The impact of a national competency-based medical education initiative in family medicine

Abstract

Purpose Triple C is the Canadian competency-based medical education (CBME) initiative for family medicine. The authors report on a study exploring the impacts Triple C has had across Canada. Method A multi-institutional team conducted a realist study to explore the impact of Triple C implementation in different programs across Canada. Data were collected between March and June 2016 from interviews and focus groups with key medical school stakeholders. Data were analyzed using thematic and template analysis techniques. Results Data were acquired from 16 of the 17 Canadian medical schools from a combination of program leaders, educators, and trainees. Triple C was implemented in different ways and to different extents depending on context. Newer sites tended to have a more comprehensive implementation than established sites. Urban sites afforded different opportunities to implement Triple C from those afforded by rural sites. Although it was too early to assess its impact on the quality of graduating residents, Triple C was seen as having had a positive impact on identifying and remediating failing learners and on energizing and legitimizing the educational mission in family medicine. Negative impacts included greater costs and tensions in the relationships with other specialties. A principles-based approach to CBME offered flexibility to programs to incorporate variation in their interpretation and implementation of Triple C. Although there was a degree of normalization of practice, it was not standardized across sites or programs. Conclusions Triple C has been successfully implemented across Canada but in differing ways and with different impacts.