Evaluation of an ultrasound program in nationwide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Korean public health and medical institutions

BACKGROUND: The Education and Training Centre for Public Healthcare of the National Medical Centre plays a key role in providing continuing professional development (CPD) to 221 public health and medical institutions in South Korea. To assess the realization of the Centre’s core value and the intended changes, program evaluations are required. The context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model is particularly suitable for evaluating CPD in the public sector, as it allows for recognizing the dynamic nature of the program environment. METHODS: This research applied the CIPP model to the evaluation of CPD programs, particularly abdominal and thoracic ultrasound programs implemented in 2017 and 2018. Data were collected from 2017 to 2019. The program and its feedback were reviewed in the context evaluation. Based on this, a subsequent program strategy was established for the input evaluation. Observing the program in real time and recording its progress was followed in process evaluation. Finally, the outcomes and impacts of the program were reviewed and compared with baseline data in the product evaluation. RESULTS: In context evaluation, the educational needs of the Centre’s CPD program recipients, impediments that inhibit participation in education, and resources that the Centre can utilize were identified through an online survey, focus group interviews and expert consultation. Through input evaluation, we identified the best alternative that satisfied all pre-selected criteria, which were responsiveness to priority system needs, potential effectiveness, fit with existing services, affordability, and administrative feasibility. Observing the program in real time and recording its progress were conducted in process evaluation, demonstrating that the augmented program went as planned, and even had to be expanded due to increased demand. The impact of the program was measured, interpreted, and assessed in the product evaluation. The review committee decided that the intended change had been occurred, thus the Centre decided to maintain the program. CONCLUSION: A thorough evaluation is necessary to determine the potential benefits of CPD. The CIPP methodology is valuable for executing formative and summative evaluations. The CIPP model is particularly useful for securing accountability data for large-scale nationwide educational programs supplied by public funds. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-022-03271-4.