The role of competency based medical education in addressing health inequities and cultivating inclusive learning environments

Authors

Courtney A. Gilliam, Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children's, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
Brian Lurie, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, RI.
Ariel S. Winn, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston MA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, United States.
Aisha Barber, Children's National Hospital, Washington D.C, United States; George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, United States.
Darcel Jackson, Children's National Hospital, Washington D.C, United States.
Michael Weisgerber, Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin/Children's Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States.
Ndidi Unaka, Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children's, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States. Electronic address: Ndidi.Unaka@cchmc.org.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

6-8-2024

Journal

Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care

DOI

10.1016/j.cppeds.2024.101641

Keywords

clinical learning environment; competency based medical education; health inequities

Abstract

Pediatric health inequities are pervasive and reflect the confluence of social and structural determinants of health including racism in all its forms. Current approaches in graduate medical education that prepare trainees to address health inequities and improve population health are inadequate. Competency based medical education (CBME) can advance equity-oriented efforts to improve patient outcomes, optimize the learning environment and encourage lifelong learning. We briefly describe the impact of racism and discrimination on the clinical learning environment. We then highlight how to apply the 5 core principles of CBME to equip learners across the continuum to address health inequities. We provide specific examples including 1) how CBME can inform teaching, assessment and professional development activities to promote equitable pediatric health outcomes via enturstable professional activities, 2) competency-focused instruction that address racism and inequities, 3) multimodal learning approaches to facilitate the acquisition of the desired competencies to address health inequities, 4) sequenced learning approaches across the continuum of practicing pediatricians, and 5) tools and resources for programmatic assessment of trainee and program performance in addressing pediatric health inequities.

APA Citation

Gilliam, Courtney A.; Lurie, Brian; Winn, Ariel S.; Barber, Aisha; Jackson, Darcel; Weisgerber, Michael; and Unaka, Ndidi, "The role of competency based medical education in addressing health inequities and cultivating inclusive learning environments" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 5127.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/5127

Department

Pediatrics