Consensus development and validation of entrustable professional activities for nephrology fellowship training in Saudi

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for the nephrology fellowship program in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study utilized a two-round modified Delphi design involving nephrology consultants across Saudi Arabia. The initial list of 39 EPAs was created through a literature review and expert input, followed by a piloting process that refined these activities based on feedback. A target sample of 26 nephrology consultants was invited, achieving an 80% response rate in the first round with 21 participants. Descriptive statistics, including means and percentages, summarized demographic characteristics and group responses. Participants rated the relevance of each EPA using a 5-point Likert scale. Consensus was defined as at least 75% agreement among participants, which guided the refinement of EPAs across the Delphi rounds. The study was approved by the institutional review board at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Results: In the first round, consensus was achieved for 34 EPAs, while 5 were excluded for lack of relevance and 6 were modified. The second round confirmed full consensus on the revised 34 EPAs, with an 81% response rate among the 21 experts. Conclusions: This study successfully developed and validated EPAs for the nephrology fellowship program in Saudi Arabia. Implementing these EPAs is expected to enhance training, assessment, and clinical competence for nephrology fellows. Future studies should explore the long-term impact of these EPAs on training outcomes and consider adapting them for other specialties.