Lifelong education for health providers and community

This chapter aims at promoting lifelong education for health practitioners, servicing organisations and the community. Individuals and organisations in the current ever-changing world need to constantly acquire new knowledge and skills to remain productive. Lifelong learning is related to all learning activities, whether formal or informal, continuously undertaken with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence for individuals. Both the community and health service providers need to pursue lifelong learning. Continuous efforts are essential in maintaining personal and population health and well-being. Hence, health promotion and maintenance are lifelong activities. For health practitioners, learning is not only about the accumulation of knowledge and skills but also the development of a new identity as member of a particular community of practice. Health service providers also need to keep pace with the technological, professional and social development, which have been greatly advanced by information technology and industrial innovations. Continuous professional development (CPD) is the systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of relevant knowledge and skills, and the development of these qualities is necessary for the professionals to successfully carry out their duties throughout their career. Continuous professional development is an integral requirement of both professional and health service providers in the form of lifelong education. The same philosophy applies to individuals in the community in order to adopt the latest health promotional and primary care initiatives for health maintenance.