Core Competency Framework Research Articles

Dental educators’ views and knowledge of competencies required within a competency framework

The aim of the study was twofold; first was to explore and describe dental educators’ views of the competencies required within the AfriMEDS core competency framework. The second was to highlight the views of the dental educators, regarding the alignment of the AfriMEDS core competencies, with the dental curriculum. A case study approach to qualitative inquiry was used. The participants were purposefully selected, and two focus group discussions were conducted. An interview protocol was used to guide the discussions. The gathered data from the discussions were transcribed verbatim, and uploaded to the Atlas ti program for data analysis. Themes were identified from the findings of the thematic analysis. Results Dental educators required some guidance and clarity on the AfriMEDS core competency framework. However, they were able to recognize the competencies related to the AfriMEDS core competency framework. Two of these competencies, evidence-based dentistry, and private practice, were highlighted as core competencies in this current study; however, in AfriMEDS, only certain aspects of this was described. The results of this current study revealed that dental educators were able to make valuable recommendations about the additional competencies requirements for dental graduates.

Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework: tool validation for self-declared assessment.

The Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, the official pharmacists' association in Lebanon, had suggested a core competencies framework based on global and international frameworks and adapted to the local context. The objective of this study was to validate the structure of this comprehensive set of competencies in the Lebanese context of pharmacy practice. The framework structure was assessed through multiple factor analyses, correlational and reliability measures of self-declared assessment, based on a cross-sectional survey of practising pharmacists. The framework had adequate structural validity and reliability: all measured coefficients were of appropriate magnitude. Behaviours adequately loaded on competencies, and competencies adequately loaded on domains and the entire framework. The exploratory factor analysis showed an adequate distribution of competencies in domains. Domains were also inter-correlated, without over-correlation. Our results are an essential step towards standardizing pharmacy competencies in Lebanon and show that the Lebanese core competencies framework developed by the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon is structurally valid and reliable, although not yet applied in the Lebanese educational system. This tool would be helpful to assess the minimum competencies of pharmacists upon and after graduation.

Against the Odds: Developing a Core Competence Framework of Social Work Practice for the Field of Disaster Management in China

Disaster plans are complex and the role of social workers can become lost amidst plans and processes. Although social workers' skill sets are desperately needed during disasters and recovery, in many disaster management strategies their roles are not acknowledged. In order to maximise their value, specific training for social workers in disaster management needs to be reinvigorated. Associate Professor Timothy Sim, Singapore University of Social Sciences, believes that current social work research in disaster management is underdeveloped, and other professionals are unclear about social workers' roles in it. His project to examine the core competence of social work in various stages of disaster management was funded by the General Research Fund of the Hong Kong SAR Government. He and colleagues from China and around the world devised a new competence framework that is unique from previous attempts. The framework comprises five dimensions: knowledge, values, skills, roles and tasks, in four specific disaster management phases: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The thinking behind this novel structure is that it will help social work professionals clarify related concepts and comprehend competencies, roles and tasks for each phase of the disaster management cycle. The approach is also more comprehensive and precise than has been seen previously and will improve collaboration between social workers, governments and non-government organisations. Furthermore, the team used rigorous research methods when designing the framework, including an integrative review, in-depth interviews and a Delphi study. In addition, the team is confident the framework will have a long-term impact and could be applied to other countries and contexts.

Development of a core competency framework for clinical informatics

ObjectivesUntil this point there was no national core competency framework for clinical informatics in the UK. We report on the final two iterations of work carried out in the formation...

Measuring research capacity development in healthcare workers: a systematic review

ObjectivesA key barrier in supporting health research capacity development (HRCD) is the lack of empirical measurement of competencies to assess skills and identify gaps in research activities. An effective tool...

Descriptive assessment of graduates' perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies based on the Lebanese pharmacy core competencies framework.

