This document discusses needs assessment for curriculum development in health professional education. It outlines a 6-step approach to curriculum development proposed by Kern, with a focus on the first two steps of problem identification and general needs assessment, as well as needs assessment for targeted learners. For problem identification, it emphasizes identifying health needs and linking curriculum to meet needs of learners, patients, and society. For general needs assessment, it describes gathering both qualitative and quantitative data from various sources, analyzing the information, and identifying gaps between current and ideal approaches. For targeted learner needs assessment, it recommends determining learner characteristics, previous experience, proficiencies, performance, deficiencies, preferences and the learning environment.

1. 1
HPE and Needs
Assessment
Hirotaka Onishi MD, MHPE
International Research Center for Medical Education
Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo

2. What is a Curriculum?
 Schedule of classes or lectures?
 Syllabus?
 Lecture contents?
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3. Curriculum Viewpoints
 Not only schedule or program but also what
learners learned should be considered
Manifest curriculum
Hidden curriculum
What teachers
like to teach
What learners
actually learned

4. Curriculum Development
 6-step Approach (Kern)
1. Problem identification and
general needs assessment
2. Needs assessment
for targeted learners
3. Goals and objectives
4. Educational strategy
5. Implementation
6. Assessment or
evaluation
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5. 1. Problem Identification
Health Needs and Curriculum
 What is the curriculum of a health care
professional school (faculty) for?
 Educators’ obligation
 To meet the needs of learners, patients,
and society
 To develop the curriculum by a logical and
systematic approach
 Strong linkage of health professional
education and public health

6. Policy Level
 Any policy of MoHE?
 Mission or vision of medical schools?
 Mission-based curriculum development
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7. Data Analysis
 Information gathering
 Qualitative: Focus group, interview, etc
 Quantitative: Questionnaire, etc
 Analyzing the collected information
 Qualitative: Semantic categorization
 Quantitative: Statistical analysis
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8. Needs Assessment for
Medical Education Curriculum
(Needs) = (Current approach) – (Ideal approach)
Patients
Health
Professionals Educators Society
Current
Ideal

9. Example: Medical Interview
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Patients
Health
Professionals Educators Society
Current
Some
doctors do
not use
polite
sentences
with patients
Many doctors
feel that they
can use only
short time
with patients
in OPD
No teaching has
been offered for
medical interview
Some people
complain that
communication
skills of doctors
are not enough
Ideal
Doctors are
using polite
words with
patients
Doctors
should learn
how to have
medical
interview
Medical interview
training using
standardized
patients will be
needed
Communication
skills of doctors
should be
improved

10. Review of Available
Information (US Example)
 Published Literature: PubMed, ERIC
 Accreditation Bodies: AAMC, LCME,
ACGME
 Professional Societies: IOM
 BEME
 Government Databases and Reports
 Use of Consultants/Experts
 Collection of New Information
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11. 2. Needs Assessment for
Targeted Learners
 Before you implement a new curriculum,
please ask students if the new
curriculum seems OK for them or not
 Demands Needs
 Demands: what they want
 Needs: what they need in the processes to
be a physician
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12. 3 Steps
1. Choose your targeted learners
2. Find out information about the targeted
learners
3. Determine characteristics of the
learning environment
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13. Information about
Targeted Learners
 Previous training & experience
 Already planned training & experience
 Existing proficiencies –
knowledge/attitudes/skills
 Current performance/behaviors
 Perceived deficiencies & learning needs
 Preferences
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14. Information about
Targeted Environment
 Related existing curricula
 Hidden / informal curriculum
 Specific enabling and reinforcing
factors/barriers
 Resources
 Stakeholders
 Politics/factors related to institutional
administration, policy and procedure
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