Critically reflective practice

The concept of critical reflection is frequently invoked as a distinguishing feature of good practice in continuing health education. But what exactly is critical reflection? How is it recognized? What are its benefits? How can it be incorporated into professional practice? This article explains the constituent elements of critical reflection and provides an example of how a critically reflective approach can be taken toward continuous, formative evaluation. Four lenses through which educators can view their practice critically are outlined and the critical incident questionnaire is described. The critically reflective habit is proposed as a survival necessity for continuing health educators.