Identification of Professional Practice Gaps, Educational Needs, Learning Objectives,
and Desired Results C2, C3
EXAMPLE
Professional Practice
Gap
Data from our residents’
annual training InTraining Examination
clearly documents a
knowledge gap. In
addition, multiple studies
have demonstrated
difficulty in compliance
with guidelines.
EXAMPLE
Educational
Need
Through activity
attendance,
participants are
able to assess
their knowledge of
current practice
and apply the
most current
guidelines to
treatment of an
individual patient.
Professional Practice
Gap1
Educational
Need2
EXAMPLE
This is a gap/need
of:
Knowledge
Competence
Performance
Patient
Outcomes
This is a gap/need
of: (check all that
apply)
EXAMPLE
Learning
Objective
Identify and apply
current NCCN
(National
Comprehehsive
Cancer Network)
Guidelines for
treatment of
breast cancer in
order to provide
optimal treatment
to patients.
Learning
Objective3
EXAMPLE
Desired Result
Improvement will be
measured by
adherence to NCCN
guidelines, scores of
residents on In-Service
examinations given by
the American Board of
Surgery and patient
outcomes as tracked
by the tumor registry.
Desired
Result4
Knowledge
Competence5
Performance6
Patient
Outcomes
Knowledge
Competence
Performance
Patient
Outcomes
Knowledge
Competence
Performance
Patient
Outcomes
Knowledge
Competence
Performance
Patient
Outcomes
Knowledge
Competence
Performance
Patient
Outcomes
1
A professional practice gap is defined as the difference between ACTUAL (what is) and IDEAL (what should be) in regards
to performance and/or patient outcomes.
2 An educational need is defined as “the need for education on a specific topic identified by a gap in professional practice.”
3 Learning objectives are the take-home messages; what should the learner be able to accomplish after the activity?
Objectives should bridge the gap between the identified need/gap and the desired result.
4 Desired results are what you expect the learner to do in his/her practice setting. How will the information presented impact
the clinical practice and/or behavior of the learner? Indicate how this change could be reasonably measured.
5Competence is defined as the ability to apply knowledge, skills, and judgment in practice (knowing how to do something).
6Performance is defined as what one actual does, in practice.
Additional needs/gaps, objectives, desired results attached
Identification of Needs, Desired Results, Learning Objectives, and Outcomes
Step 1: Organize the needs into a prioritized list - now that the needs and gaps have been identified, organize
them into the most important needs/gaps that will be used to develop the CME activity. Please state the prioritized
needs in the left column of the worksheet (one need per Cell) – use only as many slots as you have needs
Step 2: Identify the types of deficiencies/quality gaps identified (knowledge, competence, performance) – at
least one box must be checked per row in the CME application.
Is the need related to…
Giving physicians’ new knowledge?
Giving physician’s new abilities/strategies?
Helping physicians’ modify their practice?
This would be a gap in…
Knowledge
Competence
Performance
Step 3: Identify the desired results according to the identified need – these will be the teaching goals for this
activity. It also identifies issues that can be measured three months post-activity in an outcomes evaluation.
Step 4: Prepare learning objectives - Visualize the learning objectives for this activity as stepping stones that
enable you and your faculty to take the learner from the identified need to the desired result. In addition, learning
objectives must be written from the perspective of what you expect the learner to do in the practice setting with the
information you are teaching. NOTE: verbs that communicate acquisition of knowledge: cited, define, describe,
identify, list; comprehension: describe, discuss, explain, interpret; application: apply, demonstrate, review, translate;
evaluation: appraise, determine, recommend. Verbs to avoid: appreciate, know, learn, and understand. Instructions to
assist with writing learning objectives are located on the UC San Diego CME web site.
Step 5: Identify appropriate activity evaluation and follow-up outcomes evaluation questions – Good adult
education seeks to measure the effectiveness of its activities. At the conclusion of the activity, participants will
evaluate the quality of the activity, learner satisfaction, applicability to the practice environment, the appearance of
bias in the instructional process, and quality of the faculty. In addition, the participants will be asked to answer the
outcomes measurement questions identified in the CME worksheet; this data will be utilized to assess change. It is
recommended that all faculty/speakers/ authors be provided with the results of these evaluative measurements.