Developing a Preliminarily Validated Competency-Based Integrative Oncology Training Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Integrative Oncology
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Provider Training

Background:

• Implementing clinical integrative oncology (IO) guidelines necessitates comprehensive training for healthcare providers (HCPs).
• Assessing core competencies is crucial for effective IO training programs.
• Existing assessment tools may not fully capture the breadth of IO knowledge and skills required by trainees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and preliminarily validate a questionnaire assessing baseline core clinical IO competencies (CCC-IO) among HCP trainees.
• To evaluate the reliability and construct validity of the CCC-IO tool.
• To establish a benchmark for assessing IO training program effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A multi-disciplinary international team developed the CCC-IO questionnaire.
• A cross-sectional study nested within a randomized controlled trial examined reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and validity (exploratory factor analysis).
• 109 HCP trainees completed baseline questionnaires assessing 20 IO-related competencies across five domains.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis confirmed five domains, with 'Anxiety Relief' having the highest explanatory power (52.39%).
• The CCC-IO tool demonstrated high reliability, with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.78 to 0.97 across domains and 0.95 for the entire cohort.
• No significant between-group differences were observed in baseline characteristics or competency scores.

Conclusions:

• The CCC-IO tool is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing baseline clinical competencies in HCP trainees undergoing intensive IO training.
• The tool supports the baseline assessment of core clinical IO competencies.
• Further research is recommended to evaluate the CCC-IO tool in diverse palliative care settings, cultures, and languages.