The education passport: connecting programmatic assessment across learning and practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Lifelong Learning

Background:

• Competency-based medical education (CBME) faces implementation challenges transitioning from training to practice.
• Developmental assessment for learning requires trust and collaboration across learner, regulator, and public spheres.
• A seamless continuum of assessment for growth is needed beyond traditional educational phases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Education Passport concept for tracking medical professional development.
• To outline how the Education Passport supports a developmental assessment approach for lifelong learning.
• To propose a framework for enhancing trust and collaboration in medical education and practice.

Main Methods:

• Utilizes programmatic assessment: collecting low-stakes, multi-source data over time.
• Employs criterion-referenced judgment, coaching, and competency committees for growth assessment.
• Leverages cloud-based technology for secure, student/physician-controlled data storage and access.
• Maps data to frameworks like Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and milestones for performance tracking.
• Incorporates learning analytics for longitudinal performance monitoring and system improvement.

Main Results:

• The Education Passport provides a mechanism for longitudinal performance tracking across educational and practice transitions.
• It enables continuous growth assessment and performance improvement through data-driven insights.
• Facilitates collaboration by providing a shared platform for learners, coaches, and committees.
• Offers a potential solution for the long-term adaptive challenge of creating a performance and growth continuum.

Conclusions:

• The Education Passport is a novel tool to support developmental assessment for learning throughout a physician's career.
• It addresses the need for a continuous performance and growth model in medical education and practice.
• Successful implementation requires inter-organizational and inter-jurisdictional coordination, research, and effective communication to build public trust.