Defining competency-based evaluation objectives in family medicine: professionalism

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Professionalism Assessment
• Family Medicine

Background:

• Assessing professionalism in medical education is crucial but challenging due to its subjective nature.
• Effective feedback on professionalism requires clear, observable behaviors.
• Existing frameworks may lack practical, physician-grounded evaluation objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop observable evaluation objectives for assessing physician professionalism.
• To ground these objectives in the practical experience of practicing family physicians.
• To create a resource for competency-based assessment in family medicine.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a modified nominal group technique with an expert panel.
• The panel comprised 7 family physicians and 1 educational consultant with assessment experience.
• An iterative process defined themes and specific observable behaviors indicative of professionalism.

Main Results:

• Identified 12 overarching themes related to professional behavior in family medicine.
• Generated 140 specific, observable behaviors to evaluate professionalism.
• These behaviors are designed for use in family medicine workplace settings.

Conclusions:

• The developed resource provides a competency-based framework for assessing professional behavior.
• Clear expectations and specific behavioral examples facilitate effective dialogue and feedback.
• This tool supports family medicine educational programs in evaluating professionalism effectively.