Core competencies in critical care for general medical practitioners in South Africa: A Delphi study

Despite a high burden of disease that requires critical care services, there are a limited number of intensivists in South Africa (SA). Medical practitioners at district and regional public sector hospitals frequently manage critically ill patients in the absence of intensivists, despite these medical practitioners having had minimal exposure to critical care during their undergraduate training.

To identify core competencies in critical care for medical practitioners who provide critical care services at public sector hospitals in SA where intensivists are not available to direct patient management.

A preliminary list of core competencies in critical care was compiled. Thereafter, 13 national and international experts were requested to achieve consensus on a final list of core competencies that are required for critical care by medical practitioners, using a modified Delphi process.

A final list of 153 core competencies in critical care was identified.

The core competencies identified by this study could assist in developing training programmes for medical practitioners to improve the quality of critical care services provided at district and regional hospitals in SA.

The study provides consensus on a list of core competencies in critical care that non-intensivist medical practitioners managing critically ill patients in healthcare settings in South Africa, especially where intensivists are not readily available, should have. The list can form the core content of training programmes aimed at improving critical care competence of general medical practitioners, and in this way hopefully improve the overall outcomes of critically ill patients in South Africa.