Needs Assessment Lessons Learned in Qatar: A Flipped Classroom Approach

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Continuing professional development (CPD) activities are expected to be purposeful and effective; the essential first step is a curriculum based on actual training needs. The Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) provides the oversight for accredited CPD programs for all groups of healthcare practitioners in Qatar this includes physicians, pharmacists, nurses and allied health professionals. In December 2017 several professionals created a local, collaborative and supportive network to share their expertise and to collaborate on accredited professional development initiatives. Network members included accredited CPD providers from two hospitals, Sidra Medicine and Aspetar, and from the College of the North Atlantic Qatar (CNA-Q). The implementation of a needs analysis is key to continuous service improvements. Network members conducted an audit of 43 educational programs in 2018 and found that this step is frequently missed or misinterpreted by curriculum planners. A workshop on needs assessments was seen as the most germane intervention to upskill program planners. An evidence-based approach was suggested in the development of a needs assessment teaching module. A review of the literature influenced the curriculum design as did a re-examination of adult learning principles and validated new methods to teaching in the health professions. The flipped classroom was identified as the most appropriate approach regarding design and content delivery. It requires skilled facilitators and content matter experts that are familiar with diverse teaching formats to ensure that learning outcomes are integrated across the formats. It has been documented that 'flipping' the classroom from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered approach encourages participants' higher order learning and fosters engagement, exploration, evaluation and reflection.