Advancing assessment in general practice: the case for programmatic assessment in UK GP training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Traditional UK General Practice (GP) training assessment relies on high-stakes evaluations.
• These methods may not fully capture clinical competence or ensure equitable learner development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine limitations of current GP assessment systems.
• To outline principles and benefits of programmatic assessment.
• To explore challenges and strategies for implementing programmatic assessment.

Main Methods:

• Review of current assessment limitations in GP training.
• Analysis of programmatic assessment principles and international models.
• Exploration of educational theory and implementation strategies.

Main Results:

• Programmatic assessment offers a more valid, reliable, and learner-centered alternative.
• It involves systematic collection of diverse, low-stakes data over time.
• An integrated portfolio-based approach is proposed.

Conclusions:

• A shift towards integrated portfolio-based assessment is recommended for GP training.
• This approach prioritizes meaningful feedback and competency-based progression.
• It has the potential to reduce reliance on high-stakes examinations.