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Applying Practice Analysis to Develop a New Test Content Outline for the Pediatric Cardiology Certification Examination

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Abstract

The evolving breadth and complexity of the contemporary pediatric cardiology specialty requires regular, systematic analysis of the practice to ensure that training and certification requirements address the demands of real-world clinical experience. We report the process of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) for conducting such a practice analysis and revising the test content outline (TCO) for the pediatric cardiology subspecialty certification exam. A panel of 15 pediatric cardiologists conducted seven 2-h virtual meetings, during which they identified 37 unique tasks that represent the work a pediatric cardiologist may reasonably expect to perform within the first 5 years after training. These tasks were grouped into nine performance domains, similar to the entrustable professional activities (EPA), previously endorsed by the ABP in collaboration with the pediatric cardiology education community, and which represent the critical activities of the profession. The panel then enumerated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform each task. These deliberations resulted in two work products: a practice analysis document (PAD) and subspecialty board TCO based on testable knowledge, skills, and abilities. Survey assessments of the panel’s work were then distributed to pediatric cardiology fellowship program directors and to practicing pediatric cardiologists for their input, which largely aligned with the panel’s recommendations. Survey responses were considered in the final revisions of the PAD and TCO. This approach to practice analysis proved to be an efficient process for describing the work performed by today’s pediatric cardiologists and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to competently perform that work.

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Abbreviations

ABP:

American board of pediatrics

ACHD:

Adult congenital heart disease

EPAs:

Entrustable professional activities

PAD:

Practice analysis document

PD:

Program director

SPCTPD:

Society of pediatric cardiology training program directors

TCO:

Test content outline

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to Dr. David A. Turner for his review of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. American Board of Pediatrics, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Robert C. Brucia & Andrew C. Dwyer

  2. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Nathaniel W. Taggart

  3. Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA

    Eyal Sagiv

  4. West Virginia University Medicine Children’s Hospital and West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Utkarsh Kohli

  5. Nemours Children’s Hospital, Orlando, FL, USA

    Svjetlana Tisma-Dupanovic

  6. Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA

    Nicole J. Sutton

  7. University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    George M. McDaniel

  8. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Joseph W. Rossano

  9. The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Audrey C. Marshall

Authors
  1. Robert C. Brucia
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  2. Nathaniel W. Taggart
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  3. Eyal Sagiv
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  4. Utkarsh Kohli
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  5. Svjetlana Tisma-Dupanovic
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  6. Nicole J. Sutton
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  7. George M. McDaniel
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  8. Joseph W. Rossano
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  9. Andrew C. Dwyer
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  10. Audrey C. Marshall
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Contributions

RB and AM: participated in the practice analysis process, conceptualized and designed the study, carried out initial analyses, drafted the initial manuscript, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. NT, ES, UK, STD and NS: participated in the practice analysis process, reviewed data, drafted the initial manuscript, and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. JR: participated in the practice analysis process, contributed to the design of the study and initial manuscript draft, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. GM: participated in the practice analysis process and critically reviewed and revised the manuscript. AD: conceptualized and designed the study and reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nathaniel W. Taggart.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. Rossano is a consultant for Abiomed, Novartis, Bayer, Myokardia and Cytokenetics. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Brucia, R.C., Taggart, N.W., Sagiv, E. et al. Applying Practice Analysis to Develop a New Test Content Outline for the Pediatric Cardiology Certification Examination. Pediatr Cardiol 44, 1057–1067 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-022-03070-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-022-03070-0

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