Developing entrustable professional activities for university teachers in the health professions

Abstract

Purpose: There is a widely recognized need to improve teacher professional development as well as recognition of teaching expertise in health professions education (HPE). This study aimed to develop Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for university teachers in HPE as foundations for systems of training, certification, and career opportunities. Method: A local expert consultation using a two-round Delphi study at a Dutch academic medical center (round 1: n = 23; round 2: n = 13) was conducted to reach a consensus on an initial set of EPAs developed by the researchers. Subsequently, an international expert consultation was conducted using a survey (n = 21) and a focus group discussion (n = 7) to explore their international value. Results: Local consensus for all nine EPAs was reached in the second round of the Delphi study. The international survey showed a consensus for relevance and usefulness of all but one EPA but not for clarity and comprehensiveness of the EPAs. The international expert consultation revealed a need to tailor the EPA specifications to local contexts. Conclusion: We found international consensus for the relevance and usefulness of EPAs for university teachers in HPE but local tailoring for each EPA is needed to acknowledge contextual differences.