Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies Project

More than a decade ago, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) initiated a major effort to ensure that trainees left programs as competent and prepared physicians. This effort, known as the Outcome Project, led to the adoption in 1999 of language specifying the six general competencies. Since then, ACGME has instituted its Next Accreditation System, an outcomes-based accreditation process through which the doctors of tomorrow will be measured for their competency in performing the essential tasks necessary for clinical practice in the 21st century.

As hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) fellowship programs began transitioning to the ACGME framework, in 2009 educators within the field elected to define HPM competencies and measureable outcomes in line with the ACGME Outcome Project. These tasks were taken up by the HPM Competencies Project Workgroup. You can access both the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Core Competencies and Measureable Outcomes for Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies for general use and reference.

The final step for the workgroup was to develop an assessment toolkit to provide a guide for fellow evaluation in the context of the competencies and measureable outcomes, resulting in the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Toolkit of Assessment Methods.

Ways to Use the HPM Competencies and Measurable Outcomes

Refining and Improving HPM Fellowship Curriculum—The HPM measurable outcomes document outlines behavioral outcomes and assessment tools for the competencies and subcompetencies. This document will be very useful in helping fellowship directors align their curriculum with the competencies as they work toward ACGME accreditation.

Starting a New HPM Fellowship Program—The HPM competencies also will serve as an excellent starting point for an institution wanting to launch an HPM fellowship program.

Developing a Short-Term Program for Medical Students and Interns—Many existing HPM fellowship programs provide training to medical students and interns from other specialties. The measurable outcomes document can serve as a guide for creating learning modules for a variety of medical student and intern time commitments and would complement a comprehensive curriculum.

Professional Development for Practicing Physicians—These documents can serve as a guide to evaluate one's own competence and help to focus a plan for self-improvement.

Contents

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies (version 2.3, September 2009)

Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies Project

Measurable Behavior Outcomes (version 2.3, September 2009)

Toolkit of Assessment Methods (2010)

Introduction (pdf)

Patient and Family Care (PFC)

• PFC 3-Tool Bundle
  • Patient and Family Care—Attending Physician Assessment
  • Patient and Family Care—Fellow Self-Assessment
  • Patient and Family Care—Chart Review
• Chart Abstraction Checklist—Psychosocial-Spiritual Assessment
• Chart Abstraction Checklist—Pain Assessment

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

• Faculty Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist—Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
• Team Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist—Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
• Small Group Teaching Checklist

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• The SECURE Framework—Palliative Care
• Communication Skills Evaluation

Professionalism

• Assessment of Professionalism in Palliative Care
• Reflective Journaling Self-Care Exercise

Systems-Based Practice

• Team Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist—Systems-Based Practice
• Faculty Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist—Systems-Based Practice

Multi-Domain Tools and Master Assessment Table

• 360° Evaluation
• Academic Portfolio
• Palliative Medicine Structured Portfolio
• Master Assessment Table

Guide to Key Documents
Instructions for Using Forms