The promise of competency-based education in the health professions for improving global health

TLDR

Competency‑based education offers a time‑independent alternative for training health professionals and designing curricula, and its alignment with health system priorities makes it especially promising for resource‑limited settings. The study aims to define competence and competencies, outline the curricular implications of a competence‑focused approach, and identify four key implementation challenges. The authors explain that CBE begins by specifying desired competencies, then establishes outcomes, individualized learning paths, standards, and valid assessments, thereby aligning workforce skills with national health priorities.

Abstract

Competency-based education (CBE) provides a useful alternative to time-based models for preparing health professionals and constructing educational programs. We describe the concept of ‘competence’ and ‘competencies’ as well as the critical curricular implications that derive from a focus on ‘competence’ rather than ‘time’. These implications include: defining educational outcomes, developing individualized learning pathways, setting standards, and the centrality of valid assessment so as to reflect stakeholder priorities. We also highlight four challenges to implementing CBE: identifying the health needs of the community, defining competencies, developing self-regulated and flexible learning options, and assessing learners for competence. While CBE has been a prominent focus of educational reform in resource-rich countries, we believe it has even more potential to align educational programs with health system priorities in more resource-limited settings. Because CBE begins with a careful consideration of the competencies desired in the health professional workforce to address health care priorities, it provides a vehicle for integrating the health needs of the country with the values of the profession.