[Needs assessment of a longitudinal training course in vocational training within the Verbundweiterbildung(plus)]

In Germany content-related vocational training mostly is the responsibility of the trainees themselves. The aim of this needs assessment is to explore the requirements of a longitudinal training course in vocational training.

A combined quantitative-qualitative needs assessment was chosen. We used data of a continuous record keeping system in primary care to assess the occupational field, and the needs of vocational trainees were explored in a qualitative survey.

Data of more than 120,000 consulting problems in primary care were attributed to different medical expertises by frequency (orthopaedics 22.1%; internal medicine 17.2%; dermatology 12.2%; ear, nose, and throat medicine 11.9%). They revealed a high concordance between the needs derived from the consulting problems and the vocational trainees' needs identified in the qualitative survey (421 text units in the categories: medical expertise, competencies and skills and reflection on one's own performance).

The results of this needs assessment demonstrate the importance of vocational trainees' needs and the findings of health services research for improvement of content-related vocational training. Furthermore, the results form the basis for longitudinal training courses in vocational training, as shown in the approach of the training course within the training programme Verbundweiterbildung(plus).