Multi-Stakeholder Validation of an Entrustable Professional Activities Framework for Canadian Geriatrics Residency...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Geriatric Medicine
• Competency-Based Education

Background:

• Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are integral to competency-based medical education.
• EPA frameworks are widely adopted across medical specialties for training and evaluation.
• The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada developed a national EPA framework for Geriatric Specialty residency in 2018.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the national EPA framework for Canadian Geriatric Specialty residency programs.
• To gather multi-stakeholder perspectives on the existing EPA framework.
• To identify areas for improvement in the EPA framework's scope, operationalization, and interprofessional collaboration.

Main Methods:

• Five distinct stakeholder groups participated in virtual focus groups: physician faculty, residents, allied health professionals, administrators/managers, and patients.
• Focus groups were limited to 90 minutes and conducted virtually.
• Transcripts were analyzed using iterative coding to identify emerging themes and compare stakeholder perspectives.

Main Results:

• Multi-stakeholder consultation provided feedback on specific and new Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).
• Four key themes emerged: EPA scope, operationalization, interprofessional collaboration, and patient advocacy.
• Stakeholders also provided input on how the EPA framework aligns with the work of Care of the Elderly physicians.

Conclusions:

• Consulting diverse stakeholder groups provides comprehensive feedback to enhance EPA frameworks.
• Holistic feedback improves the practicality, appropriateness, social accountability, and patient-centeredness of EPA frameworks.
• This evaluation offers insights for refining the Canadian Geriatric Specialty residency EPA framework.