Background:Pharmacists possess a unique and complex body of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to enable them to optimize health outcomes. Pharmacy organizations publish routinely updated versions of professional competencies that help pharmacy schools integrate advances into their curricula. In Lebanon, no national framework for pharmacy education is officially adopted yet. In 2017, the Official Pharmacists’ Association in Lebanon [OPL - Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon] took the initiative to develop a pharmacy core competency framework.Objective:The primary objective of this survey was to evaluate graduates’ perceptions of pharmacy-related competencies “taught” across Lebanese pharmacy schools/faculties, based on the suggested Lebanese Pharmacy Competencies Framework. This study also explored the association between graduates’ demographics, university attributes, and self-assessed competency performance.Methods:A cross-sectional study involving pharmacists who graduated from Lebanese universities was performed through a 40-minute online questionnaire distributed over social media platforms and groups of pharmacists.Results:Pharmacists perceived their competence as moderate upon graduation, the lowest scores being in fundamental knowledge and medicine supply; the highest reported scores were in personal skills and safe/rational use of medicines. Moreover, females, younger graduates, PharmD holders, and pharmacists working in hospitals/clinical settings and academia had the highest perception of their competencies. Pharmacists in the public sector and medical laboratory directors had the lowest perception of competence.Conclusions:When comparing the taught curriculum to the suggested Lebanese Pharmacy Competency Framework, all domains need to be improved to optimize the perception, education, and practice of pharmacists. It is essential to emphasize fundamental knowledge, medicines supply, and public health competencies in undergraduate curricula and improve continuing professional education.

Financial education of schoolchildren with the use of digital technologies: European experience

An increasing number of countries are recognising the importance of financial literacy, and have included financial education in school curricula. Support for the implementation of financial education can be viewed by the main public, private and civic organizations a critical long-term investment in human capital. The issue of financial literacy is defined in the main state documents of Ukraine. The introduction of digital technologies has opened wide opportunities for their use in the field of financial education, they increase motivation to learn, stimulate students' cognitive interest and increase the efficiency of independent work. The issue of financial literacy is defined in the main basic documents of Ukraine, such as the Law of Ukraine "On Education" and "State Standard of Basic Secondary Education" (2020), in which entrepreneurship and financial literacy are key competencies. The aim of the article is to analyze the European experience in the formation of financial literacy in a digital learning environment in the context of reforming domestic education. To achieve this goal, a set of research methods was used: analysis and systematization of scientific literature, works of domestic and foreign authors; comparative and pedagogical analysis, which is used to compare and generalize different views on the organization of financial education in schools of the European Union. The article is considered the objectives and key components of the Core Competencies Framework on Financial Literacy for Youth developed by the OECD International Network on Financial Education (OECD/INFE) and presents the framework of core competencies. The results of the international study of the quality of education PISA-2018 on the assessment of financial literacy are considered. The experience of European countries in creating and using a digital learning environment for the effective implementation of financial education: portals, websites, games, etc. is considered and analyzed.

Identifying core competencies for practicing public health professionals: results from a Delphi exercise in Uttar Pradesh, India

BackgroundEnsuring the current public health workforce has appropriate competencies to fulfill essential public health functions is challenging in many low- and middle-income countries. The absence of an agreed set of core competencies to provide a basis for developing and assessing knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes contributes to this challenge. This study aims to identify the requisite core competencies for practicing health professionals in mid-level supervisory and program management roles to effectively perform their public health responsibilities in the resource-poor setting of Uttar Pradesh (UP), India.MethodsWe used a multi-step, interactive Delphi technique to develop an agreed set of public health competencies. A narrative review of core competency frameworks and key informant interviews with human resources for health experts in India were conducted to prepare an initial list of 40 competency statements in eight domains. We then organized a day-long workshop with 22 Indian public health experts and government officials, who added to and modified the initial list. A revised list of 54 competency statements was rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Aggregate statement scores were shared with the participants, who discussed the findings. Finally, the revised list was returned to participants for an additional round of ratings. The Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was used to identify stability between steps, and consensus was defined using the percent agreement criterion.ResultsStability between the first and second Delphi scoring steps was reached in 46 of the 54 statements. By the end of the second Delphi scoring step, consensus was reached on 48 competency statements across eight domains: public health sciences, assessment and analysis, policy and program management, financial management and budgeting, partnerships and collaboration, social and cultural determinants, communication, and leadership.ConclusionsThis study produced a consensus set of core competencies and domains in public health that can be used to assess competencies of public health professionals and revise or develop new training programs to address desired competencies. Findings can also be used to support workforce development by informing competency-based job descriptions for recruitment and performance management in the Indian context, and potentially can be adapted for use in resource-poor settings globally.

