Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Developing entrustable professional activities as the basis for assessment of competence in an internal medicine
Karen E Hauer1, Krishan Soni, Patricia Cornett
1Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA. Karen.hauer@ucsf.edu
Background:
Graduate medical education programs assess trainees' performance to determine readiness for unsupervised practice. Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are a novel approach for assessing performance of core professional tasks.
Aim:
To describe a pilot and feasibility evaluation of two EPAs for competency-based assessment in internal medicine (IM) residency.
Setting/Participants:
Post-graduate year-1 interns (PGY-1s) and attendings at a large internal medicine (IM) residency program.
Program Description:
Two Entrustable professional activities (EPA) assessments (Discharge, Family Meeting) were piloted.
Program Feasibility Evaluation:
Twenty-eight out of 43 (65.1 %) PGY-1 s and 32/43 (74.4 %) attendings completed surveys about the Discharge EPA experience. Most who completed the EPA assessment (10/12, 83.8 %, PGY-1s; 9/11, 83.3 %, attendings) agreed it facilitated useful feedback discussions. For the Family Meeting EPA, 16/26 (61.5 %) PGY-1s completed surveys, and most who participated (9/12 PGY1s, 75 %) reported it improved attention to family meeting education, although only half recommended continuing the EPA assessment.
Discussion:
From piloting two EPA assessments in a large IM residency, we recognized our reminder systems and time dedicated for completing EPA requirements as inadequate. Collaboration around patient safety and palliative care with relevant clinical services has enhanced implementation and buy-in. We will evaluate how well EPA-based assessment serves the intended purpose of capturing trainees' trustworthiness to conduct activities unsupervised.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Assessment of Respiration
Subjective Assessment: Nurses interview the patient to gather information directly during the subjective assessment. It includes questions about the individual's medical history, medications, and symptoms, focusing on past respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD,...
01:19Respiratory Assessment: Purpose and Indications
Objectives and Importance:
The primary goal of respiratory assessment is to evaluate patients at early risk of clinical deterioration. Since respiratory distress often precedes other signs of declining health, breathing patterns and sounds become a...