Abstract
Background: Primary care is characterised by specific challenges. Primary care professionals must be able to address the complex and changing needs of a diverse patient population in a changing context. To meet these challenges, skills that are based on the needs of the field are necessary, with a combination of discipline specific skills and generic skills. In literature, this is described as the T-shaped professional. However, the generic skills for primary care professionals are not well defined. Competency profiles for primary care exist, but are focussing on discipline-specific competencies (e.g. nursing in primary care). Similarly, there are competency profiles that describe generic competencies for all healthcare professionals but not restricted to primary care. A generic competency profile for primary care professionals is lacking. The purpose of this study protocol is to develop a generic competency profile for primary care and to implement this in practice.
Approach: This research is embedded in a broader consortium, the Primary Care Academy. The goal of the Primary Care Academy is to strengthen primary care in Flanders, Belgium. An interprofessional research group guided the development of the protocol. A qualitative research design, with different data collection moments, will be followed. (1) A scoping review on competencies in primary care will be performed, following the Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping reviews. (2) An ethnographic study of primary care professionals will take place. Primary care professionals will be observed and interviewed. The observations give insight into the professional activities and competencies needed to perform these activities. Different focus groups will be organised to define and refine the generic competencies and the competency profile. (3) Implementation in practice. In co-creation with primary care professionals, we will research how the competency profile can be translated in practice and function as a tool for lifelong learning.
Results: A logic model visualises the steps in the research process, including the input, activities, output, and outcomes. Participant observations will begin in spring 2025. Data will be analysed using Cultural Historical Activity Theory as a qualitative framework. We obtain to develop a competency profile for primary care, with a core set of professional activities and the generic competencies needed to perform these activities. The competency profile will be translated to a reflection tool for lifelong learning and continuous professional development.
Implications: This study aims to strengthen primary care, with a focus on practice and lifelong learning for primary care professionals.