Consensus development and validation of entrustable professional activities for nephrology fellowship training in...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nephrology Training
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Standardized training frameworks are crucial for developing competent healthcare professionals.
• The nephrology fellowship program in Saudi Arabia required a validated set of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for structured training and assessment.
• Existing training curricula may not fully encompass the breadth of skills required for modern nephrology practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive set of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for the nephrology fellowship program in Saudi Arabia.
• To establish a consensus-based framework for assessing the competency of nephrology fellows.
• To enhance the quality and standardization of nephrology postgraduate medical education within the region.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi design was employed, involving nephrology consultants across Saudi Arabia.
• An initial list of 39 EPAs was generated from literature review and expert input, followed by refinement through a piloting process.
• Two rounds of expert surveys were conducted, with consensus defined as at least 75% agreement, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale for relevance assessment.

Main Results:

• The first Delphi round achieved consensus on 34 EPAs, with 5 excluded and 6 modified based on expert feedback.
• The second round confirmed full consensus on the revised set of 34 EPAs.
• A high response rate (80% in round 1, 81% in round 2) was achieved among the participating nephrology consultants.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully developed and validated a set of 34 EPAs for the Saudi Arabian nephrology fellowship program.
• Implementation of these EPAs is anticipated to improve the training, assessment, and clinical competence of nephrology fellows.
• Further research is recommended to evaluate the long-term impact of these EPAs and their adaptability to other medical specialties.