Development of a Competency-Based Curriculum for Advanced Practice Providers in Allergy and Immunology

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Allergy & Immunology
• Advanced Practice Providers

Background:

• Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) are a growing part of the healthcare workforce.
• APPs offer high-quality, cost-effective care and collaborate with physicians.
• A structured national training program for APPs in Allergy & Immunology (A&I) is currently lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop core competencies for APPs in A&I.
• To inform a competency-based curriculum for APPs new to the field.
• To complement existing clinical training at practice sites.

Main Methods:

• Competencies were developed by an expert panel of physicians and APPs.
• A modified Delphi approach was used for competence validation with 35 participants.
• Feedback was incorporated to refine competencies across 11 educational areas.

Main Results:

• An initial draft included 112 competencies across 11 educational areas.
• Finalized competencies were established after validation by 35 experts.
• The final version includes 99 core competencies for APPs in A&I.

Conclusions:

• The developed competencies will guide the creation of a Core Curriculum for APPs in A&I.
• This curriculum represents a crucial step in dedicated education for the APP role in A&I.
• Standardized training will enhance APP capabilities within the A&I specialty.