Developing Core Competencies for Pharmacy Graduates: The Lebanese Experience

Background: In the absence of a national qualification framework for health professionals, the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists (OPL) took the initiative of developing a pharmacy competency framework to standardize pharmacy education in all universities. The objective of this manuscript is to describe the steps that led to the Lebanese Pharmacy Core Competencies Framework. Methods: Based on a primer developed by a group of academic instructors, following international reference documents from different parts of the world, the Academic board appointed by the OPL, reviewed, streamlined, and validated the suggested primer using the Delphi technique over three rounds, to come up with the final framework. Results: The framework encompassed competencies distributed over 7 domains: fundamental knowledge, professional practice, personal skills, supply of medications, safe and rational use of medications, pharmaceutical public health competencies, and organization and management competencies. Its structure was similar to that of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), with cultural and legal adaptations and the addition of some behaviors related to OPL specific practice and research projects. Conclusion: This work describes the elaboration of the Lebanese Pharmacy Core Competencies Framework, a project considered to be an essential step forward for the profession and a first step toward providing information on human resource planning and professional development of the pharmacy workforce. Instead of adapting existing international educational standards from resource-rich contexts, which may not meet the actual needs of Lebanon, universities can draw our findings to develop relevant programs targeting the skills needed for health workers in Lebanon.

Đánh giá nhu cầu đào tạo về lãnh đạo và quản lý của cán bộ tuyến tỉnh và huyện thuộc hệ thống y tế công lập năm 2016

Objective: Assess the leadership and management training need of health manager nation-wide based on the core competency framework. Method: The study applied cross-sectional research method. Data was collected from health manager by self-administration questionnaires. Data collection was carried out in 2016 in in person in 7 provices representatives for 7 ecological areas of Vietnam. Data from other provinces was collected via mail and email. Results: Findings from 1749 respondents in the study showed the pretty low level of leadership and management competency of health manager, the proportion of health manager selt-evaluated have enough competency to perform their work was roughly 20%. Leadership and management capacity of director board was higher than middle level manager. There was no statistical difference on the leadership and management competency of staff at district and provincial/central level. More than 65% study participants expressed high demand of training for all 14 leadership and management core competencies. Conclusion: It is essential to develop and provide leadership and management training for health manager in the whole system. However, the programs also needs to be tailoired to be appropriate with the different need of different group of health manager. Key words: training need, competency, leadership and management.

Developing and validating a self-assessment tool for health promotion competencies with training participants in Austria.

A key objective of health promotion capacity building and professional development programmes is to enhance competencies in the workforce or training participants. The goal of this study was to investigate and validate the psychometric properties of a recently developed self-assessment tool, based on 'The CompHP core competencies framework for health promotion', to establish whether it is suitable for evaluating training. The tool was employed in 2018 to evaluate two different programmes, with 584 participants submitting their assessment and evaluation of 77 different health promotion training courses in a paper and pencil questionnaire. Longitudinal data were available for 148 participants in the programme for workplace health promotion because they completed an online questionnaire beforehand. The reliability and validity of the assessment tool were tested in several confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models. Structurally, there was a significant increase in health promotion competencies when comparing measurements before and after training. Furthermore, participants were shown to have different levels of competencies due to their prior knowledge, the format of the course or the professional development programme attended but not based on gender, age or sector. The results justify the creation of an overall scale to assess core health promotion competencies that are suitable for evaluating training courses. However, various methodological issues need to be considered in future applications including decisions about the design of the study (e.g. pre-post test, control groups), type of measurements (e.g. general and specific instrument, background information) and depth of analysis (e.g. confirmatory model and invariance testing).

Development and psychometric validation of a comprehensive end-of-life care competence scale: A study based on three-year surveys of health and social care professionals in Hong Kong.

This study aimed to develop an assessment tool measuring comprehensive interdisciplinary competence in end-of-life care (EoLC) and investigate its content, construct validity, reliability, and their correlates. Items of the Comprehensive End-of-Life Care Competence Scale (CECCS) were developed according to a comprehensive core competence framework in EoLC and refined by a multi-disciplinary panel of experts. The psychometric properties were further tested through region-wide surveys of self-administered questionnaires completed by health and social care professionals in Hong Kong. Participants comprised social workers, nurses, physicians, and allied health care professionals (445 participants in 2016, 410 in 2017, and 523 in 2018). Factor analysis validated the construct of the questionnaire which encompassed 26 items describing EoLC core competences in seven domains with satisfactory internal reliability (confirmatory factor analysis: χ2/df = 3.12, GFI = 0.85, TLI = 0.93, CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.07; Cronbach's alphas ranged from 0.89 to 0.97): overarching value & knowledge, communication skills, symptom management, psychosocial and community care, end-of-life decision-making, bereavement care, and self-care. Higher perceived levels in these competences were correlated with a higher level of job meaningfulness and satisfaction (r ranged from 0.17 to 0.39, p < 0.01) and correlated with lower perceived stress (r ranged from -0.11 to -0.28, p < 0.05). Regression analysis found that age and work involvement in EoLC were positively associated with the perceived competences in all domains; professionals working in hospices reported higher levels of competence than workers in other settings; social workers showed lower perceived competences in symptom management, but higher levels in bereavement care than other health care professionals. The validity and internal reliability of CECCS were demonstrated. The levels of perceived competences working in EoLC were significantly associated with professionals' job-related well-being. Practically, there is still room for improvement in comprehensive competences among health and social care workers in Hong Kong.

