Fellowship Programs

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies Project

ACGME Transitions to Competencies

About a decade ago, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), www.acgme.org, initiated a major effort to ensure that trainees left programs as competent and prepared physicians. This effort, known as the Outcomes Project, led to the adoption in 1999 of language specifying the six general competencies. These are the foundation for the practice of medicine. Each separate specialty and subspecialty is now in the process of articulating more specific competencies that define the particular specialty or subspecialty.

Ways to Use the HPM Competencies and Measurable Outcomes

Refining and Improving HPM Fellowship Curriculum
The HPM measurable outcomes document outlines behavioral outcomes and assessment tools for the competencies and sub-competencies. This document will be very useful in helping Fellowship Directors align their curriculum with the competencies as they work toward ACGME accreditation.

Starting a New HPM Fellowship Program
The HPM competencies also will serve as an excellent starting point for an institution wanting to launch a HPM fellowship program.

Developing a Short-Term Program for Medical Students and Interns
Many existing HPM fellowship programs provide training to medical students and interns from other specialties. The measurable outcomes document can serve as a guide for creating learning modules, for a variety of medical student and intern time commitments and would compliment a comprehensive curriculum.

Professional Development for Practicing Physicians
These documents can serve as a guide to evaluate one’s own competence and help to focus a plan for self-improvement.  

Table of Contents

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies (version 2.3, September 2009)

Measurable Behavior Outcomes (version 2.3, September 2009)

Toolkit of Assessment Methods

The following links are the assessment tools organized by ACGME Competency. Click on each to download the assessment tool as a Word form. The introduction provides background information about the toolkit and instructions for use.

• Introduction (pdf)
• Patient and Family Care (PFC)
  • PFC 3-Tool Bundle
    • Patient and Family Care - Attending Physician Assessment
    • Patient and Family Care - Fellow Self-Assessment
    • Patient and Family Care - Chart Review
  • Chart Abstraction Checklist - Psychosocial-Spiritual Assessment
  • Chart Abstraction Checklist - Pain Assessment
• Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
  • Faculty Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist - Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
  • Team Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist - Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
  • Small Group Teaching Checklist
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
  • The SECURE Framework - Palliative Care
  • Communication Skills Evaluation
• Professionalism
  • Assessment of Professionalism in Palliative Care
  • Reflective Journaling Self-Care Exercise
• Systems-Based Practice
  • Team Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist - Systems-Based Practice
  • Faculty Evaluation of Fellow: Checklist - Systems-Based Practice
• Multi-Domain Tools and Master Assessment Table
  • 360° Evaluation
  • Academic Portfolio
  • Palliative Medicine Structured Portfolio
  • Master Assessment Table

Guide to Key Documents
Instructions for Using Forms
Resources for More Information

For questions send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or call 847/375-4712.

Contributors to the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies Project