Using Competency-Based Curriculum Design to Create a Health Professions Education Certificate Program the Meets the Needs of Students, Administrators, Faculty, and Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Health Professions Education (HPE) programs emerged to train faculty in teaching and learning within the higher education context. HPE programs are motivated by the belief that faculty trained in teaching and learning will ultimately improve patient care through improved preparation of future practitioners and improved test scores that impact the careers of health professionals and the prestige of the institutions. Methods: We followed a modified Delphi method for data collection and analyzed data from two in-person focus groups with faculty who work within the health professions at SRU, a collaborative document where health professions faculty filled out information about class types within HPE, an intensive literature review of over 100 policy and research on health professions education needs and best practices, a review of existing health professions education certificate and graduate degree program curriculum, and a review of promotion and tenure handbooks for Dental, Medical, and Nursing faculty at SRU. Results: Analysis of course evaluations and stakeholder feedback suggested that the redesigned HPE curriculum meets the needs of HPE faculty, aligned with literature, and was competitive with similar program across the United States. Conclusions: A curriculum that meets the needs of practitioners, administrators, and industry should prepare faculty to gain competency in each of the core domains of health professions education: Professional Foundations (specific to Health Professions Education), Working with Students, Planning and Preparation, Instructional Methods and Strategies (Clinical and Classroom), Assessment and Evaluation, and Evidence-based Practice/Research. Keywords: Health professions education, Curriculum design, Program evaluation, Health professions education competencies, Competency-based design