National study of emergency medical services core competencies in Saudi Arabia

PurposeEmergency medical services (EMS) educational standards in Saudi Arabia have developed at an unprecedented rate, and the rapid pace of development has resulted in a considerable disparity of educational approaches. Therefore, an empirically based core competency framework should be developed. The aim was to utilize exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in the reduction and generation of a theoretical Saudi competency model.Design/methodology/approachA purposive sample was utilized in a national quantitative cross-sectional study design of Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) healthcare workers. The instrument comprised 41 core competency items rated on a Likert scale. EFA alpha factoring with oblique promax rotation was applied to the 41 items.FindingsA total of 450 EMS healthcare providers participated in the study, of whom 422 (93.8 per cent) were male and 28 (6.2 per cent) female. Of the participants, 230 (60 per cent) were aged 29–39 years and 244 (54.2 per cent) had 5–9 years of experience. An EFA of instrument items generated five factors: professionalism, preparedness, communication, clinical and personal with an eigenvalue > 1, representing 67.5 per cent of total variance. Only variables that had a loading value >0.40 were utilized in the factor solution.Originality/valueThe EFA model Saudi ParamEdic Competency Scale (SPECS) has been identified, with 27 core competency items and five overarching factors. The model has considerable similarities to other medical competency frameworks. However, some aspects are specifically unique to the Saudi EMS context. The SPECS model provides an academic blueprint that can be used by paramedic educational programs to ensure empirical alignment with the needs of the industry and community.

Building a core competency assessment program for all stakeholders: the design and building of sailing ships can inform core competency frameworks.

When educators are developing an effective and workable assessment program in graduate medical education by employing action research and stakeholder mapping to identify core competency domains and directives, the multi-stage process can be guided and informed by utilizing the story of designing, building and sea-testing sailing ships as a metaphor. However, the current challenge of physician burnout demands additional attention when formulating medical training frameworks, assessment guidelines and mentoring programs in 2020. The possibility of job-crafting is raised for consideration by designers of core competency frameworks in the health professions.

Leveling the Joint Task Force Core Competencies for Clinical Research Professionals.

Competency standards for clinical research professionals are being developed across the enterprise, based largely on the Core Competency Framework put forth by the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF). In late 2016, representatives from organizations around the world convened at a workshop hosted by the Multi-Regional Clinical Trial Center of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard (MRCT Center) to discuss their use of the standards. A number of modifications were suggested that resulted in the publication of JTF Framework 2.0. Another suggested evolution of the Framework was to consider "leveling" the competencies, to reflect the increase in competency that occurs as individuals progress in their careers. This paper describes the process utilized and final outcome of this work. The leveled competencies, defined as the Fundamental, Skilled, and Advanced levels, and the included examples are expected to provide better-defined tools and resources to organizations that are creating educational and training programs, standardized role descriptions, or professional progression planning for clinical research professionals.

Teaching communication as a core competency in health professions education: An exploratory case study in a college of health sciences, South Africa

Background. Competency-based and interprofessional education are increasingly favoured approaches for training health professionals (HPs) to meet patient and population needs. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and College of Health Sciences (CHS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, SA, specified a requirement for a core competencies framework to be incorporated into all HP programmes in 2014. Objectives. To explore teaching, learning and assessment of communication as a core competency in eight HP programmes in the CHS to determine how communication was taught and whether the competencies framework had been adopted successfully. The study is important, as there has been limited research on the teaching of communication as a competency in HP education in SA. Methods. The case study comprised educational qualitative research. The CHS document was reviewed and purposive sampling was used to select educators from the programmes. Focus group discussions were conducted in July and August 2015 with 5 - 9 participants per group. Data were analysed thematically and themes and subthemes described. Gatekeeper and ethical permissions were obtained. Results. Aspects of communication were taught in all programmes. None of the programmes had fully incorporated the CHS framework. The medicine programme had incorporated aspects of the framework in teaching, although it did not reflect consistently in all disciplines. Teaching was largely profession or discipline specific. Important challenges were language barriers and interprofessional communication. Conclusions. While the consistent use of the CHS core competencies framework may contribute to improving the teaching of communication in the HP programmes, the success of a competency-based approach depends on responsiveness to context. Research in local settings is recommended to identify and align competencies and content with patient and community needs.

