Developing entrustable professional activities for university teachers in the health professions

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Teacher Training

Background:

• Recognized need to enhance professional development and recognition of teaching expertise in health professions education (HPE).
• Current systems lack robust frameworks for training, certification, and career progression for HPE teachers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for university teachers in HPE.
• To establish a foundation for improved training, certification, and career opportunities for HPE educators.

Main Methods:

• Two-round Delphi study with local experts (n=23, n=13) at a Dutch academic medical center.
• International expert consultation via survey (n=21) and focus group (n=7) to assess global applicability.

Main Results:

• Achieved local consensus on nine EPAs.
• International survey confirmed relevance and usefulness of most EPAs, but highlighted issues with clarity and comprehensiveness.
• International consultation indicated a need for local tailoring of EPA specifications.

Conclusions:

• International consensus exists on the relevance and usefulness of EPAs for HPE university teachers.
• Local adaptation of EPA specifications is necessary to account for diverse contextual factors in HPE.