One Health Core Competency Domains

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary health sciences
• Global health security
• Public health education

Background:

• Complex global challenges necessitate integrated approaches, such as One Health, which addresses human, animal, and environmental health.
• Despite the recognized importance of One Health, specific competencies required for professionals have not been well-defined.
• Existing efforts to identify One Health competencies were fragmented prior to 2012.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize independent initiatives aimed at defining core competencies for One Health professionals.
• To establish a foundational understanding of the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes for effective One Health practice.
• To inform the development of educational curricula and professional development programs.

Main Methods:

• Independent initiatives by three groups between 2008 and 2011 identified One Health competencies.
• A 2012 workshop synthesized findings from these disparate efforts.
• Competency domains were identified through comparative analysis of the initiatives' outcomes.

Main Results:

• Seven core competency domains were consistently identified across all initiatives: management; communication and informatics; values and ethics; leadership; teams and collaboration; roles and responsibilities; and systems thinking.
• These domains represent critical knowledge, skills, and attitudes for One Health professionals.
• The synthesized domains provide a unified framework for One Health competency.

Conclusions:

• The identified core competency domains provide a crucial framework for guiding One Health curriculum development and continuing professional education.
• These competencies are essential for preparing professionals to effectively address complex global health challenges.
• The established domains facilitate the creation of targeted educational programs to enhance One Health workforce capacity.