses of the unit;
d) Manage course records (including participant lists and lecturer lists);
đ) Manage certificate blanks and issuance of continuous training certificates in accordance with the provisions of this Circular.
Article 16. Management of Continuous Training Quality
1. The Director of the Department of Health shall organize the implementation of legal provisions on quality assurance and be responsible for the continuous training quality of the Department of Health and its subordinate units.
2. The heads of continuous training institutions shall organize the implementation of legal provisions on quality assurance and be responsible for the continuous training quality conducted by their institutions.
3. The Ministry of Health shall assign the Science, Technology and Training Administration to manage the quality of continuous training institutions for health workers.
Article 17. For National Target Programs and Domestic and Foreign Projects on Health
1. Continuous training activities specified in Clause 1, Article 6 under national target programs and projects of the health sector shall be implemented according to plans approved by competent authorities and carried out in accordance with this Circular.
2. Continuous training courses applicable to two provinces/cities or more must report to the Ministry of Health for approval of the program and materials before organization.
3. National target programs and projects managed by central agencies must report to the Ministry of Health, while projects managed by provincial/municipal agencies must report to the Department of Health regarding the continuous training plan for coordination.
Article 18. Funding for Continuous Training
1. Funding for continuous training shall be sourced from the following:
a) Contributions from trainees;
b) State budget.
c) Other lawful sources of income.
2. Training costs shall be calculated based on actual expenses of the course according to the principle of covering costs without profit and in accordance with legal provisions. Training institutions must disclose funding for the course before implementation for trainees to choose.
Article 19. Reporting System
1. Each year, continuous training institutions shall regularly report twice: at mid-year (before July 15) and annually (before January 15 of the following year).
2. Continuous training institutions under provincial departments shall report to the Department of Health to compile reports for the People's Committee of the province/city and the Ministry of Health.
3. Health departments under Ministries and sectors, and subordinate agencies of the Ministry of Health shall report to the Ministry of Health.
4. Report contents include: course results, number of trainees, number of certificates issued, organizational work, management, and quality assurance of continuous training.
Chapter IV
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS
Article 20. Effective Date
1. This Circular takes effect from October 1, 2013.
2. Circular No. 07/2008/TT-BYT dated May 28, 2008 of the Ministry of Health guiding continuous training for health workers is abolished from the date this Circular takes effect.
Article 21. Organization of Implementation
1. The Ministry of Health assigns the Science, Technology and Training Administration to direct, guide, inspect, supervise, and urge the implementation of this Circular. Departments, the Office of the Ministry, the Inspectorate, and Cuc, General Cuc under the Ministry of Health shall cooperate in implementing continuous training within their respective fields of responsibility.
2. Provincial/Municipal People's Committees, Ministries, and Sectors shall instruct subordinate health agencies to organize the implementation of continuous training for health workers to improve the quality of human resources in the health sector.
3. The Directors of the Department of Health and the heads of health agencies under Ministries and sectors shall be responsible for organizing the implementation of this Circular within their jurisdiction.
4. Heads of health institutions shall be responsible for developing plans, allocating funds, and creating conditions for staff to participate in continuous training courses as stipulated in this Circular.
During the implementation of this Circular, if there are difficulties or obstacles, agencies, organizations, and individuals are requested to report to the Ministry of Health for consideration and resolution./.
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