Core Competencies for Continuing Medical Education
About Us
Core competencies refer to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to deliver medical care that will provide the most benefit to the patient population being served. The core competency categories were originally developed as the Outcomes Project of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. After discussion and refinement, they were also adopted by the American Board of Medical Specialties and are now mandated for use in Maintenance of Certification Programs. The Alliance for Continuing Medical Education and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education recommend their inclusion in all CME activities.
The Alexian Brothers Hospital Network Continuing Medical Education Consortium endeavors to integrate core competencies into all appropriate CME activities.
There are six categories of core competencies:
- Patient care core competencies describe medical care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health
- Medical knowledge core competencies refer to established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (e.g. epidemiological and social-behavioral) sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care
- Interpersonal and communication skill core competencies describe interactions that result in effective information exchange and learning with patients, their families, and other health professionals
- Practice-based learning and improvement core competencies involve physician investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and the upgrading of standards and practices of patient care
- Professionalism core competencies are manifested and evidenced by physicians in carrying out their medical responsibilities, adhering to ethical principles, and demonstrating sensitivity to a diverse patient population
- Systems-based core competencies are manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide patient care that has optimal value
