Integrating Research and Training to Enhance Organizational Readiness

As explained in Chapter 1 , it is of crucial importance to provide evidence for the assumption that the training programs in healthcare that we develop and implement have beneficial effects on the performance of our participants (in the programs in this book: preceptors and residents), on the setting in which they work (including their colleagues), or both, and doing so requires a careful integration of a research component in our training programs. This chapter presents the methodology that lies at the core of programs presented in Chapters 6 and 7 of this book and which is introduced in Chapter 1 and also briefly mentioned in Chapter 2 : Single Case Design—Entrustable Professional Activity (SCD-EPA). It unites SCD methodology and the EPA framework in the form of four phases: (1) establish a theoretical and practical foundation for an integrated training-and-research program; (2) develop an organizational readiness plan; (3) develop indicators, designs, and systems of assessment and measurement; and (4) implementation and evaluation. The first phase of SCD-EPA is outlined in Chapter 2 for the theoretical foundation and in Chapters 4 and 5 for the practical foundation, while the latter part of Chapter 5 as well as Chapters 6 and 7 focus on the latter three phases. This chapter briefly discusses all four phases to then focus on the latter two. In particular, key developments in SCD research, including advantages and disadvantages of different types of SCDs, as well as analytical methods for quantitative and qualitative variables in SCDs, sampling methods, and ways to deal with missing data, are discussed. Compared to traditional studies that involve groups of participants and only one or two measurement moments per participant, important advantages of SCDs are that they respect the dynamic and non-linear nature of learning, allow researchers to use no more resources than needed, allow for the integration of research in a training program, and help to appreciate contextual diversity. The revision performed in this chapter provides a methodological justification for the studies and outcomes presented in Chapters 6 and 7 , with analyses at both the level of groups of participants and the level of the individual participant.