Use of evidence in implementing competency-based healthcare management teaching

Current efforts to develop a coherent list of health management competency domains supported by a set of sub-competencies and mapped to behavioral abilities are laudable. If we wanted to be evidence-based in our implementation of competency-based teaching in our educational programs, however, then as a minimum we must demonstrate the empirical association between individual's competency attainment and subsequent job performance and other desired outcomes. Assuming the association is positive and significant, we then need to demonstrate the association between the educational programming and individuals' competency attainment, in order to identify the approach to educational programming that best develops competencies. Inherent in conducting this research is articulating credible measures of complex and multifaceted concepts: educational programming, competency attainment, and job performance. Nevertheless, more rigorous evidence regarding the links between our educational approaches, our graduates' competencies, and their subsequent job performance would benefit us and move us closer to having evidence guide our educational system in health management.