Development of a core competency framework for clinical research staff

Abstract Aim To develop a pilot core competency framework for clinical research staff. Background Clinical research networks in the United Kingdom (UK) are continuously developing as study demands change, thereby creating more diverse opportunities for individuals working in clinical research roles. It is imperative for clinical research staff to be skilled and competent to enable consistent delivery of high quality research studies and to provide the best care for participants, irrespective of their professional background. Method A multi-method design was adopted which included three phases; Phase One – a conceptual review of current competency frameworks in the literature; Phase Two - a focus session with clinical researchers and thematic analysis to elicit suggestions and perspectives of core competencies; and Phase Three - development and refinement of a pilot competency tool. Results Common indicators identified in the literature review were incorporated into the pilot competency framework. Three main overarching themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the focus session data; Theme One – clinical research attributes; Theme Two – career definition and development and; Theme Three – competency toolkit. Discussion Current frameworks are comprehensive when applied to the research nurse role, however typically do not consider the competencies and development of non-registered staff. The present study also identified a gap in the consideration of soft skills as a core competency. Future work may include an additional phase to field test the pilot framework, seek feedback for further refinement and to include an assessment template. Conclusion The establishment of a standardised competency framework for clinical research staff, irrespective of professional background, provides a valuable guide for individual researchers and their organisations. It adds to the evidence of the move towards professional registration for those working in clinical research and fosters motivation to develop and progress in the field.

A core competency framework for prostate cancer peer navigation.

Trained peer navigators can offer valuable peer support and mentorship to cancer patients and caregivers due to their highly relevant and unique perspective about the disease experience. In order to define the role of prostate cancer (PC) peer navigators within the cancer care system, it is important to establish the essential competencies of a PC peer navigator. We systematically identified and verified a set of core competencies for PC peer navigators and present a competency framework for PC peer navigators. In phase 1, we conducted formative research consisting of a literature review and environmental scan as well as a secondary analysis of qualitative interviews. In phase 2, we drafted and mapped competencies. Finally in phase 3, expert stakeholders completed an anonymous survey to indicate whether they endorsed the competencies and to rank the importance of each competency to the peer navigator role. Open-ended feedback was also provided for each competency. Six core competency domains emerged: (1) self as navigator, (2) communication, (3) knowledge/information, (4) facilitate patient-centred care, (5) eHealth/technology, and (6) caregiver needs. Forty-seven core competency statements were mapped to these domains. Expert stakeholders (n = 27) included cancer survivors, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Most (89%) of core competency statements were endorsed by stakeholders and received high priority ratings, whereas only five of the competencies were less uniformly endorsed. This is the first attempt to list core competencies for PC peer navigators and may offer guidance for standardizing the PC peer navigator role and training.

Bridging the Behavioral Health Gap in Serious Illness Care: Challenges and Strategies for Workforce Development

Comorbidity with behavioral health conditions is highly prevalent among those experiencing serious medical illnesses and is associated with poor outcomes. Siloed provision of behavioral and physical healthcare has contributed to a workforce ill-equipped to address the often complex needs of these clinical populations. Trained specialist behavioral health providers are scarce and there are gaps in core behavioral health competencies among serious illness care providers. Core competency frameworks to close behavioral health training gaps in primary care exist, but these have not extended to some of the distinct skills and roles required in serious illness care settings. This paper seeks to address this issue by describing a common framework of training competencies across the full spectrum of clinical responsibility and behavioral health expertise for those working at the interface of behavioral health and serious illness care. The authors used a mixed-method approach to develop a model of behavioral health and serious illness care and to delineate seven core skill domains necessary for practitioners working at this interface. Existing opportunities for scaling-up the workforce as well as priority policy recommendation to address barriers to implementation are discussed.

Developing a framework of core competencies in implementation research for low/middle-income countries

The field of implementation research (IR) is growing. However, there are no recognised IR core competencies in low/middle-income countries (LMICs), nor consistent curriculum across IR training programs globally. The goal...