Comparing High and Low Faculty EPA Assessment Completers: Insights to Improve EPA Implementation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Assessment in Healthcare

Background:

• Faculty completion rates for Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) assessments are inconsistent.
• Understanding faculty motivations is key to improving participation in EPA assessments.
• The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) provides a framework for exploring these motivations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore factors influencing faculty completion of EPA assessments.
• To compare motivations of high- and low-completing faculty using the TPB.
• To identify strategies for enhancing faculty engagement with EPA assessments.

Main Methods:

• Utilized EPA assessment data from 2023-2024 to classify faculty as high- or low-users.
• Conducted semi-structured Zoom interviews with 15 faculty members (9 high-users, 6 low-users).
• Applied directed content analysis guided by TPB constructs (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control) and inductive coding.

Main Results:

• High-users demonstrated greater confidence in EPA assessment value and workflow integration.
• Low-users expressed uncertainty about EPA impact and preferred resident-initiated assessments.
• Both groups recognized the influence of subjective norms and the importance of feedback quality, noting incongruence with the Entrustment-Supervision (ES) scale.

Conclusions:

• Targeted faculty development is needed to clarify EPA assessment benefits.
• Streamlining EPA integration into clinical workflows can improve participation.
• Addressing faculty concerns regarding the ES scale is crucial for enhancing engagement.