Mapping the Competencies and Entrustable Professional Activities of Medical Ethics for Faculty Members

Abstract

Introduction The present study aimed to develop core competencies and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for faculty members through participating in faculty development courses in the field of medical ethics. Methods This study included five stages. First, based on the literature review and interviews with 14 experts and through inductive content analysis, categories and subcategories were extracted. Second, content validity of the core competency list was assessed by 16 experts using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Third, based on previous phase, a framework for EPAs was developed by research taskforce in two sessions through consensus. Fourth, content validity of the list of EPAs compiled based on three-point Likert was evaluated by 11 medical ethics experts from necessity and relevance perspective. Fifth, EPAs were mapped by 10 experts to the developed core competencies. Results After literature review and interviews, 295 codes were extracted, which were further classified into six categories and 18 subcategories. Based on the validation results, five core competencies and 23 EPAs were developed that were required for faculty members in the field of medical ethics. Identified core competencies included teaching, research and scholarship in the field of medical ethics, communication skills, moral reasoning, and decision-making, policy-making and ethical leadership. Conclusion Medical teachers can be strongly effective in moralizing healthcare system, and present findings showed that faculty members should acquire extensive core competencies and EPAs for proficiently integrating medical ethics in curricula. Faculty development programs can be designed in the field of medical ethics for faculty members to help them acquire core competencies and EPAs.