Developing Entrustable Professional Activities for Infectious Diseases Training: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic being a global catastrophe, it provided substantial experience to inform infectious diseases residency training. Examining these experiences through contemporary medical education approaches and deriving future educational insights appears to be essential. Objectives: This study addresses this need within a Competency‐Based Medical Education framework by developing Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), along with associated competencies and entrustment information sources. These are specifically tailored to infectious diseases residency training and grounded in real‐world experiences of physicians engaged in COVID‐19 interventions. Methods: A two-phase qualitative design was used. In phase one, expert interviews were conducted with frontline pandemic physicians. Data were analyzed using the Documentary Method, a reconstructive approach capturing not just what professionals say but how they frame and interpret their experiences. In phase two, findings informed the development of an EPA-Competency Matrix for infectious diseases training. Results: Four core themes emerged: (1) navigating transition and uncertainty, (2) rapid learning and communication, (3) acting as public intellectuals, and (4) collaborating under extraordinary conditions. Analysis yielded 3 EPA titles and 3 nested EPAs, each with specified knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These were incorporated into the EPA-Competency Matrix with recommendations for entrustment decision sources. Conclusion: This research presents a practice-informed EPA framework aimed at enhancing pandemic preparedness within infectious diseases training. By integrating physician narratives with educational design, it effectively connects clinical realities with curricular development, providing practical guidance for competency-based medical education. Furthermore, it can be modified for application in other specialties that may encounter future global health crises.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• EPA
• competency-based medical education
• Documentary Method
• expert interview
• narrative analysis

Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları Eğitimine Yönelik Devredilebilir Mesleki Etkinlikler: COVID-19 Pandemisinden Çıkarılan Dersler

Abstract

Arka plan: COVID-19 pandemisi küresel bir felaket olmakla birlikte, enfeksiyon hastalıkları uzmanlık eğitimine önemli deneyimler kazandırdığı söylenebilir. Bu deneyimleri güncel tıp eğitimi yaklaşımları ışığında incelemek ve geleceğe yönelik eğitimsel çıkarımlar elde etmek önemli görünmektedir. Amaç: Bu çalışma, Yeterlik Temelli Tıp Eğitimi çerçevesinde, COVID-19 müdahalelerine katılan hekimlerin gerçek dünya deneyimlerine dayalı olarak enfeksiyon hastalıkları uzmanlık eğitimi için Devredilebilir Mesleki Etkinlikler (Entrustable Professional Activites - EPA) geliştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Yöntem: Çalışmada iki aşamalı nitel bir tasarım benimsenmiştir. Birinci aşamada pandemi sürecinde görev yapan hekimlerle uzman görüşmeleri yapıldı. Bu görüşmeler, uzmanların kendi deneyimlerini nasıl çerçevelediklerini ve yorumladıklarını açığa çıkaran rekonstrüktif bir yaklaşım olan Belgesel Yöntem ile analiz edildi. İkinci aşamada, elde edilen bulgular, enfeksiyon hastalıkları eğitimi için bir EPA–Yeterlik Matrisi oluşturmak üzere kullanıldı. Bulgular: Uzman hekimlerin anlatılarından dört temel tema ortaya çıktı: 1) Geçiş evresi ve belirsizlikle başa çıkma, 2) Hızlı öğrenme ve etkili iletişim, 3) Kamusal aydın olarak rol üstlenme, 4) Olağanüstü koşullarda iş birliği yapma. Analiz sonucunda her biri belirli bilgi, beceri ve tutumları içeren 3 temel EPA başlığı tanımlandı. Bu EPA’lar, EPA karar kaynaklarına yönelik önerilerle birlikte EPA–Yeterlik Matrisine dahil edildi. Sonuç: Bu araştırma, enfeksiyon hastalıkları eğitiminde yeni pandemilere yönelik hazırlıkları güçlendirmeyi hedefleyen, gerçek uygulamalardan beslenen bir EPA çerçevesi sunmaktadır. Hekimlerin pandemi deneyimlerine ilişkin anlatıları, güncel eğitim kavramlarıyla harmanlanarak bütünleştirilmektedir. Bu bakış açısı, başka uzmanlık alanları için de uygulanabilirdir.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• EPA
• yeterlik-temelli tıp eğitimi
• Belgesel Yöntem
• uzman görüşmesi
• anlatı analizi

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