Monitoring and maintaining competence of health professionals

• Main Author: Cutshall, Patricia
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Medical personnel; Medical personnel > In-service training
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21087

Health sciences literature from 1970 - 1977 which pertains to monitoring and maintaining competence of health professionals is abstracted and reported. Recognizing that competence is defined by the criteria and standards used to evaluate its presence, this thesis uses Donabedian's evaluation model to organize the bulk of the literature reviewed. While the model applies to competence of the health care system, this paper limits discussion to competence of health professionals. It considers literature concerned with definition, evaluation, and restoration/maintaince action related to knowledge and skills possessed by practioners (structure), clinical performance (process), and results of care (outcome). Additionally it provides information about the historical development of and current trends in credentialing mechanisms intended to certify competence, explores in some detail the issue of mandatory continuing education, and discusses contemporary social and political phenomena which influence and are influenced by competence monitoring activities. The concluding chapter offers observations on the current state-of-the art with respect to evaluating and maintaining competence and makes recommendations for further research, development and implementation of competence monitoring activities consistent with the North American social context. Finally, several implications for continuing educators' roles and responsibilities vis a vis monitoring and maintaining health professionals' competence are discussed. === Education, Faculty of === Educational Studies (EDST), Department of === Graduate