Creating a postgraduate syllabus for a team care diploma examination: a Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• No standardized assessment exists for minimum knowledge and skills in sports healthcare.
• Healthcare professionals require defined competencies for individual and team sports environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a syllabus for the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) Team Care Diploma examination.
• To establish a recognized assessment for minimum required skills and knowledge in sports medicine.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi approach was employed.
• A syllabus was developed by FSEM members and reviewed by an expert panel of 50 team care practitioners.
• A two-round Delphi process achieved consensus on learning objectives.

Main Results:

• The expert panel comprised 50 individuals, with 92% completing both rounds.
• Out of 447 proposed learning objectives (LOs), 96% were accepted, with 4 new LOs added.
• The final syllabus includes 434 LOs across 6 modules, covering clinical governance, safe practice, teamwork, athlete groups, health conditions, and medical team duties.

Conclusions:

• A standardized syllabus has been created for sports healthcare professionals.
• This syllabus will underpin the FSEM Team Care Diploma examination, aiming for world-leading assessment standards.