[Professional competence for the care of critical patients: beyond specialities]

To elaborate a working document to describe the professional competence (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) required of a physician for the care of critical patients, regardless of the physician's specialty and centered on the patients' needs.

This study was carried out through field work using qualitative methodology over the 12-month period comprising 2004. The document was elaborated in four stages: 1) conceptual delimitation; 2) selection of working definitions and classifications; 3) identification of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the management of critical patients; and 4) final draft of the competence document.

A total of 146 areas of competence were identified; of these, 33% were related to knowledge, 52% to skills, and the remaining 15% to attitudes.

This study can help to ensure that critical patients will be cared for by physicians capable of identifying their problems and managing them appropriately, regardless of the physicians' specialty background. In responding to this situation, the document recognizes the participation of physicians trained in diverse specialties in the care of the critical patient by scaling the knowledge required at different levels of care.